Italy: Italian Language & Culinary Training

I never believed Italy, the tiny little boot by the Mediterranean, could teach me so much in a matter of days. This was my first experience--traveling alone--without my family or friends, but with strangers from all over the U.S. On top of that, I experienced and was entirely immersed in a culture, that was seemingly not like my own, but that I connected to by the end of the program.
I adored my homestay family, I even text them on a regular basis now that I am home! Although, I did miss home. I won't deny it. I knew I was in another foreign country, one I hope that others get to visit, and not only to check off a tourist-like list. The culture is so vibrant and nearly everything in Italy is gorgeous. However, Italy wasn't about its aesthetic, but rather what it allowed me to learn. For the first time in my life, I was taught, that even with a language barrier, people are all interconnected.

Italy, at the moment, is facing a lot of immigration issues and corrupt policies, just like back home. In Houston, there are constant protests and rallies held in support of immigrants, the Black Lives Matter movement, Women's Rights Movement, and many more. In Italy, protests were consistently held in Rome, and I appreciated it. Italy was not just another place for a vacation, but rather to engage with. My host family and strangers--that I now call friends--taught me this, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.
If anyone is reading this, I hope that when you travel, you also get to enjoy the unique culture and not simply spend endless hours in gift shops.

I had a wonderful experience in the Experiment's trip in Italy. I was able to learn so much about Italian culture and their language, especially during my homestay. One of my greatest memories from this trip was actually the first night of my homestay. My homestay sister and her cousin brought me to a festival in the center of a town called Cetraro. It was such a beautiful night. The streets were decorated with purple, blue, and white lights from above and crowded with vendors selling snacks and trinkets. In the center of the festival, people were swaying to the music a band was playing and children gaped at amateur acrobats performing tricks from a dangling hoop. I think one of the best parts of the trips was the homestay even though I was so nervous about it from the beginning. One of the best ways to overcome this feeling is to be yourself, keep an open mind, and put some effort into speaking with your homestay family in a different language no matter how embarrassed you might feel. Just don't forget to have fun and do your laundry!

In many ways, I feel like the Experiment has provided me a lifelong experience which has changed me tremendously. The way that I act now in the states is because I realized that I couldn’t run from my problems and that I’ll have to face them. There was nowhere for me to run and hide anymore. On this trip I’ve learned and explored so much that I’ll never see in the United States of America. Italy was my first time going out of the country which was a major thing to my family and I.
On this trip my people’s skills has really changed because I made friends and family in a time spare of 30 days. In the United States, something like that wouldn’t happen because I have my own set of family and friends to be with all of the time while in Italy I had nobody that I knew. I view myself as a more efficient leader because I can move/ inspire people to expand their horizons. And for that I thank you Experiment!

My travel abroad to Italy was one of the best experiences of my life. I was able to learn about a new culture and eat amazing food at the same time. I was also privileged enough to spend a whole month with amazing people. I made so many great memories that I will cherish forever. My most favorite memory from Italy was one of the last nights in Asti. It was after dinner and me and three other kids from my group decided to wander around the town. We left the restaurant and just picked a random direction to walk in. As we were walking we saw groups of locals just hanging out and smoking cigarettes, this had become a normal occurrence because that is what most Italians did during the summer. As we were walking we stumbled upon a courtyard that was full of multi colored lights. As we began to walk towards the courtyard a man at a table stopped us and asked if we were American, we told the man we were and he began to explain what the courtyard was for. It turned out that we were walking into an Italian rock concert. We walked into the courtyard where it was being held, and we were probably the youngest people there, besides little toddlers running around. Then when my friends and I were sitting at a table waiting for the band to come on, we saw the other half of our group. It was then I knew this would be an unforgettable night. Once the band started to play we all went up to the stage and started to dance. It was amazing! Everything was in Italian so we didn't understand, but no one cared we were having the best night. It got later and later until we had to go back to our hotel room and get some rest. When we left the singer said "ragazzi dove stai andando?" which means, "guys where are you going?” And of course I fell in love the Italian singer and got emotional when we had to leave. It was a great experience and I'm so happy I got to share it with some of the best people I know. I am so thankful I was able to go on this trip, and have an extraordinary group. Stumbling upon the Italian rock concert and dancing with my friend is a memory I will cherish forever.

When I look back on my month in Italy all I can remember are good times. From the first awkward moment when I met the 14 people I would be spending a month with, to the first dinner in Rome, to waking up at 5:25 am to see the sunrise in Cortona only for it to be blocked by the mountains, to going to an Italian rock concert and understanding nothing but having a blast, and to the last night when I even though I was sobbing I couldn't be happier than to have met the wonderful people that made up my group.
From the very beginning I knew I was partaking in something great; I knew that I was doing something that I would never forget. And from all the good times I had, one of my favorite moments was this one hot night in Asti when we had the night to ourselves. We had just finished dinner but the night was still young and the air was warm and we all desperately wanted to go on an adventure. We decided to walk around the small town and just see where the winding roads would take us. It was well into the night and even though we were a little lost, we knew where we were going because the town was small and it seemed no matter what we would always end up back at the hotel. And that hot night, wondering the streets of Asti with the people who had been strangers not two weeks ago but were now my close friends, I felt so content and happy. Just walking down the quiet empty streets, so different from the ones in New York where I live, I was just so so happy. And even though this seems like a small irrelevant moment compared to all the amazing things we did and saw this trip, it was those small moments with my group where I just got to embrace the culture that I enjoyed the most.
So for anyone who is wondering if they should apply, yes you should! It's scary going away to a new place for a month with people you don't know but the experiences and the friends that come out of the trip are everything!
(I am real sorry that this review sounded a little cliche, but reminiscing on the good times is making me a tad emotional. Forgive my corniness and my grammatical errors.)