What inspired you to travel abroad?
I'd like to become an Italian teacher. So after my studies (in Italian literature and linguistics), in order to be allowed to begin pedagogical school, I had to go abroad for 5 months.
Why did you choose Instituto Europeo?
I wanted my stay to be something else than just school. I wanted it to be a work experience in a field that has something to do with my language studies to let me see something more than just my idea of teaching. So I decided to do an internship as a journalist.
Duomo di Firenze, as seen from Palazzo Vecchio
What was your favorite part about Florence, Italy?
It's Italy, it is the best place to be! Good food, good people, good everything! No seriously, I appreciated staying at Florence, most of all for all the cultural opportunities it offers. It's amazing! As a journalist I could even go to some events for free; AND, again thanks to my internship at Stamp Toscana, I got to know about a lot of events I otherwise wouldn’t have heard about.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
Definitely my internship. As a journalist I had the opportunity to get to know stories, places, and people I had never known otherwise. I think it was the right way to discover the life of the city in another way than just the touristic one.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
Istituto Europeo did a really good job! From the first day (and also before, e.g. organizing the internship and the apartment) until the last, I never felt lost thanks to them. They helped me do the codice fiscale (administration stuff), gave me advice every time I had questions, organized dinners for us students to meet, organized a concert with aperitivo too, and wrote me every now and then to ask how I was doing with my program. Great people!
The people at my internship, Stamp Toscana, were really kind. We all did home office, so I didn't see them every day, but we were in touch via phone and mail. Every now and then we met up to have a coffee and chat about our experiences. I always had the feeling they appreciated my work and I'm very thankful for their trust in me and all the different and interesting events they let me go to.
Enjoying gin and cheese at a bar
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
As I didn't really go to school and did home office, and due to the fact that maybe I'm not the most courageous person when it comes to speaking with people I don't know, I couldn't find a lot of friends and sometimes felt a little alone. I should have asked right at the beginning for organizations like ISF where you meet people easily and can make friends.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
Actually, as a journalist you need to be spontaneous I think, and no day is really like the others. But still, "normally" I could sleep a lot in the morning and around midday there was a press conference. Then I went home to eat something and write the article, cook and eat dinner, or aperitivo somewhere in town, go out, etc. On the weekends I would go to museums, concerts, exhibitions, and other Tuscan places.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I enjoyed taking part in all the cultural possibilities offered by Florence. A lot of events are even free or certainly worth the money. I enjoyed the movies at la compagnia, the museums (can't pick a favourite, they're all really impressive), events at the Fortezza (pitti, danzainfiera), Piazzale Michelangelo with the great view, or on sunny weekends a chill out at the arno near Ponte S.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I was in a shared apartment. I loved my very spacious room and the fact that it was right in the center (between the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio).
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Are you worried about doing an internship and not being paid? Don't be—you're paid in experiences instead of money. And the more you participate, the more you profit. I don't regret at all having made that choice. Just do it!
Would you recommend Instituto Europeo to others? Why?
Absolutely. I learned so much about the work of a journalist, and about Florence and its culture. It's a city where it never gets boring!
Giardino della Fortezza—also a nice place for chilling
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The biggest benefit is getting to know another culture, another rhythm, another lifestyle. There are things you will miss about home because they are different abroad, but there are lots of others you will appreciate because you don't have them at home.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Because of my internship, I'm thinking about working as a journalist instead of teaching. I want to attend a lot more cultural events at home as well (even though they're probably not as easy to find as they were in the center of Florence!).
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, it means being open to other cultures and comparing it to your lifestyle, and in this way learning not only a lot about the place you're traveling to, but also about your country and yourself.
