So I have decided to write about once a month from now on. I want to write more but it is hard to do that. Where to start? This month had definitely been an emotional roller coaster. I Have down SO much and been through so much.
It all begins with my AFS orientation. For four days I went to Taranto, a city in Puglia, with about a hundred or so exchange students. Probably closer to 80. It was SO much fun. I made some amazing friends from every corner of the planet. I once heard someone say that when they agreed to host they expected their student to have an experience of their host country, and what they really end up with is an International experience, and that is so true. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I were ever to do an exchange program, in college or something, it will be to either Scandinavia or Latin America. Who knows, maybe I will go to both… I loved every minute of that camp, and spoke so much English my English was almost worn out at the end. But I also picked up a lot of Italian. Believe it or not, every time I do some exchange student activities for a few days, I always lose my voice afterwards because I’ve talked so much! I talk non-stop in America but since I can’t talk all that much here, when I do get to talk, I lose my voice. What will happen when I return to America?
But going home was very hard. I love the people in my town, but the thing is, I feel SO isolated. There are NO exchange students close to me. Like the group in Lecce have Italian lessons together, and a bunch of parties, and see each other all the time. This was literally the first time I had seen exchange students or even heard from anybody with AFS. I just really feel very alone in my town. Especially since Sybilla, the girl from Austria who the closest to me (an hour away), hated it so much that she moved to Tornio. I love the people my town a little too much to switch now, but still wish I could have been with Maddie. So as I returned from my English Paradise, I was pretty depressed.
When I arrived home I was welcomed back and very happyt. The happiness was extended when I was told that for Halloween, the next weekend, I would go to Potenza to see Sybilla, Andrea from Mexico, and Joyce from Paraguay. Minus Sybilla now, we make up all the exchange students in the Basilica. Well Sybilla got very sick and couldn’t come with us, so I had to navigate the buses al alone. AHH! But I did all right. Halloween night we went to an old castle and it was exactly like the type of place you would find in an old horror movie. We had a lot of fun there but that was only the beginning. On the way back we saw some little kids all dressed up for Halloween and made then take a picture with us, then we went to a Halloween party of one of Andrea’s friends. That was fun. The next day we went to Matera, and I definitely recommend you go there someday. It was such a pretty city. I loved it so much. There really isn’t another word. That night we just walked around Potenza.
When I returned, that began my extreme depression. I got to the point where I was thinking how I was supposed to be in Venice with Maddie and instead I was in this tiny little town where no one understood me and there was nothing to do and it was just not worth it at all. I had friends back home that loved me and whom I could talk to, and who didn’t have forever with and I was wasting my time here. I was so depressed all of that week. (This is week three of this month.) The worst was Saturday night and Sunday. I really almost actually cried for the first time, I was really close. Sunday was hard because I share my birthday with my host mom and it was “our” birthday party that was a bunch of our “closest relatives.” I was depressed before and it didn’t help.
But Monday of last week marks my switch to being happy again. I was sitting with some friends and one of my friends had told me that when another friend says something I don’t understand, I should say a certain phrase to him and when I used it for the first time on Monday, they all said that now I was one of them. J It was such good news. I remember thinking that day how I only had a little bit of time with these people and how I wish I had more.
Wednesday was my birthday and spectacular. When I got on the bus, everyone sang Happy birthday in English. During first period, we were interrupted by the entry of a large bouquet of a dozen roses for me. My class had all chipped in to buy flowers! In second period, we were interrupted by the entry on pizza for the whole class. Then in third period we got our test scores for the chemistry test we taken last week. I got a 7!!!! That is a really good grade and I did better than most of the people in that class. Then when I got on the bus again everyone sang Happy Birthday to me again. That afternoon I got a call from Emily singing Happy Birthday and then we talked a while. Then I got to talk with Daddy while IMing with Pong for the first time since before I left. I got tons of massages on facebook saying Happy Birthday. I got to IM with a friend from New Zealand. I got a call from Maddie. Then while I was on the phone with Sybilla, who had arrived in Tornio a few days before, my mom walked in with another bouquet of flowers from my Italian grandmother. Then I got to talk with Emma for the first time since we said goodbye from the Roman orientation. My mom and aunt bought me a great pair of sweats that I actually needed for P.E. And finally I got to reconnect with an old friend who moved away four years ago to Arizona. I swear, I almost cried like ten times that day it was so wonderful and amazing and perfect, but my birthday fun was from over.
Friday night, my sister walks in and asked me if I was ready. I hadn’t understood right and as it turned out I was leaving in less than half an hour for Parma for the weekend with my mom. I knew we were going but I thought it was the next morning. Eleven hours on a bus and after a short train ride, we were in Parma. But I didn’t stay there for very long. Using the money I had gotten for my birthday, I went to Venice to visit Maddie and Tania who was visiting from France for a really quick night. For those of you actually read this, Maddie says hi. Jessica will love this: the first time I drank I Italy, it was with Maddie! Haha. But I didn’t drink much, less than one forth of a glass that only had 0.05% alcohol content. There was one time when one of Maddie’s guy friends was sent over to talk to me and Tania, the Americans, and he came to me first. I was prepped for the normal, ‘Hello, I am so an so, do you like Italy, ect.” What I got was, ‘Wassup girlz?” I fell over laughing it was so great.
The next morning we actually went into the city. As we got near I said, I’m getting excited and Maddie teased me that every time she went to the city, at least once a week, someone said in English as they got near, “I’m getting excited.” Hehe. Every little corner is beautiful and filled with small surprises. Life is everywhere and at every angle. The soft subtleness of each beauty adds up to the amazingness that has drawn tourists for years. It is a wonderful place that will make your heart weep with love. The buildings are close together in a tight weaving of mazes that create a magical sense within one. The store windows glow with small presents waiting to be bought, or Italian fashions waiting to be worn. The Vencian masks are as exotic and colorful as flowers of a distant and tropic land. One could stare at each one for hours, but they are far to busy moving on to the next wonderful place. To cross the next bridge and once again be reminded that they are standing on a floating city or perhaps to see the famous Vencian glass that glitters in the lights and in the eyes of the eager viewers. Tourists line every corner and are usually taking pictures to let the entire world know that they have walked the thousand year old streets that meld perfectly into the modern age. Each and every item is created with care and love by dedicated artists that will work for hours and lower their prices to compete with the other stores. There is no place in this famed city that isn’t a place I wouldn’t want to be or see, no matter how tired I am.
That evening I rode back to Parma and was on the train next to several Americans who are studying in Paris this year and took a quick trip to Italy. I told them how I really HAD to learn Italian in the south and that I was somewhat fluent now but when I tried to speak, everyone knew I was a foreigner right away and usually switched to English if they could, which in the north, they often could. Later, when we got near my stop, I turned to a guy nearby who I knew was Italian and asked if that stop was mine. He responded in English. He hadn’t heard me say that they always switch to the other Americans but had heard me speaking with them and he had studied a year in Britain so he was really fluent. That was why, but it was still funny.
Right now, I am very happy where I am. Yes, I wish I was with Maddie, but I will see her again someday. I might never see my friends from my town again. And they are good and wonderful to me. Sometimes you just have to role with the punches life throws.
I am slowly getting Italian down. I can’t conjugate worth a damn, but they understand and just figure out what verb I am aiming for and go from there. They are so wonderful. And they are just glad that I am trying and they are happy to help. They correct me it I need it, but only if I really do and they always do it in a nice fun way. Soon I will be fluent! Maybe…. Hehe.
My advice to anyone who wants to study abroad, do it. It is such an amazing experience. I have learned so much about America that you will never understand until you leave and I have learned so much about English. People will be talking to me, and be like, “This does this adverb work with this irregular verb?” And I’ll be like, “Ummm… I’m not even sure what a adverb is.” Hehe. But we just don’t learn English in the same way they learn Italian. So it’s hard. For me, the secret is, SMILE. ALWAYS! You have to. Even if you are tired, SMILE. They want to include you, but if you don’t seem like you want to be included, they wont try because they aren’t really sure how. Italians especially are wonderful to you. They are patient with me and are always trying to help me. They know I am horrible, but they are so supportive and wonderful. There really are no other words.
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