As a loyal and dedicated introvert, I grew up with either my nose buried in a book or a pen in my hand. And yes, I mean pen not keyboard. I’m old fashioned like that sometimes, but don’t get me wrong, my laptop is third only to my family and my phone. Now to introduce myself, my name is Allyssa Gutierrez and I will be keeping up with this blog for the next several months while I study abroad in Italy!
It’s hard to come up with words to describe how excited I am to have this opportunity to study in Italy. I have worked so hard to get this far and I know I still have a lot more ahead of me, but one of my mottos in life has always been to enjoy the little victories.
That is exactly what I want to write about today, the little victories. Sometimes, little victories or little accomplishments seem meaningless but if I’ve learned anything in my 20 years of life, it would be, as cheesy as it sounds, to appreciate those little victories because they can grow into so much more than you could have ever imagined.
Moving to the other side of the world for a number of months is a fantastic opportunity for me to be able to focus more on myself. As much as I enjoy my life here in the U.S., it can be stressful trying to juggle all my responsibilities with school, clubs, work, family and so on. While in Italy the only things I will be responsible for are my academics and myself. I plan to take full advantage of this.
About a week ago, I made a list of things I hope to accomplish while in Italy and it is as follows:
- Read before going to bed instead of being on my phone.
- Spend less time on my phone when I have free time.
- Create a workout routine and follow it.
- Regulate my eating habits.
- Set a study schedule.
- Appreciate the beauty of the outdoors.
- Absorb as much as I can about the Italian culture.
I’ll more than likely add to it as I go along and like I said before, these goals seem small but achieving them would make a big impact on my habits coming back home to the U.S. It sounds cheesy and cliche but as a 20 year old that’s had her share of obstacles to overcome, winning small battles is the first step to winning the war.
You don’t have to make a list or formulate any sort of plan. Just start with appreciating the small wins more often and, from experience, I can promise it will make a difference. If you’re studying abroad, have goals for yourself, big or small. Make use of the opportunities and time given to you while abroad and you won’t be disappointed. Wish me luck on my journey and I wish you all the best in yours, wherever you may be and wherever you may go.