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