Ten days ago, I packed up my apartment in Bologna and moved all my stuff out.

It was a short 4-month stay, but so many things had happened that it felt like I had been here forever. I still question myself every once in a while how did I end up here, making pasta with grandmas, roaming around the city by bike, eating gelato for dinner, shopping at a slow food farmer’s market and having simple conversations with shopkeepers in Italian.

Oh, and somehow ended up having an Italian boyfriend, which was probably the last thing I could imagine happening within these four months, but somehow it did.

Maybe that was what made it even more memorable, and made saying goodbye so much harder.

What surprised me the most, though, was how much I learned from this relationship.

After having been by myself, taken care of myself and been so ‘independent’ of anyone since I left home, it took some time to learn how to open up, and to share my thoughts and feeling with another person. Not only that, but even on the physical level it was hard.

But as adaptive as I am, at the end I learn. Everything was fast, far too fast than I could ever imagine.Though I didn’t regret a single decision I made. I learned to share my life with someone, to open up and share my feelings, to say what I think, what I feel. I learned both about myself as well as about being in a relationship. I learned to compromise and I experienced the beauty of sharing. Nothing has to be perfect in order to be beautiful, as long as happiness is shared between two people.

All of the sudden, I didn’t feel the need to visit all the places anymore. I much enjoy spending time in the kitchen, cooking together, baking and going grocery shopping, training in the morning or dancing in the kitchen. The simplicity of everyday life shared with someone became equally as enjoyable as travelling to new places.

Maybe because all these things, when shared with someone, are also new experiences for me.

In the past two months, my feeling grew and grew, and rooted deeper and became stronger. I had never thought I could become so close to someone within such a short amount of time. When it all began, I didn’t expect myself to have come this far.

But I did, and it had been beautiful. I shared so much of myself with this other person, and more important than being a lover, he’s also my best friend.

That would never change. A part of me would never forget how bare and naked I could let myself be around this person, and comfortable I had become around him.

Then it was time to leave. Though I would be gone for only 3 weeks, but almost every day in the past two months I had not been alone. I got used to all those hugs and kisses, falling asleep and waking up with someone. The fact that I was going to be without him again for 3 weeks just made me realised how much I loved this person, how much he meant to me, and how beautiful those two months had been.

After all, I think it’s important to step away from everything for a bit, in order to see things in a much clearer picture.

I know that one day it might end, but I would not regret a single decision I made. By being in this relationship with him, I have lived so many ordinary but new experiences and I have learned something through every one of them. He has become such a big part of my growth and I will be forever grateful. He has left something inside me forever and I would never forget.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.