Goodbbye, CET Siena. I will miss you.

Last night as I was beginning to pack up all of my clothes, I found myself staring at an empty closet and was struck with the reality of leaving for the first time. What an odd realization to know that tomorrow I will be parting from this beautiful place!

I will miss the resilient little clothing lines hanging out of windows, bearing the burden of clothes even while it is raining. I will miss going for runs in the Fortezza during sunset, with its beautiful views of the Duomo. I will miss speaking Italian with the guy who works at Pizzaland who has gotten to experience my accent in all of its various stages. I will miss going to mass in one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in the world. I will miss being late for meetings in the Piazza del Campo. I will miss feeling so compelled to eat the fantastic food in front of me, and eating so much that I actually start crying from being full. I will miss the concerned and disapproving expressions of my Sienese neighbors as I walk around outside with wet hair. I will miss the excitement of reaching home when I disembark a bus in Piazza Gramsci after a trip out of town. I will miss feeling like death is coming when I’m walking up that terrible hill every morning on my way to class. And, I will miss the painful walk downhill from the Conad supermarket when I have a six-pack of large waters to haul. I will miss all of my pigeon friends. I will miss being able to start up a casual conversation about the Francigena road – hey, thanks to the Francigena, Siena experienced its Golden era. The Francigena deserves its due credit.

I am going to miss CET. I will miss all of my wonderful professors and their quirks. I will miss sleeping next to the space heater on my RD’s office floor. I will miss taking all of my classes with five of my best friends in the world. I will miss martedì merenda bar hops and gelato giovedì. I will miss the view of the Lupa fountain from my kitchen window. I will miss the excitement of starting the confused burners on my stove. I will miss having a bidet in my bathroom even though I’m scared to try it. I will miss cooking myself different types of pasta for dinner every single night, and the frequency with which I use a colander and a cheese grater. I will miss all of the feathers that mysteriously make their way from my comforter into my hair and clothes. I will miss reading novels for my Italian Cultural History class while lying on the squishy green sofa in my kitchen. I will miss my heinous bedroom door that my Italian roommates actually had to remove from its hinges to fix. I will miss walking into the kitchen each morning and seeing the faces of people that I have grown to love so dearly.

When I first arrived in this city, I had a difficult time believing that this place would actually be my home for the next four months. Now, on my last day abroad, I am having difficulty believing that I am leaving. The concept of going home is a troublesome one because Siena has become my home, too. CET Siena has been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. To those of you thinking of applying, know that I have no regrets or complaints about this wonderful program. To my little CET family, know just how much I love and appreciate you all. Well, I am about to go make pancakes for my Italian roommates, but I suppose there is still yet one thing left to say: thank goodness for the Francigena road.

Samantha Leahy - CET Student Correspondent