Before I even got to Castiglion Fiorentino, I had constantly been asking myself "Emilio, what are you gonna do after college? You are clueless." without ever coming up with a clear answer. In fact this has been an ongoing problem for quite a while now, and the worst part is that the longer I take to decide, the more stressful finding an answer can become. I originally wanted to go back to Mexico and get into politics because i'd absolutely love to see my home country do better than it is now. Unfortunately, the door to enter politics in Mexico is very wide but the door on the way out is very narrow. Therefore, as of now I don't think it'd be the best idea to go back. The current impossibility of pursuing that path left me with nothing else to do and now that I am a second semester junior, it is kind of stressful not knowing what to do. Especially after considering the fact that everywhere I turn, I see people getting internships and laying down the best possible foundations for their desired future. I mean I remember that at times I would step in front of the mirror, look at myself, and see a guy that was absolutely clueless about what he wanted to do. Nonetheless, this outlook I used to have about myself suddenly began changing the day I decided to open my eyes, look at my surroundings and start reading a book. One day on the way back from Rome, I started thinking about all these things, "What will I do after this study abroad? Will I get a good job over summer, if any? What will I do for the rest of my days after college?" After thinking of all these things for more time than I needed to, I decided to read a book a truly great friend of mine gave me long ago that I had not yet read. As I started reading I started finding answers. I know this sounds a little dramatic and even fictitious, but I promise its true. The book gave me a lot of answers that I was desperate for finding. The book talked about how an old but wise man taught a lost young man, like myself, how Michelangelo built the David. This old man did not only teach the young man how Michelangelo built the David, he also explained to the young man all the things it took Michelangelo to actually built it as well as what its hidden meaning was. In short, the book was so captivating that it allowed me to think more clearly about what I wanted to do in the future. In fact, after thinking once more about what could I possibly do, I finally was able to make a connection I had not done between two things that I am genuinely passionate about, those being politics and languages. Thinking about this suddenly gave me a feeling of clarity and relieve I had not felt in a while. If it wasn't because of Italy I would have never recognized how much I loved languages, and if it wasn't because of the book I read I would have never been able to make that connection with my previous want to solely do politics. Now I see many paths I could possibly take in my career just for coming here, and for that I am thankful. So once more, grazie Italia, and grazie coach Mac (my friend who gave me the book).
- emiliomtzb44