By Abby Hammack
Halfway across the world, you can still feel like in you’re in just the right place. The good days are amazing and even the bad ones can be remedied. Here are a few ways how:
- Decorate Your Apartment
Maybe it’s the mom in me, but my place was way too bare to feel like my Midwest roots. So I grabbed some 2 Euro flowers from Tiger and some wine bottles I had way past emptied and set up camp.
- Call Florence Home
If Florence is going to be your home, then you better start acting like it; embrace your walk home from class, pick your favorite route, get to know your gelato guy. Just because you’re not Italian, doesn’t mean you can’t call Italy your home for a while.
- Leave
It sounds harsh, but after you take a trip, coming back to Florence will be a huge relief. You’ll have a fantastic experience in a new city or country and crashing on your weird IKEA bed after a long journey will feel like living life on a cloud.
- FaceTime Your Friends From Home
It might make you miss them a little more, but seeing your friends’ faces will definitely brighten your day. Plus, they’ll love to hear from you; they miss you just as much as you miss them.
- Call Your Mom (Or Dad)
This one is pretty obvious, but no one gives advice like your mom. Whether you know to ignore her or do whatever she says immediately, there’s nothing like a good mom chat. Plus, she DEFINITELY misses you.
- Do The Little Things
There are several weird, little things that I miss about home (like sonic drive thru, a lot of grass, real diet coke) for which I try to find alternatives. Although it’s not perfect, I can get my fix by grabbing a soda from a small market or walking through the park. Whatever you like to do at home on a bad (or good) day, you can do something similar here.
- Embrace It
Most importantly, you have to embrace your new life. Although it may be temporary, that probably means it’s going to be the best. You’ll never have experiences like these again. One bad day should never ruin the experience of a lifetime and good days will get better each time. Live the best version of your life in the best cities of the world and don’t forget it.
