A New Face in a Far Place: Beach Babes

So in the midst of all these goodbyes, it was finally time for me to say hello to someone. Bianca, the host sister in Chicago all year, blessed me with her presence a week before my departure. It's no big deal or anything, right? She has left her shoes by the front door and I slipped right into them - I'm with her family, in her friend group, around her city and on her bed. So is she going to hate me? Am I invading her space? Will she shut me out of the family that has rightfully been hers all along? Will we even get along? I can't even.... no, stop. I have enough anxiety about leaving myself that my anxiety for her return just doesn't have enough space in my head. How do I go about meeting a girl whose life I've already seen and stories I've already heard? Through Skype and Facebook, we've kept in touch all year so when she got off her plane I could feel my fears and anxiety evaporating. "Ciao bella!" We greeted each other like old friends, even if we had just met.

Over the next few days I was blessed with the gift of her friendship.; I watched as she got used to her old life all over again. Her strides and struggles were playing out before me as I got a preview of what it would be like for me over the next few weeks. You'd think that going away for so long the easiest part would be coming home to the comfort of an old life. But that's just it - this is now an old life. Realizing that ten months have also gone by at home confronts us with the truth that we are not the only ones changed. Our old habits fade and new ones are created which sometimes makes our old company incapable of knowing who we've become.

The idea of Bianca scared me, but the Bianca I now know is too much a sweetheart to fulfill any of my nightmares. I'm the eleventh unnatural kid they've taken in as family... wouldn't she be used to us wanderers by now? And then it hit me - without even knowing her, I understand Bianca better than anyone else here because I'm the only other one in her situation.

We figured that out just in time because suddenly we were packed and ready to go. A vacation to clear my mind about leaving and hers about returning was just what we needed. So here we go - 6 girls, 5 nights, 1 tent. It went better than it sounds! We ate bad, cheap food and bummed on the beach all day. Eleonora and I were lucky enough to sleep on the bare ground after us vs. deflated mattress didn't end in our favor..... yesssss that constant back pain was just what I needed! hmmmm perfection.

My hardest moment (besides getting pumped up then let down by the European soccer world cup) was realizing the significance these girls have each had on my year. I love them with my whole heart to the ends of the earth. But our vacation wasn't sappy, it was sunshine. There were towels instead of tears and beers instead of bad moods. Forgetting the Italian vs. Irish sunblock necessity would fry me to a crisp, I went home happily tanned and tranquil.