My mother expressed concerns about the risks I might face traveling through countries where I didn't speak the language. She worried about how I would finance the semester and said there was a possibility of ending up in a situation like Amanda Knox. I realized that part of my decision's tension stemmed from her unfulfilled dreams. After all, Italy is on everyone's bucket list.
When my mother was in her early 20s, she worked in Manhattan. Despite being just over the bridge, family members discouraged her from working in the city, considering it dangerous for a young woman. Port Authority was a hub for drug users, the homeless, and prostitutes, they told her.
Ultimately, studying abroad was cheaper than returning to campus, which eased some of the tension and alleviated some of the worry my mother had.
I believed that growth required stepping out of my comfort zone, and my naive ambition couldn't be deterred. I thought my parents would be proud of me for following a dream I knew was right.
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