Self-realization in the Swiss Alps
My whole life, I always knew I wanted to study abroad, and for the most part, I always knew it would be in Italy. Growing up, watching movies and getting lost in books that took place in the Italian countryside, coupled with my interest in art history, it always felt like the place I was destined to go.
Before I left for study abroad at SRISA, I had expectations, nerves, and a fear of the unknown, but overpowering all of that was the excitement and pride I felt in myself for taking the step I had always dreamed of.
I spent the best four months of my life in Florence, Italy, this past spring. During those months traveling throughout Europe, I made memories that will last a lifetime and genuinely changed the trajectory of my life. It sounds cheesy and cliché, but it’s true, and here’s why.
In Italy, the pace of life feels natural and calm. I’ve always had a deep passion for art history, and I was able to be surrounded by it literally everywhere I turned, even just walking to the grocery store, it felt surreal. The ancient streets, sculptures carved by Michelangelo and Donatello on the side of buildings, passing the Duomo walking to class. It was all just apart of my daily routine and it was insane to grasp that it was real life. It felt like how I should be living. Surrounded by things that excite me, motivate me, and make me happy.
Life there moves at its own gentle pace. Slow mornings with coffee and unhurried conversations with friends. Stepping outside throughout the day whenever you need for some fresh air, then easing back into work or class. Fresh, simple food and an endless stream of sights that never lose their magic. At night, the streets glow that soft European yellow, the kind that makes everything feel a little enchanted.
There were no chain restaurants, just local spots run by people who treated you like family. Strangers would offer you a bite of their meal just because you said it looked good. And even when the language got in the way, it never stopped anyone from helping you, welcoming you, or pulling you into the moment. There’s a real focus on community, friendship, and quality of life, that I was simply not used to.
The intentional, poetic lifestyle in Italy was a huge shift from the fast-paced mindset of America. Don’t get me wrong, I actually thrive in a fast-paced environment, but being able to live within a nurturing, community-centered, slower rhythm was able to bring out a part of me that I needed to grow.
I never felt more true to myself.
Actually having the time for once to slow down, savor life, and learn about so many new wonderful things, I formed a stronger sense of self, identity, and what I wanted to get out of life.
Being alone with my thoughts so often, and building a life for myself in a foreign country, planning trip itineraries, budgeting, exploring the places I’d always dreamed of, all while keeping up with school, made me feel proud in a way I had never experienced. I’ve always been independent, but after navigating European train stations…. I feel like I can do anything.
While abroad, I was able to visit:
Vienna, Austria
Budapest, Hungary
Paris, France
Marrakech, Morocco
Switzerland: Grindelwald, Zurich, Thun
London, England
Italy: Turin, Rome, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, Pisa, Venice
Seeing so many countries, cultures, environments, foods, and people made me feel profoundly alive and more human than ever before.
Towards the end of my time abroad, I took a solo trip to Switzerland, which became the trip I realized I’m capable of anything I truly set my mind to. It just further reinforced in me how much I value culture, community, and genuine human connection. Spending three days alone with my thoughts, soaking in the beauty around me, and staying in a tiny pod hotel turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
While I was there, I hiked the Swiss Alps, which is something I never imagined I would do. I was surrounded by a sea of white, looking out at this beautiful earth of ours. It was one of those rare moments where I was genuinely overwhelmed by what was right in front of me. Being on the mountain top was the eureka moment I had on that trip. The urge in me to follow my dreams, being a force for positive change in the world, and the feeling I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to, had never felt stronger. Hiking the top of that mountain was one of the coolest, most amazing things I’ve ever got to do.
These values have always been a part of me, but on that mountain peak, they were amplified and deeply instilled. The constant sense of surrealness I felt pushed me to be more confident in myself, and that confidence naturally carries into the kind of impact I want to make in the industry and in the world. Trusting yourself, truly believing you are capable, will take you to places you never imagined possible, and affect how you look at life. When you are filled with such immense gratitude, carry it into the mundane day to day, carry it into the exciting days, and use it to drive your life.
As I was coming down from my time on the mountain top, I actually lost hearing in my ear and couldn’t speak from all the changes in elevation and pressure I had gone through from the hike, the gondola ride up and down, and sinus issues I had been dealing with from traveling so much. I still was going to Zurich the next day, and staying the night there. I had to navigate through Zurich unable to speak, hardly hear, and figure out how to get medicine in the Swiss pharmacy when I was unable to communicate (and most were closed because it was Sunday.)
It strengthened my perseverance and my ability to keep seeing things with a glass-half-full mindset—even when I was incredibly sick, in a foreign country, and sharing a hostel room with eight other people. And while the back end of that trip was undeniably rough, it was still an unforgettable experience I’d do all over again.