Gelato, pizza, and pasta, oh me Odia!

Ciao! I have been in Italy just over a month now and my stomach has been full!...I mean my experience has been full of amazing people, wonderful opportunity to be immersed in the Italian culture and more than enough cafe and gelato that my stomach can handle!
Prior to coming to Torino, Italy I had so many thoughts run through my head....what will my host family be like? What will my school be like? What teaching materials should I bring? What if I don't speak any Italian? Let me be the first to tell you, these are all normal concerns! But....do not fear, you're travel expert is here!
You could say I don't believe in love at first sight but it was love at first sight with my host family. They are wonderful, welcoming, helpful and mom is always cooking a delicious Italian meal. Living with a host family can be awkward at first but the piece of advice I give you is to be open and honest. Tell them what's bothering you, and ask questions. You're host family will be more than happy to tell you how they cook something or suggest a place to travel for the weekend.....or even bring you somewhere for the weekend! Immerse yourself with the culture through your host family and take all opportunities given ..it is the BEST gift to give yourself from Italy.

As far as the teaching part goes....my piece of advice is come prepared for the first couple days with a simple introduction of yourself and where you are from. The students will love to learn about the state you came from. They will have so many questions for you! I felt like I was on a tv talk show the first few days of class with all the questions asked...what is your favorite color? Who is your favorite singer? Let me remind you I am teaching in a middle school. After the first few days you will get a feel for what your school atmosphere is like. Take it day by day...all of the schools and teachers are different so remind yourself not to compare with the other English teachers. Absolutely bounce teaching ideas off of them, but don't compare the situations. All schools in Italy are different and you will have different schedules, students, lessons, etc. Embrace YOUR teaching and share YOUR values and ideas with the students, they will LOVE it. I highly suggest not brining any heavy teaching materials. Maybe a book or two from your hometown but besides this, your teachers will have plenty for you to do. Do no waste precious packing space with teaching materials.

I do not speak any Italian and it has been tough during some si trust ions but mostly I have been getting by just fine. I would suggest using duo lingo or something similar to get a base of the language to recognize some words. I wish I knew more Italian so I could connect with the culture more. As I said it is not s problem because my host family speaks great English, but note, that not all host families will speak wonderful English.

Overall, embrace your travel and teaching and be you! This is an amazing opportunity to touch lives of students and make them excited about learning. If you have energy, and a passion to travel, try this out. Let the world be your classroom.
:)