What inspired you to travel abroad?
I was once told that I am like a chameleon, able to adapt anywhere in the world to a different lifestyle and culture! That’s when I knew studying abroad was perfect for me. I was able to live in another country for a few months and immerse myself in a new life that would open my eyes to help shape me into the global citizen I am today!
Why did you choose IES Abroad?
Although I would have been happy studying abroad anywhere in the world, I specifically chose to study abroad in Italy doing the Study in Tuscany program in Siena, Italy for the marketing classes. My dream profession is to be able to work in sales of fine wines and foods and taking these marketing classes help me learn about Italian wines and foods and how they market their demographic compared to marketing in other countries.
This is me at the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy! I made sure to pose next to the tower.
What was your favorite part about Siena and/or Italy?
My favorite part about Siena was that it was a small medieval town. It was not a big city, but I was only a one hour bus ride away from Florence if I wanted to be in a city for a day. Being in Siena made it feel like home. I was forced to speak Italian with locals since English was not spoken enough and I was able to live like a local and not be viewed as a tourist.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
My study abroad experience was extraordinary because of the small group I was with for the semester. My program was only 13 students and it allowed me to make connections with each and everyone of the students that I could have long lasting friendships with forever. With this, it allowed me to really connect with everyone in the program and be able to hangout and do weekend trips together or day trips.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
Throughout my program, the staff at IES were always present! From the professors who cared about the students and wanted to teach us about their culture and give us recommendations of places in Siena to the students teaching professors about our culture and enjoying hearing about the culture difference and shocks that the American students faced. The RA’s always had activities planned for the students so we could be like one big family!
Did IES Abroad provide specific pre-departure Covid support? If yes, tell us what kind of support you received.
IES Abroad Siena did not specifically provide pre-departure covid support other than making sure the students had their proper covid vaccines and booster shots along with having out covid card provided by the CDC. They let us know that we would need N-95 masks since those were the requirements for Italy per CDC guidelines.
How did IES Abroad help you stay (and feel) safe abroad amidst the ongoing pandemic?
IES Abroad Siena helped me stay and feel safe abroad with the ongoing pandemic by providing housing for students if they did get covid. Also we were able to go to the doctors freely and it was easy for students to get a covid test if need be. All precautions were taken seriously and I did not feel nervous.
It was a beautiful day when we were overlooking the vineyards on a chianti winery field trip.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I don’t think I would have done anything differently during my time abroad to be honest. Everything I did and everything I experienced was always a learning curve. One thing I learned, especially when it came to traveling, was to always expect to run into obstacles and be able to overcome them, but that’s what made the study abroad experience that much more real.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
A typical day in the life of my study abroad experience always started with an espresso, sometimes even a double. Depending on when class times were, my roommate and I always walked around Siena and explored new places, found new restaurants to add to our list to eat at. We would walk over to our classes for the day and then prepare a yummy dinner for the night!
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
During my free time abroad, my favorite part was getting lost in the streets of Siena. On the third day, my roommate and I were looking for a place to have lunch and we stumbled upon a little pub that we end up being regulars at. We became super close with the owners and staff and ended up doing our final marketing project on the pub. Being able to immerse ourselves living like a local and making friends with Sienese students was the best part.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I lived in an apartment with two other girls and the Italian RA for our program. I absolutely loved it and would not change a thing about it! Being able to live with an Italian made the experience so worth it and when I felt comfortable enough with my Italian, she would help me practice the language and speak to me only in Italian so I could challenge myself. I also loved living with two other girls because we would cook dinners together and bond over our love for trying new recipes and cooking!
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Before the program begins in Siena, every future participant should know that it is okay to be nervous. Nerves are good, it is a scary transition, but everyone makes you feel so welcomed and at home. Everyone involved in the program gets you excited by a welcome dinner as soon as you arrive to get you adapted to the culture and the time difference right away which is really good!
On a fun weekend trip to the beautiful Greece! Had a great time seeing the sites.
Would you recommend IES Abroad to others? Why?
One thousand times over I would recommend the program in Siena to others, and I would always recommend studying abroad with IES. Everything was always so amazing and professional. From the faculty and staff in Siena, to the people over in the Chicago headquarters helping out before actually arriving in Siena was always done so professionally.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The biggest benefit of traveling abroad is to break out of your comfort zone. Being by yourself in a foreign country that you may not feel comfortable in will force you to immerse yourself in new experiences and break out of your shell by talking and meeting new people. You get to experience a whole new side of the world and a culture you may have never known to love!
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Now that I am home back in the States, my time abroad has impacted my life by proving to myself that I have independence and I have grown from this experience. I feel as if I am more mature than I was before. Also, I learned that there will always be people in your life, but coming home has a different meaning and feel to those friendships that you did not realize before.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means to me that travel in some sort of way makes me feel inspired or that enhances my view on life or adds more to my life. This makes me focus on making my own life better and giving new things a chance and trying new things in my life since that’s all I did when I was in Italy, I never really stayed in my comfort zone and I want to continue branching out of my comfort zone even at home in the states.
