I think we’re all looking for something, especially at this age. What is that something? I have no idea. I think we try searching for it. Maybe it’s motivation. Maybe it’s change. Maybe it’s just a simple sign. It’s different for everyone. But, I think that a lot of students think they will find it through studying abroad. I’ve heard all of these wonderful stories and adventures about people who study abroad. “It’ll change your life,” or “It’ll change the way you look at things,” or “You’ll find what you’re looking for, and you’ll know it when you do,” are all things that I’ve heard constantly about studying abroad. I came on this trip for many reasons. For one, to see the world. Another, to try different types of food – still trying to figure out how Italians are not obese. And finally, to learn about sports in different cultures across the world. I come from a country that is revolved around football, and a family that is revolved around football. My father is a football coach. My uncle has coached in both the collegiate and professional level. My brother currently plays division I football for Marshall University. My grandfather played football at Notre Dame. I played volleyball and lacrosse in high school, but football was clearly the center of attention in my world. I think because football has always been the center of my world, I thought I needed something new. Some change. Or maybe, I thought I needed to be different than my family. I researched Europe’s sporting cultures before I left. Nobody cares about American football. No one. Not in the slightest. Who’s Tom Brady? Honestly, I thought to myself, this will be good. I don’t need to have my life so focused around football just like every other member of my family. Maybe I’ll learn to love soccer and its cultural influence. Maybe I’ll be inspired to work in tennis after going to the infamous French Open. Maybe I’ll love the importance of all sports and the Olympics, and how they bring together a country. I was overwhelmed when I visited EuroSport in Paris. These people work vigorously to provide sporting content in over 22 different languages for all of Europe. I was overwhelmed when I stepped foot on the grounds of Roland Garros and saw the multitude of tennis courts, the numerous amounts of fans, and the television screens that showed the match from the main court. I was overwhelmed when I walked up to the main doors of the Italian Olympic committee and peered inside to see a countdown clock to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. I was overwhelmed when I learned the history and impact that Mussolini made on the country, and how controversial that is when dealing with the sporting culture. I was overwhelmed when I walked into a local bar in Rome after Mexico upset Germany in the World Cup, and watched a literal outrage occur. People were dancing, drinking, singing and snapchatting like no tomorrow.
I was overwhelmed when I walked up the steps of the Coliseum and saw where 80,000 spectators would watch gladiators fight to their deaths. I was overwhelmed by everything that is and was sport in Europe. I was overwhelmed, but not in the same way I was when AJ Dillon literally threw a defender from Louisville to the ground with his opposite arm. I was overwhelmed, but not in the same way I was when the ball was loose and Jalen Watts Jackson picked it up and returned it for a touchdown to beat Michigan. I was overwhelmed, but not in the same way I was when Jadeveon Clowney demolished Michigan running back Vincent Smith in the 2013 Outback Bowl. I was overwhelmed, but not in the same way I was when the Patriots came back 28-3 to beat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. I was overwhelmed, but not in the same way I was when former New Orleans Saint Zach Strief thanked Drew Brees for being the epitome of a perfect leader and teammate in his own retirement speech. I was overwhelmed, but not in the same way I was when Peyton Manning said, “God bless all of you, and god bless football” in his retirement speech. See the common denominator here? It’s football. It’s always been football, and it always will be football, for me at least. And Europe taught me that that’s perfectly OK. It’s good to broaden your horizons, in fact, it’s incredible. But, what I learned is that it’s OK to trust and love what’s familiar. It’s OK to fall back on what’s comfortable. It’s OK if you try something new and don’t like it. You tried. And that’s what Europe taught me. To try. Just simply give your best effort. Trying new things can end in an incredible change, or just a greater appreciation for what you loved before. Because let me tell you, I’ve never loved and appreciated the way I grew up as much as I do right now. On a non-sporting note, Europe helped me realize how lucky I am to be an American, and to be from this country. Seeing the effects of World War II on France in Normandy and the effects Mussolini and fascism had on Italy first hand gave me nothing but goose bumps. Not only did my private excursion of Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery in Normandy make me think, but visiting a church in the Normandy region where a German soldier wrote and asked for his sins to be forgiven made me feel. These peoples lives were effected drastically for years. At the Saint-Chappelle, people preserved the glass of the church and pieced it back together after the war. People in Italy are still dealing with the effects of Mussolini today.
These little stories make me appreciate the history of America. No matter what we are going through today, all of our own tribulations, these anecdotes make me appreciate being from our beautiful, free country. I’m eternally grateful for this trip and this opportunity to see the world, and even more grateful for the opportunity to truly appreciate my own little world.
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