Lessons Learned

I have been here for 24 days and I can't believe it. Time always seems to escape me. I'm going to do my best to describe what life is like here in Italy, but nothing can be fully understood until experienced first hand. I was told frequently by Rotarians, students who have gone on the exchange, friends, loved ones, and even strangers how this year was going to change me. How it is going to be the time of my life. Already, only a mere 24 days into it I know that I will return a different person. I will be stronger, braver, cultured, appreciative, and so much more. This journey isn't necessarily a walk in the park- learning a foreign language is hard. Living with a family that is not your own is hard, but I will be a better person for it. I am learning how to adapt, how to just go with the flow and be content no matter the circumstances. After all, I am living in one of the most beautiful places in the world and blessed with the most wonderful support system of people back home. I have never felt more lifted up and supported. This blog is just an opportunity to share with you, to give back to you a small piece of Italy.

I'm just going to bullet point a list of the lessons learned and give you an idea of how Italians live.

• Food. No matter where you go, what you eat it is fabulously delicious. Breakfast is not really recognized here but lunch and dinner are big meals. Lunch is eaten with the entire family since students don't eat at school. Both lunch and dinner are served in courses and there is always a clean plate for each course. The first course is usually pasta or rice, second is something heavier like meat and potatoes. Third course is salad, fresh baked bread from the bakery, slices of cheese. Once a meal is finished fruit is usually served. Desert always comes after the fruit. :) You might be thinking, "Wow! They eat a lot of food!" but the portions for everything are small so you have enough room for everything. All Italians are apart of the "happy plate" club. I have never seen an Italian not finish their food, haha.
• School. A child starts school when they are 6 years old and finish when they are 19, so school is one year later than the traditional American system. There are three levels of schools here (primary, secondary, and high school) but high school is for 5 years instead of 4. In high school students don't choose their classes but rather stay in the same classroom for all 5 years with the same students while the teachers rotate for each lesson. Even though you can not choose your classes you do get to choose what type of high school you attend. There are three main types of high schools: Classical, Scientific  and Linguistic. The lessons you take in the school then revolve around that subject, but it does mix a little. For example, students do learn a foreign language in the scientific school. You also only go to school here to learn. There aren't really any sports teams, fine arts, clubs, or organizations. Students here are expected to study in the afternoon for hours, and extracurricular activities are not very adamant.
• Transportation. I LOVE the public transportation here. I can take a train to anywhere in Italy and the trains run so frequently that the timing is never a problem. A lot of young people prefer to take Vespas or Motor bikes (Mandello del Lario apparently is a motor bike capital) because the driving age is eighteen and it's expensive to get a driver's license. At school there is are only two parking lots- one for teachers and staff and another for motor bikes driven by students. 

Then there are small, everyday things that I love:

• Women walking in high heels on cobble stone streets
• People saying "pronto" when they answer the phone (pronto means ready)
• Wiping your plate clean with fresh baked bread
• The hand gestures when speaking
• The beautiful views from every corner
• Drinking espresso after every meal
• Gelato. Enough said.
• Dogs in clothing stores, restaurants, you name it
• How all of the buildings are old. I will never get over that.
• Lastly, swimming in Lago di Como

I pray that all is well back home!
Much love,
Kira

piano, piano

Slowly, slowly.



Ciao America! I know there are many loved ones at home curious about my encounters and experience over the past twelve days since I stepped onto that plane to Milan (actually Frankfurt and then Milan). This blog will be the place to come back and check up on me throughout this journey and I will do my best to continually share my adventures with you. I have such an incredible support system back home, and this is just a way to say thanks.

My journey started twelve days ago on September 3rd when I flew from Houston to Frankfurt, arriving in Germany on the 4th. After many challenges caused by the Lufthansa strike, I finally safely reached my new home around 12:30 am September 5th. This year I will be living with two host families (at least that is the plan so far). I am with my first family until the beginning of January and then will switch to my second family which I will live with until I fly home in June.

My first host family is incredibly sweet. I technically have only one host sibling, Giorgia, at age fourteen but they have another daughter, Rosandrea, at seventeen (almost eighteen) years who is in Sweden with Rotary Youth Exchange this year. Even though Rosandrea is not here she really tries to make me feel at home. I always get messages from her, asking how I am and when she Skypes her family she always asks to talk to me which makes me feel so welcomed. My host mom, Adonella, may be one of the best cooks I have encountered. Every meal there is some delicious Italian dish on the table- I am extremely spoiled. Besides being an excellent cook Adonella has already become the person I usually talk to. My host sister Giorgia and my host dad do not speak English while Adonella knows enough to hold simple conversations with me. This is a challenge I did not really expect, but in the long run I know my Italian will improve quickly. Everyday I am learning new words from left (sinistra) and right (destra) to spoon (cucchiaio) which I still have difficulty saying. Needless to say an Italian to English dictionary is always close by. Occasionally I become frustrated when I can't express myself properly to my host family, but Adonella always tells me "piano, piano" which translates to "slowly, slowly". It has become my catch phrase on this adventure. Adonella lived in London for a year to learn English, and she understands the challenge of learning a new language (not to mention she also speaks French and German). She reminds me that listening is the key to learning a language at the beginning and the rest will come slowly, slowly.

I plan to post more in depth about my daily life here. Hopefully I'll manage to write at least once a week, maybe even more frequently. Say hi to America for me!

First picture- Frannie (a Wyoming Rotary Exchange student) and I grabbing a cappuccino after our "first" day of Italian school (we did not attend class, only met some teachers and were told what to expect).
Second picture- The lake down the street from my house in Mandello del Lario which is in the providence of Lecco.
Third picture- The same lake where I swam this past Sunday while the weather was still warm.


Much love,
Kira