"Ti Saluto"

Today was my last day of Greek class at the Università di Padova. I am taking the final exam early tomorrow, since I am leaving before the Italian semester finishes.

"Ma non ci sarai di più?" asked a friend, sitting in front of me. And then I realized that it was true -- I won't be coming back. The people I've met and sit with every day I will probably never see again.

This student had been really helpful all semester, although she definitely got tired of me being confused and asking for help every morning. And my limited list of Italian questions, like "Com'è andato il tuo fine-settimana?" (How was your weekend?) I'm pretty sure I asked that on every day of the week.

We walked down to the main piazza and I had to go under the arch to get to the Greek library. And then we stood there and I realized that of all the things I've learned, the phrases and idioms and sentence structures, I never learned how to say goodbye.

And so she said it for me.