Strangers Are Just Family You Have Yet to Come to Know

Salve

We started off this adventure three months ago as complete strangers. Just a random group of college students from all over the United States, with seemingly nothing more in common than the desire to study in Italy. However, now I can confidently say that we are family. This was never more prevalent than it was Monday night at the final formal dinner. That evening topped my list of favorite moments at CIMBA. Now, it wasn’t the food that made the evening spectacular (I actually wasn’t a fan at all), it was the atmosphere and the fact that it was our last chance to all be together. I couldn’t have asked for a better night.

 

We arrived at this gorgeous Italian villa and headed up some stairs to the banquet hall. It was decorated with Christmas decorations and the feeling was just so upscale but homey at the same time. I also love seeing everyone all dressed up with huge smiles on their faces. I took a seat at a table with some great people; people I’m sure that I will be friends with for a long time to come. But in all honesty, I could have sat anywhere and been with people that have changed my life and that I want to remain friends with in the future.

 

Next, came the slideshow, which I helped make and had to introduce. Oddly, I was super nervous about talking but I was also excited to see how people reacted to it. It was seventeen minutes filled with amazing moments from our semester coupled with some cheesy and tear-wrenching songs. Many people were reaching for tissues. There are very few moments in life that can make that many people cry from happiness. It really shows how much this semester and the people have meant to every single person here.

The food and wine was served. People laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. People kept getting up to take pictures. I come from a small family, but I imagine that the atmosphere was very similar to that of a large family gathering filled with love and crazy stories. I liked just looking around and seeing how much fun every person was having.

 

Now, came the super fun part. They had hired a dj and I’m not going to lie, we were a little skeptical about what kind of music he would choose to play. However, it was a blast and the music was pretty good! Everyone was dancing together in a large huddle. The teachers even joined in at moments, which was cool. However, the whole night can be reduced to one beautiful moment. Now, the song of the semester has definitely been Swedish House Mafia’s “Don’t You Worry Child” and so it was played as the final song of the evening. Instantaneously, every student got together and just became one jumping love mass of people. It really showed our unity. Various people took videos and even watching those video of some Swedish House Mafia song brought tears to people’s eyes.

Its been an emotional couple of days for everyone and we know that the end of this adventure is near. However, that does not mean that our story is over. I know that I will be friends with some of these people for the rest of my life and I’m excited to start that adventure. The formal dinner was an awesome ending moment of this trip. I just wish that it didn’t have to end.

Ciao… for next time I write I will be home in Georgia.