Study Abroad in Italy with Greenheart Travel

My year abroad was an experience filled with highs, lows, and surprises. Looking back, my experience was mixed, it didn't fully meet my expectations in some areas, but in others, I was pleasantly surprised. The good parts were incredible, living in a different country allowed me to experience a new culture, meet people from different countries and backgrounds, and gain a greater sense of independence. I enjoyed exploring new cities, trying local foods, and learning more about how people live and study outside of my home country. These experiences helped me grow personally and become more adaptable. However, there were also challenges that made the experience difficult at times. Adjusting to a new environment was harder than expected, and there were moments when I felt disconnected from my new life abroad or frustrated. I faced challenges I wasn't prepared to confront by myself, such as sudden loss, anxiety, and homesickness. While I had my host family and friends to support me, I was sure being at home with my family would help me with my problems. But, even though I struggled with these things, it added to my experience here and helped me learn how to rely on others, myself, and trust in the process. One of the most unexpected parts was noticing how my behavior changed in a new environment. In America, I tended to be louder and more active in class discussions. In Italy, I became more observant and passive, spending more time listening, translating, and noticing my surroundings. While this was not a change I anticipated, it taught me that growth can happen in ways you don't expect. I wouldn't count this as a positive or negative aspect, because in ways I feel like I lost a large part of who I am by being quieter, but I also just learned how to express myself in ways that I hadn't in my home country. Although my experience was mixed, I don't regret it. The challenges, lessons, and memories all contributed to a chapter of my life that helped me better understand both the world and myself. Overall, this year made me face problems I never expected to deal with, especially on my own; but I learned more this year than I planned to, so I am happy I went out of my comfort zone, tried a year abroad, and learned about myself.

My name is Jadie, I did one highschool year abroad in Italy with the help of Greenheart. With the experience I had using Greenheart travel, I am very happy and satisfied. If I ever had a problem, issue, or anything that I was stressed out about, they were there. If i sent an email they would respond almost immediately, and if the time change didn’t align they have a 24/7 hotline. I am very pleased with their company and would highly recommend this program to anyone who is wanting to go abroad for however long. My parents can confirm this, as Greenheart always updated them even if I didn’t. I would one hundred percent recommend this program to students trying to get out of their comfort zone and grow their future.

I did a high school semester abroad in Italy with Greenheart Travel this year (2024-2025). Before I left, I was looking into other programs but none of them made me feel as excited and secure as Greenheart did! Greenheart has a bunch of stundent-written blogs on their website that were helpful to read and made me feel like I knew what I was getting into. Our coordinator was so lovely and helpful, she was always encouraging and honest and open to answer all of me and my parents questions. Greenheart matched me with the most amazing host family and my host family made my whole experience soo amazing! (It seriously makes all the difference!) Greenheart takes your hopes and worries into consideration and strives to give you the best experience possible. If you are looking into studying abroad, I HIGHLY recommend going with Greenheart Travel as your program!

It really has been a remarkable few months for my daughter, Maris. The host family has accepted her with open, loving arms. They have been very generous and have exposed her to many things and she even travel down to see the grandparents in southern Italy. She’s been skiing in the Alps, going to Venice, going to the opera, making friends in school, playing tennis at school, Speaking Italian. Really quite incredible. I miss her dearly but I know she’s having the time of her life. I don’t really think that she’ll want to come back but she will but probably she’ll return back to Italy sometime because she’s having so much fun. Thanks to Greenheart and the program for giving her this unique opportunity.

Going abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I learned so much about other cultures and people and also broadened my own mind. I'm glad I was able to have this opportunity and hope other students in the future take the chance to study abroad as well. Be open to new experiences and don't be afraid of what is different. I loved being able to meet people from around the world and get to talk with them about their lives and cultures. It would have been nice to maybe talk to some other exchange students leaving at the same time I was. Or to be able to talk to more alumni would have been helpful. I think there could be a little more communication and activities for students before the departure. Maybe you can put students going to the same country in contact with each other or something similar.

I have recently come back from my exchange program in Asti, Italy for a semester. I wanted to let you all know how much that experience has changed my life and how much I appreciate all you did for me in making my dream of living in Italy a reality. The minute I started the process of applying I felt so welcomed by your program and I really felt that you all genuinely wanted to help me as much as possible to make my exchange experience the best it could be. I can't even begin to tell you how much my semester in Asti, Italy means to me. Going there and becoming a part of a family on the other side of the world was such a beautiful experience that I will always treasure. I never refer to my Italian family as 'my host family' because we became more to each other than that. We became a real family and I feel so lucky that I now have another set of parents and new brothers and sisters. I miss them all every day and I think of them always. And of course there are all the friends I made as well. Every single person I met there was so compassionate and caring and I'm so happy I got to be part of their lives. I still keep in contact with so many of them and I miss them terribly. Leaving all that behind was the most painful thing I've ever felt. Every day when I wake up I see the Italian flag hanging on my wall I think back to my life there and the unbelievable memories I made there because of all of you. So for that I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Not many people can say their jobs make dreams come true but you all can. Grazie mille per tutto.