World love

In my line of work I get to spend all day talking about countries around the world and how students can spend summers or semesters exploring them. People ask me on occasion, "Doesn't your job make you hate your life a little? Helping students go on these incredible journeys while you sit in your office?" My first thought in response is "Eff you guy - my job is amazing. Scratch that, my life is amazing. I don't know, how's your job going? Oh wait you don't have one? That's too bad..." but my secondary response eeps out "Yah, sometimes, a little..."

But the truth is - my job gives me an opportunity to make my international experiences matter to someone else. When someone is getting ready to head to Florence for the semester and is trying to decide if Rome should be one of their stops, I can tell them about the Colosseum, the flower markets in the Campo De Fiori and the street performers who play their flutes at a frantic and unimaginable pace.

I get to tell them about the beauty of clothing hanging out windows, and the old world feeling you get as you pass beneath the belongings of strangers, put out for anyone to view.

And then every so often...with the right student... I get to talk about Africa. I get to talk about all the reasons that experiencing cold showers, unidentifiable food, and over-packed public transportation was the highlight of my life so far. 

I do miss being abroad. But if I can't go right now... I'll relish the opportunities to help others venture out.