Two nights before leaving Bologna, Charlotte and I threw a going away party for ourselves, to which we invited all the Americans that were left, and most importantly, all the Italians who had touched our lives over the past year. Fortunately, almost everyone we invited was able to come and see us off. Even Shawn was there because he was on a European vacation with his family to celebrate his brother's graduation! It was a very bittersweet night, me trying to enjoy myself, take everyone in, savor the moment while at the same time knowing that every time someone left the party, it would be ages before I'd ever see them again. Nonetheless, it was a very chill party and I think everyone really enjoyed having the opportunity to be together one last time!
Andrew and Charlotte, and their interpretation of"pretend to like each other"
Julia and Kelly, Bella Italia Prom, 2008
Azzurra reached in at the last moment to make sure my dress wasn't misbehaving!
Me and the Patton brothersYes, that is Shawn's younger brother...
Once it had widdled down to an even more intimate group, we broke out dolci and prosecco, and Charlotte and I both gave speeches/toasts to everyone there. I cried through the whole thing but everyone was really patient and appreciated what I had to say. I was happy to have had the opportunity (to attempt) to express to them just how important they each had been to me and how special an impact they had had on my year in Italy.
Goodbye after goodbye left me broken into smaller and smaller pieces. Azzurra was really sweeet and she'd pull me into her room with her to cry for awhile. Whenever I couldn't find her or Federica that night, they were always hiding in the darkness of that room, crying, and smoking to help ease the stress of it all. By the end of it, we were all just emotionally exhausted and seriously ready for some sleep. But sleeping meant I would wake up to my final day in Bologna...
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