Studying abroad is by far one of the best experiences I have participated in thus far. I was lucky enough to be able to study abroad in Italy for a month in June of 2016, and it truly altered my perspective on life. For those of us who live in the biggest cities in the world, there is so much more to see – way more than you could imagine. So, what did I do in Italy and how did it change me?
1. New Friends!
I thought that friends should be the first point since these are probably once strangers who will experience this new side of the world with you! You take an eight-hour flight with a singing baby behind you, find out that you are on the wrong train, run to the other train track, get lost in another country, have inside jokes, and undergo other unexplainable things together. When four of us wanted gelato and the other four wanted pizza, we had each other to go with. You will probably also meet other students from other countries! These people become your friends, and it is so amazing how you get to know people from all over the world. I could go on and on about our adventures and how close we grew within a month, but I won't. Go out on your abroad trip and you will witness lifelong friendships grow. You will have the most entertaining memories to talk and reminisce about, forever!
2. New Cultures!
I stayed in Senigallia, Italy where I learned that life is not as fast-paced as New York City is. Originally, I was not accustomed to and did not like walking slow everywhere I went. In Senigallia, the people ride their bikes everywhere! People barely walk. It did get pretty hot outside, which allowed bike riding to be one of the best experiences. My friends and I were able to see so much of the town in a quick amount of time. The locals knew each other and rode in packs as did my study abroad group. This is only one small culture change I witnessed while in Italy.
3. Visit Beautiful Cities!
Yes, I know this looks like a postcard – I took this picture! Florence was my personal favorite city that I visited. Besides Florence, I got to immerse myself in the large cities of Pisa, Rome, Venice, and Milan. In Florence, you can hear locals playing their instruments from blocks away and it is oh so soothing. The narrow and winding blocks make the city feel that much more intimate. I will go back to Florence one day to have another meal at Ristorante Pensavo Peggio. I only have two pictures documenting my experience there which show that I enjoyed myself. I take at least ten pictures of every meal. You can take the sightseeing buses and get panoramic views of the city. All around, seeing any city in Italy allows you quite the views.
4. Learn the Language!
I did not realize how difficult learning a new language while in the original country can be. If you do not continuously speak and practice the language, you can forget it. Local Italians love to test your ability to have a conversation and you should take up the challenge; it only helps you in class! Yes, you still need to have class – it is studying abroad! Surprisingly, a lot of Italians speak and understand English very well, which made the pressure of speaking Italian decrease.
5. EAT THE FOOD, ALL OF IT.
I usually add one photo per point but this deserves every food picture I have. I will keep it at a minimum four. I know this article is lengthy, but it is about to get longer. In Senigallia, I had the absolute best no sauce pizza, fresh and creative seafood dishes and gelato. I can surely promise that if you take a trip to Senigallia and hit me up for the food spots, you will be the happiest person on the planet. In Florence, I had the most delicious homemade ragu pasta and a meatball that was out of this world. My friends and I were able to go to the home of our professor's family friend who had a pizza reputation. While we were there, we ate homemade Nutella pizzas – which I may have eaten an entire pie by myself, only I will know. They also so kindly and willingly made at least fifteen homemade pizza pies which were incredible. So, my point is, just eat everything. I was hesitant about some items that I tried but was eternally grateful in the end. Of course, I gained weight, which was my goal, but you will notice that Italians are skinny! You would think the opposite because of the amount of food served per "meal," but it is something in the food or the fact that they bike ride everywhere, who knows!
My ultimate message is that you should study abroad. If you are worried about money, I can say that I would have taken out a loan if I did not have such great support from my entire family. Save up half of every paycheck for spending money and go! It will be the best decision of your life. No classroom will ever be able to compare to being and in another country. You learn how to react to different situations, know when it is time to stay and when it is time to go, realize that you need to navigate your trip with little to no help, and how to appreciate the little things in other cultures. Nothing will go as planned and it is such a good thing. I will get myself to another country before the time I graduate and that is because of the great lessons I learned in Italy.
