"Verona, whoever does not feel overwhelming love immediately after seeing you..."

This year I did a pretty scary thing and moved to another country by myself. My original goal was to live in Florence. But with getting a dual citizenship, I was advised it was best to live in a smaller city. I was between two options and I ultimately went with Verona. It was city I had heard of, it had gluten free options, and it had easy ways of transporting to other cities and countries more easily.

In the lead up to me moving across the Atlantic, people kept expecting me to break down and give up on this adventure. But the entire time it felt like I was doing what I was meant to do. For me, I would not have achieved my version of success if I spent my whole life living within a close proximity of my family.

My version of success was going out, seeing the world, meeting new people, learning about them, learning about the different cultures. This is nothing against the family I grew up with, I just knew I wanted something different. I've been living and traveling throughout Europe for a while now, and I haven't been homesick. Though there are elements and conveniences of living in the United States that I miss, I ultimately do not miss living in the United States. I've gotten texts from family members saying "But you must be so lonely, right?". Sorry, no. Because of my circumstances, I've gotten very used to being alone and feeling alone. I've become very comfortable with my own company and prefer it to being social. That part of the journey was never going to be the problem. Ironically, breaking out of my comfort zone, I've actually become way more social. If I may be so bold as to say, this is the best I have felt in a long time.

The more time I've spent in Verona, the more it has felt like the city was made just for me. There's a lot of history, a lot of theater, good restaurants, and things I've still yet to discover. On my nightly walks, I look around and think "Look at what you have accomplished". I am so incredibly proud of myself that I am achieving some really important dreams.

Although this is the first post from Verona, I'm sure it won't be the last. Stay tuned for more!