I had the time of my life during my three weeks in Italy, and no words can describe how sad I am to be back home.
Although I was thrilled to see my family again, I wish I was still in Florence,
Italy. These short three weeks have given me the best memories of my life which
I would not trade for anything. I had one class, which was Italian Language for
beginners; however, I have learned a lot more than just a language.
I was very excited to learn about the Italian
culture. I wanted to know how people lived their lives and what their ethics
were. I was very astonished and pleased to learn how family oriented the
Italian culture is. The majority of shops and restaurants close for the
entire afternoon and again between 7 pm and 8 pm for the day so that the
owners and the workers can spend time with their families. I found this aspect of the culture
very heartwarming. Having a busy school and work schedule myself, I can hardly
find any time to sit down with my family and have some quality hours. Living in
Italy I learned how much importance is placed on the family, and it made me
want to incorporate that into my own life and dedicate more time to sit with my parents and talk to them about my day and learn about
theirs.
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In addition to the cultural experience, I had a great
academic experience. My professors were very kind and humble. They gave each
student individual attention and made sure every student understood the
language. They also prepared several interesting class activities to help us learn
the language faster. Other than the class material, our professors also got
involved with our daily lives. They recommended restaurants to try out and tours we should sign up for. One of our professors also took us to the
market and made us try the Italian biscuits and bread, and she taught us how to
order items in the market. From the tours and activities that our professors
recommended, I got an opportunity to take a fresco painting class and take a
tour of the Duomo. The fresco painting class was exceptional. I have been
drawing my entire life; therefore, this experience was very special to me. The
other class activity that I participated in was the tour of the Duomo. I had
been to see the outside of the Duomo several times during my study abroad experience, but I hadn't yet had a chance to go
inside. The experience of
viewing the interior of the Duomo was ten times better with our faculty guide
because he explained the significance of each painting and sculpture. His
guidance made me appreciate the structure more than I ordinarily would have.
I am home now, and I am already saving money
to go back to Italy. There are so many places that I didn’t get to visit
which I would like to see, and there are even more places which I would like to
visit again. If you are a student contemplating whether to study abroad or not,
my only advice will be to take the opportunity without thinking twice. This
experience has helped me grow as a person and become more responsible. It has
taught me valuable lessons about living life and valuing family over
materialistic things.
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