A Fear-Less Life
In the fall of 2015, I studied abroad through the SHC Italy Center, located in Bologna, Italy. At one point in the semester, we planned an art history trip to Paris. Roughly two weeks before we were destined to depart, the Paris terror attack of November 13, 2015 shook the world. I remember my phone buzzing with notifications and watching in amazement as the news reports and film stories began to stack from every source of social media. In the midst of the chaos, we learned that two classmates were a few blocks away from a restaurant that had been barraged with gunfire. A few days after, our trip was canceled. We gathered together to discuss and reflect on what happened. My main takeaway from those conversations was to not live in fear. This message has remained etched on both my mind and heart, as I continue to pursue work and service for others. I refuse to let fear cloud my judgment, as I work to connect with other people. In summer of 2017, I was fortunate to return to Italy; this
