From tourist to resident: my Venice bus revelation

  

    Two months into my study abroad in Germany, I was still stumbling through basic phrases and trying to find my footing in a new language and culture. The experience was exciting, but also overwhelming, humbling, and full of daily challenges. When a friend from Oregon came to visit, we planned a weekend trip to Italy. I didn’t expect that the most transformative moment of my semester would happen on a packed Italian bus.   

      It was the weekend of the Venice marathon, and the city was full of energy and people. Humid and bright, we boarded our bus from our hostel to the islands, unaware that it would take 30 minutes longer than the night before. Packed like sardines, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, hearing at least five different languages at once, it was a surreal experience. But amidst the chaos, I heard the familiar words from the family next to me: “Alles gut, mein Schatz.” In that moment, all the anxieties I usually felt about speaking my new language faded away. I smiled, feeling a sense of connection, and asked, “Kommst du aus Deutschland?”          After learning the family was Dutch, traveling with German relatives, we switched to English. As we compared travel stories and they recommended places to visit, I realized something: for the first time, I didn’t feel like just a tourist. I felt like an American living abroad, adapting and thriving. This experience was more than just a brief interaction—it marked a turning point in how I saw myself. I felt more confident, more independent, and more at home in this foreign place than I ever had in the U.S. In that moment, I understood that studying abroad had reshaped me, both internally and externally. I was learning not only about new cultures and perspectives but about my own growth. I felt a renewed sense of purpose, a deeper connection to the world, and a stronger belief in my ability to navigate unfamiliar situations with confidence. I still think about the friendly Dutch family, and this seemingly small interaction still makes me smile today.