AFS Year and Semester High School Abroad in Italy

I was living a lie. I kept lying to myself that I was content going to a boarding school in a small town. I knew the desire to see the world was always present within me but I never knew that the opportunity would soon present itself. I have always been jealous of other girls my age that have a great relationship with their mothers. When they have boy troubles or are stressing out about something, they can always rely on their mothers to comfort them. Not only did I choose to find myself when I studied abroad but I was in need of a mother that could comfort me and show me how to be a mother someday.
The second my friend Paige and I landed in Sardinia, Italy, our palms started to sweat and I started to pick at my nails. The pressure of meeting your "new family" for the next five months is not something that most people will ever have to experience in their lifetime. This is not something that you can prepare yourself for. As I walked out of customs and saw my new family, my host mother immediately started bawling. My initial thought was that something was wrong and that I had already failed before my adventure had even started. The reality was that my mother was overjoyed that she had another daughter in her family. From the very beginning I was accepted for who I am and was encouraged every day to be who I want to be. Living with just a sister and a mother has helped me make an amazing connection with them that I would not be able to find back home in America. While I was there my "nonna" (italian for grandma) passed away and I was able to comfort and mourn with my family. Not one single moment passed by that I didn't feel like I belonged and wasn't loved. I was not only able to discover hidden things about myself, but I was able to find a family that will be forever in my heart.

While I was abroad, I grew so much. I realized that I loved to travel and see places, meet new people, experience a new culture. I can still remember getting off the train my first day meeting my family. I was so nervous. I didn't speak Italian and I really hoped they would like me. As we pulled up to the train station, there was a huge American flag sign that said "Welcome Ashley". As I got up and grab my stuff, my knees were shaking. I walked down the steps through the door and I was greeted with a sea of people. There stood my soon to be friends and family. Everyone threw their arms around me and kissed me on the cheeks. I made my way through the crowd and there was my host family. They began telling me how excited they were and that they could not wait to begin this new adventure together, which was exactly how I felt. Throughout my stay there were ups and downs because naturally I became home sick at different time. However, they were completely understanding and helped the best they could. I was so fortunate to have such a great family and a wonderful school to attend. The friends I made there are some I still talk with and think about often. I know that when I get my next chance to return to Italy, I will have people to see, a place to stay, and wonderful memories to reminisce. The proof of this lies in last summer, when I returned to Italy for the first time since my program in 2010 and was greeted with open arms by my host sister in the new city she lived in. She took me around and treated me just like family. The connections that you make while on an AFS program are incredible and cannot be traded for anything. This was the best decision I have ever made.

My experience in Italy was really a great one. Of course there were hard times, but also very many happy memories. I met a lot of people from all over the whole through AFS. I got to learn not just about Italy, but also about countries on every continent. One special memory I had was Thanksgiving in Italy. Even though they don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Italy, my host family helped me make dinner. We went to the butcher and only managed to get a huge leg of the turkey, which barely fit in the oven! After that we all made mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn together. It was really special and I will never forget my host family!

My experience with AFS in Italy truly changed my life. The volunteer structure of the program was the most important aspect to me. I never felt as if someone was assisting me in order to get paid. Everyone involved with AFS, from the host family to to community liasons, are all doing this program out of passion. I will never forget it.

I studied abroad for a semester in Italy with AFS, and it was the best experience of my life. I was only 15 when I went, so it was really life-changing. Especially in high school, studying abroad gives you such an awesome advantage over your classmates in the USA. You'll return a completely new person, and having learned and experienced so much more than all of your friends at home. I lived with a fantastic host family in Gravina in Puglia, a teeny town in southern Italy, and I'm still in contact with them three years later. Italy is a really great country for study abroad, especially in high school, because Italians have such a warm and welcoming culture! They'll be just excited that you're there as you are.

Starting with a pre-departure orientation in the US, orientations in Italy, and usually the placement of multiple other exchange students in your Italian high school, you'll make the best friends you could wish for! I went to a regular Italian high school during the week, and made so many great friends. Because of the great public transportation system, you'll have a lot of opportunities to further explore both Italy as a whole and the region of Italy where you're living.

I had a full language immersion with AFS, and left Italy conversationally proficient in Italian. If you are able, study abroad in high school!!! It's such a great experience, and it really will change the way you see the world, especially at such a young age. I left Italy knowing so much more about myself than before I left, and am now studying linguistics and becoming certified to teach english abroad. Bottom line: STUDY ABROAD! If you can do it, DO IT!