Some Lessons I’ve Learned as an Exchange Student in Italy

1. Don’t be afraid to try new things:  Whether it be food, activities, or experiences, having an open mind to new things is crucial. In fact, when I let go of some of my initial uptightness, I tried some crazy things like pieces of fried pig hoof and talking in Italian before a crowd of 50 (only a month after I arrived). 
2. Smile:  This was an especially important skill at the beginning of the year. I frequently found myself in a conversation in which I understood very little of what was being said, but with a smile, it usually ended well.  
3. The difference between the words “Coniglio” and “Coglione”: A few weeks after I arrived, I made my biggest gaff. Instead of ordering ragù di coniglio (rabbit), I asked for ragù di coglione (a slang term for male anatomy). Needless to say, we all had a good laugh.
4. How to talk with my hands: Though I won’t return to the U.S. gesticulating like a sign language translator, I have picked up on some useful hand gestures. Some gestures accompany the words you say whereas some can do the speaking for you.
5. Go with the flow: Living in a foreign country can put you in a lot of awkward, stressful, and uncomfortable situations (many of which are results of cultural differences or not knowing the language). It’s important to not get too stressed-out and just go with the flow a little bit. 
6. Don’t forget the keys: This happened only once, and the consequences weren’t as bad as they could’ve been. I got home after hanging out with some friends a little bit after midnight and realized I didn’t have the keys to the house. Thankfully, my parents were still awake; they spared me a night of sleeping outside.
7. Bike carefully: Urban biking is a hectic and potentially dangerous activity if not done properly. Knowing that traffic laws aren’t always followed, bikers should always be aware of cars and Italian drivers!
8. School on Saturday is as bad as it sounds: It was one of the things I wasn’t looking forward to with the Italian school schedule, and rightfully so. It isn’t that school takes up your whole day (we actually got out of school at noon on Saturdays), or even that you can’t stay out late on Fridays (a lot of times we would do so anyways), but it’s the fact that you can’t sleep in. Instead of having 2 days to recuperate from 5 days of getting up early, there is only 1 day to recuperate from 6.
9. Ask for help: I consider myself a pretty independent person, someone who doesn’t like to have to rely on others or even ask them for help. But it would be impossible to complete a year abroad without getting help from my family and friends. Whether it was getting photocopies in school or having my family explain the meaning of a word, I learned to not be afraid to ask for help.
10. There are countless alternative ways to pronounce the name “Ethan”:  the sound “th” is extremely difficult for Italians to pronounce so I heard a lot of interesting pronunciations this year, ranging from the more common “Etan” and “Natan” to the likes of “Eden”, “Ayton”, “Eelton”, and many more.

hanging out by the pool

at the disco

8 Months

Last Wednesday I finished up 8 months in Italy. It’s kind of crazy to think about, and even crazier to think that I leave in just a month and a half. The realization that this experience is coming to an end is setting in, and I feel conflicted. A part of me wants to stay in Italy and live this life forever, and the other is excited to see my family and think about what adventures next year will bring.

Things have been heating up here both literally and figuratively. Summer weather is rolling in and it is just a matter of time before we make our first trip to the pool. After playing for a few weeks in this weather (only in the lower 80’s), I can understand why the Italian soccer season doesn’t include the summer months (when temperatures reach 100 degrees and beyond). In terms of school, as is expected with only 3 weeks left, the workload has picked up. There are no final exams at the end of the year, but we have five tests in the next two weeks. I am continuing to improve my Italian, especially in the written and reading aspects. My ability to use difficult verb structures such as the subjunctive is steadily improving, and I am always picking up on new helpful phrases and vocabulary.

After school ends, I will have two weeks of free time before my family arrives. I don’t have anything in specific planned, but I’m imagining spending lots of time at Club Giardino (a country club here in Carpi) and watching World Cup matches. It will be nice to have some down time before my family arrives, because when they do, it’s going to be a nonstop two weeks. We already have a full itinerary that includes visiting some of the bigger cities in the north of Italy as well as some time in Rome. It promises to be another month and a half of fun!

Sunday Soccer and Mother's Day

If you love soccer, this past Sunday was as about as good as it gets. First, on Sunday morning I played with Virtus Cibeno in the Modena provincial championship (similar to a state cup final in the US).  After winning in the semi-finals last weekend in penalty kicks, this was our last hurdle to advance to “regionals” which will be held in the beautiful beachside town of Milano Marittima. I’ve been starting at defensive midfield for Virtus, and I've really enjoyed being part of the team. We were all pretty motivated for the game and in the opening minute we scored (I tallied my first assist!). The opposing team got a goal back in the form of a nice free kick, but we struck again before halftime when the ref awarded us a well-deserved penalty kick. The other team came out strong at the beginning of the second half but weren’t able to find a tying goal. About 15 minutes before the end of the game, we scored again to put the game away. When the referee blew the final whistle we were all quite excited to lift the sizable trophy as a team. Next stop, the ocean!

Sassuolo selfie

After our game Sunday, Lugi, Simo, Antonella, and I went to see Sassuolo’s last home game of the season. The weather was beautiful, and for once the game was equally as good. Sassuolo ended-up winning 4-2, a result that ensures "la salvezza"or salvation which means they escape relegation and will stay in Serie A next season. It has really been a roller coaster ride with Sassuolo this year; we experienced a lot of lows (winning just once in 15 straight games), but also some highs (winning against both AC Milan and Fiorentina 4-3). It truly has been a special experience going to Sassuolo’s games and following the team in Serie A this year!

After Sassuolo’s big victory, we returned home and had a nice Mother’s Day dinner. Cate, Simo, and I surprised Antonella by making dinner. Cate and I made pasta alla carbonara, and Simo made delicious dessert fruit skewers. She was quite happy with our work, and the pasta actually wasn’t half-bad! 

Making the pasta

Simo and Cate hard at work

Mother's Day dinner

A Jam-Packed Week

Juventus players warming-up

In the past week or so, I’ve enjoyed a bunch of really fun and exciting events. First, last weekend Luigi, Simo, and I went to see Sassuolo vs Juventus at the stadium. It was an important game for both teams in pursuit of their respective goals of staying in Serie A and winning the league (Juventus actually won the league Sunday!). And obviously for Luigi and Simo, there was a big emotional value to seeing their lifelong favorite club play in person. I on the other hand, was just really excited to have the chance to watch high-class players including Pirlo, Vidal, Tevez, and Pogba. Sassuolo played about as well as they could against Juventus, but in the end they succumbed 3-1, which puts them in real danger of being relegated.

The second fun event of the week was going to a concert in Bologna. In Italy, May 1^st is “la Festa dei Lavoratori,” which is basically their version of Labor Day, and to mark the occasion, my favorite Italian band put on a free concert in Bologna’s main piazza. Three friends and I took the train to Bologna in the afternoon and walked around the city for a little bit before securing our spots in the front row for the concert. The band (they’re called Lo Stato Sociale) isn’t exactly a household name in Italy, but the piazza was packed for the concert nonetheless. I guess you could say that it was my first true concert experience, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. When I finally got back home, I enjoyed a nice six hours of sleep before getting up and going on a one-day school trip to Verona.

Front row at the concert

Bus ride to Verona

St. Zeno's Basilica

The day promised to be enjoyable, but occasionally nature has a way of ruining best-laid plans. When we arrived in Verona after an hour-long drive, we were welcomed by a torrential downpour. I was soaked to my underwear in under five minutes. It really was a shame because Verona has so much to take in, but the day was a bit of a slog due to the rain. We still got to see some interesting things like the Arena, which is similar to the Coliseum and now hosts large opera festivals all summer, and St Zeno’s Basilica. Our French and Art History teachers made the trip with us, and were great at explaining the significance of the things we were seeing, but by the end of the afternoon everyone was happy to finally get back onto the warm dry bus. Despite the rain, I enjoyed the visit, and look forward to seeing Verona again when the weather is a little bit more accommodating.

The last enjoyable episode of the week was our soccer game Sunday. We played in the semi-finals of a provincial tournament and won in penalty kicks. It was a game in which we dominated but couldn’t find that thoroughly deserved goal to put the game away. And when the game headed to PK’s, I could already see the script written where the team that merits the win loses in penalties, but thankfully that’s not how it ended. After six rounds of flawless kicks (mine included) our goalie made a save and dispatched the following kick to end the game. Needless to say, we were all quite relieved and excited for the win. This means that we play in the finals to determine the best team in the province of Modena, and the winner gets to play in a regional tournament by the ocean. It’s a great incentive, and I hope our team can get a result.