What inspired you to travel abroad?
A love of Italian culture and an interest in getting to know it better! I began studying Italian at the start of college and traveled to Italy for the first time by working as an au pair through Workaway in the summer after my freshman year.
I had a deep desire to go back and experience living in Italy more fully.
Why did you choose IES Abroad?
I chose to go on two programs, first to Milan with IES Abroad, then to Bologna with Brown in Bologna (and the University of Bologna). Each had many benefits.
I chose IES for Milan and for the fact that they’d help me find an internship (which worked out great, by the way!). I chose Brown for a more immersive and individualized program experience.
I am infinitely grateful to have done both.
What was your favorite part about Milan?
Aperitivo. Walking around and drinking in incredible art and architecture all around me. So many kind and welcoming people, many of whom I am grateful to call my friends.
Fresh tagliatelle. Wine. Slow food. Relaxed energy. Dinner at 9 pm. Elegance. Trenitalia. Gelato.
There are so many things I love about Italy, and so many things I love about each of the three cities I’ve lived in there—not to mention the many others to which I have traveled! These are just a few.
Cool view of Duomo from Museo del 900 in Milan, which I visited with my friend, Stella, in May 2024!
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
Truly, it was the incredible friends I made. I decided to put myself out there, and it paid dividends.
I spoke as much as possible in Italian and put a lot of effort into acculturating myself to each city I lived in. In Milan, I primarily made friends through my incredible dorm, Collegio di Milano. In Bologna, I primarily made friends through my university courses (shout out Philosophy of Language!).
I had a lot of openness to every new experience that presented itself to me, and I thrived through all of it, alongside the many friends I made. I have so much gratitude for that.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
I was thrilled with my experience with local staff in both of my study abroad programs. IES is managing a really large number of students, but I distinguished myself by speaking in Italian with and getting to know the staff and professors personally.
I think it was well worth it to do so. At Brown in Bologna, the program is much smaller, so it will be more natural to get to know the staff well and for them to support you as you need.
In both cases, I felt well supported by the staff. This doesn’t mean everything always went my way—Italian bureaucracy moves slowly!—but the staff were always there for me and incredibly kind.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
Made it longer. I would have tacked on at least another summer as well if I could (although I do hate the heat and no air conditioning combination).
Words cannot express how much I enjoyed my year, and it would’ve been nice to continue that experience. To be completely transparent, though, I am free of regrets.
I am extremely content with how I managed my year, and it was so, so joyful.
Emma posing for the camera during a trip to Venice.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
I tried to fill my days as much as possible in Milan and Bologna, but they looked very different from one another. In Milan, I’d start my day with a croissant and cappuccino in the Collegio di Milano dining hall.
I’d walk or take the metro (fifty/fifty) from Collegio, up through Navigli, to Sant’Ambrogio, to class at IES Abroad. (Sadly, the IES center has moved farther out in the city. I know the center is now much bigger/fancier, but in a less ideal location. I can’t really comment further on it.)
I had classes Monday through Thursday, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays also worked at my internship, another half-hour walk from IES. After class, I would hang out with friends, or occasionally go shopping, go to a museum, or go to a cafe to do homework.
(That last one is more of an American thing, but increasingly exists in Italy as well, especially in major cities.) In the evening, I’d be back at Collegio for dinner. Then sometimes I’d go out again to go to a bar near Duomo or other evening activities.
In Bologna, I had more free time; the pace of life there is much slower, and classes were a smaller proportion of my time. I spent lots of time in Bologna’s parks and piazze.
I frequently went with friends to an aperitivo or dinner, or cooked fresh pasta and vegetables for myself. I bought all my groceries from stores that specialize in that kind of grocery item, and enjoyed going to local markets.
About once a month, I took a trip for one or two days to another Italian city. I went abroad to other EU countries five times in my nine months.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
Walking so, so much. Often up to three hours a day. Buying the freshest, tastiest produce and pastries I’ve ever tasted.
Hanging out with friends over good and inexpensive wine. Hanging out along the Navigli canals or in Villa Ghigi. People watching.
Taking photographs with my Canon. Going to museums. Going shopping. Walking into random churches and experiencing the art (it took some getting used to, since I’m Jewish, but this is definitely a fun little tip).
And so much else that I hope you discover for yourself!
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
In Milan, I lived in Collegio di Milano, an honors dormitory for students who attend university all over Milan. I adored this place.
The rooms were decent, but it was about so much more than that. I made friends because there was a dining hall I ate at nearly every morning and evening, as well as cultural activities I regularly attended (required for permanent residents, strongly recommended for temporary residents).
Most residents are Italian, but many are international. The location was also great.
In Bologna, I lived in Camplus Valverde, which is also a student residence but less community-oriented. The room was good, and the location was excellent.
View of Vernazza in Cinque Terre, where I spent a solo weekend traveling in October 2023!
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Do not travel every single weekend, and do not make all your plans to travel right at the start of the semester! It’s silly to say, but I saw many people do this and suffer.
Who knows who you’ll be friends with and what you’ll want to do in two months? Certainly, I hope that part of what you want is to experience the city you’ve chosen to spend a semester (or more) in, and that includes being around for weekends, at least some of the time.
The programs will also be sticklers about their attendance policies, just as a heads up.
Would you recommend your program to others? Why?
Yes! For all the reasons I’ve put in my other answers. I had a great experience and am so happy I selected the programs I did.
My gut instinct is to say you can be successful in any study abroad program you go on, as long as you set good goals and intentions for yourself. But I am really happy with the programs I went on. (As opposed to, say, Florence, which is much more tourist-oriented.)
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
Cultural literacy. It really expands your mind to live in another culture and to meet people with a greater diversity of life experiences and perspectives.
The more you give to that experience, the more you will gain from it. Living abroad has made me more reflective of what it’s like to live in the U.S. and what I want in my future life.
You can’t have everything, but you can certainly be more thoughtful about what you choose.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Oof, where to begin. I talk about Italy so much that I probably drive all my friends and family crazy (just kidding, I try to be respectful about it).
Italian culture and language are a hugely important part of my life, and certain habits I have no intention of kicking any time soon. My sense of time has definitely slowed a bit.
I like eating late dinners and starting the day with a cappuccino. I want to return to Italy for a couple of years, if possible, before I settle down in the States.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaningful travel requires spending enough time in a place to feel like you get at least an initial sense of what the energy of the place and the people who live there are like.
Each time I travel somewhere new, I make nearly all my days as long as possible so that I can combine getting to the activities that are most important to me with a level of spontaneity.
