the little things

Okay, so here I am, studying abroad in Italy.... that is kind of a big thing!

But to my dismay and to no disbelief... things simply do not work out the way you picture them in your mind. Sound familiar anyone?

Cliche as it seems, when imperfect things happen you just have to shake it off, smile and look for the little things.

I've always been the type who has to talk out every problem in order to find a solution. Thank goodness God gave me a mother who is willing to listen to me vent and then to help me solve the problem. However, being located 8 hours ahead of anyone I can call up and talk things out with, I have had to resort to a less stressful method of just shaking things off and seeking positivity in every situation.

I have found this method has helped me become a much more grateful person. And let's be honest, the more grateful you are, the happier you can be.

Here's an example from last night:

I'll just start out by saying grocery shopping is never a pleasant experience here. I just attempted to write all the common things that go wrong and the list got too long. So just take my word for it... if you go grocery shopping you might as well just be buying a one way ticket to struggle city. Anyway, I got up to the front of the line, paid the guy with my silly little welfare token the school made us buy, start bagging my groceries and voila! My bag rips (bags aren't free here btw.. you have to pay for them every time) and my food spills all over the floor. So I just took a deep breath and picked it up as quickly as I could and moved to the side to wait for my roommates to finish shopping while cradling my spilled groceries because I wasn't about to pay for another bag. Apparently a man had seen the whole ordeal and sort of nodded his head in sympathy for me. I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled and waved my hand like "it's no big deal". Here's the best part! He immediately walks up to the cashier and says "sacchetto" (which means bag), pays for a new bag, and gives it to me! Although it was the smallest action, it turned my whole day around. I thanked him endlessly and wish I could have said more but we both just stood in the corner while we waited for our friends. When it was time for him to leave he turned to me and smiled and said Ciao (even though we hadn't been talking) and left. Now that is one of the little things that turned out to be a very big thing! A simple smile goes a long way.

I think I am especially grateful for little things like that after our little weekend rendezvous to Genova. I will be honest, I was less than impressed with the city. It was dirty, people were very aggressive and rude, there were sketchy alleys all over town filled with prostitutes and very obvious drug deals, and finding a meal was nearly impossible. I was sort of kicking myself for spending money on a trip like that but in the end I think I learned a lot from it. I came home to a closet full of clothes and a refrigerator full of food. We miraculously caught the only train back to Milan that day (Italy often has these "organized strikes" for public transportation). We found a lot to laugh at when all any of us wanted to do was crawl up in a little ball on the street. And I don't think I am the only one who had a change of heart after seeing the way the people of Genova live and the poverty that is there. No matter the situation, big or small, you can always find something good out of it.

So next time you are feeling down in the dumps and wondering what on earth you've gotten yourself into, look for something to brighten your day... even if it is the littlest thing.