So this week was a bit crazy, me and my roommate moved out of our apartment to an empty one below us because we were having some issues with the other people we were living with. From the moment we moved in we felt a bit uneasy. We live in a small apartment building for only female university students. When we moved in there were already 3 students living there one from Italy, one from France, and the last from Serbia. From the beginning we could tell that the Italian had been there the longest because she immediately asserted her dominance over the space, so much so that at first we thought she was the landlord.
There wasn’t much space made for us when we got there the fridge was filled and so were the food cabinets so we felt uneasy about using the kitchen. It felt like we were staying in someone else’s apartment and we behaved that way. We were supposed to share the things in the apartment but only in the way she wanted it to be shared. After relaying this information to the administrators in our program they decided it would be best for us to move. So the beginning of the week was spent unpacking and getting used to our apartment and the second half was spent getting ready for my birthday weekend in Malta.
So there’s a small airport in Perugia that only has flights to certain places and one of them is Malta. I was able to get a round trip ticket for twenty euros. The trip started out a bit bumpy because one of my friends who was supposed to come with us lost her wallet so we had to leave her behind. I was afraid that my trip was going to be ruined but that wasn’t the case.
I ended having a great time with the small group of people that came with me. This trip was filled with things I like doing the most. For me what makes a great trip is discovering new cultures, food, beautiful places, and people. One really cool thing about the Maltese language is that it is a mixture of Arabic, Italian, and a bit of French and English. So there were some words I understood. It was crazy because all of there signs were in English, I think that is in part to the fact that were a part of Britain for so long. They even used the same outlets as the brits. From my research I learned that a big part of the maltese people can speak Italian, English, and their native language. One thing to differentiate is that their Italian is closer to the Sicilian dialect which is really cool because they say grazi (Sicilian dialect) instead of grazie. But one thing they share with Sicily is they’re bomb cannoli, when I tell it was so good I’m not lying.
One of my favorite things about visiting different countries is checking out what different foods they have at their McDonald’s. So you know how at our McDonald’s we have apple slices as a side well they had mango slices, which as a lover of tropical fruits made my trip! And it was only one euro! Other than that their McDonald’s is really similar to the McDonald’s in Italy.
I found that the Maltese people were really friendly. On the day of my birthday we traveled to the top of the island to go to the blue lagoon. Thee they had a stand where they sold drinks in pineapples, when I told the guys it was my birthday they gave us free cups of fruit with our drinks. It was such a great experience the water was so blue. I feel like my ancestors lived near the water because every time I’m near water I feel like a whole different type of peace. I want to live near the water.
Staring out into the blue waters, with a pineapple in my hand, I couldn’t help but think of how thankful I was to be able to experience things like this. I was surrounded by a group of people I was so lucky to call friends and I was filled with so much warmth. It’s so easy to get caught up and forget to enjoy the moment. Starting the first day of my 25th year of life in a beautiful place surrounded by love I couldn’t have been happier. Every year of my life God brings people into my life that really fill something that I need in that time.
LESSON NUMBER 6: People come and go. It’s okay to let them go when your time together is done.
Sitting at the blue lagoon with my feet in the water I was thinking of the friends I lost and how it was so hard for me to let them go. I’m the type of friend who wants to hold onto people even when the relationship is broken. I had been looking for closure in a couple of my friendships that were obviously long over and in that moment I found my closure. Different people play different roles in your life but when they’re no longer able to, you have to let them go. I appreciate every friend I’ve ever had and I think I will always love them but sometimes that love has to come from afar.
Leaving Malta was bittersweet but I think I’ll be back sooner or later. When we got back to Italy there were people at the airport waiting for us in hazmat suits scanning everyone who got off of the plane. And that’s when I realized that maybe the corona virus was a bit more serious than I previously thought. The next day my tutoring teacher threw me a belated birthday celebration and I felt so loved.
The 25th year of my life is going to be my best year yet!
Alexis Takes Italy 