Jean Walker

Now let me make something clear: this is not pride. This is confidence.

Strength comes in a variety of forms. And in this case, it came in the form of just putting one foot in front of the other.

Suddenly I became a person again, a real person with value and worth who deserved to be treated like a queen.

I’ve done so much and been to so many places, part of me doesn’t ever want to stop, wants to continue along this exploratory path that takes me wherever the wind blows.

Every country has its peculiarities, and it’s not until you’ve lived there for a while that you begin to see and understand them. As an American living in Italy, I’ve had a year to watch the people around me, and there are definitely things I have noticed.

It’s funny how each culture has a different way of handling food. To some it is a necessity; to others, it’s a show. To the Italians, it’s an art.

Everyone lives with their noses in everyone else’s business. Big families love to know what’s going on in each other’s lives.

Suddenly all those little things that you’re used to are gone, and you realize you are utterly alone in a foreign country. It begins to dawn on you, that everything is different.