The Experiment: Italy: Culinary Training & Culture

Honestly, at the beginning of the enrollment I was a little hesitant but I am so glad I followed through. I learned a lot of new things and met amazing people throughout this program. I tried new things, experienced the life of an Italian, and I built bonds. I am so incredibly happy about this and I would one hundred percent do it again. My homestay family was really nice and they had amazing food. My favorite thing I ate with my family was tomato pasta. We all attended a cooking class and my favorite thing we cooked in class was lasagna. Every single food that I ate was so amazing and flavorful and I am definitely gonna try to make some at home for the family. I could go on and on, but 30 days might be a lot to explain. I would highly recommend.

This summer I had the privilege of studying abroad in Italy! I got to visit sights like the Colosseum, the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, the David statue by Michaelangelo, and so much more. I loved staying with my host family who were so kind and my host sister who was so silly! All of Italy is so beautiful, and the culture even more so. The culinary training aspect was amazing! We got to make at least two courses and a dessert everyday of the course. We even learned about cappuccino making and we had a final lunch gala to show all of our work! I loved this experience and I definitely recommend it!

The experiences I had while travelling in Italy will affect me for the rest of my life. Being able to see the history and culture of so many cities and interact with people, firsthand, is something that I would never have been able to do. It was a busy month, but there was a good balance of "down time" where we got to explore. The homestay is by far the most unique part of the whole trip. It was mind blowing to be so welcomed into a family and see what day-to-day life is really like. You can travel your whole life and never see that. I came into this trip with a passion for the culinary industry, however, this trip provided such a rich look at food on a world wide level. The culinary school experience is appropriate for all levels of skill. I learned so many different techniques and cooking methods that we just don't see at home very often. The tours we went on to different kinds of farms and restaurants were also something you cannot do without the Experiment. I met wonderful people, saw beautiful cities and museums full of art, and ate my way through every city. I am forever grateful.

Italy was really fun and I am glad that I got the opportunity to experience it. I learned a lot about the food and culture and it was really interesting. Seeing the different cities was wonderful and beautiful. While I did love Italy, I didn't like my group as much. Out of the whole group only two people were black and one of them was me. I just wish that the groups were more diverse. I also wish that I had someone my age when I did the host family. The host family was great but I was a little lonely with no one my again around.

I went on The Experiment in International Living's trip to Italy this past July and it was an incredibly unique and exciting experience. I got to see new places and experience new things all while learning about Italian culture and cuisines and connecting with the other kids in my group along the way. The in country partners and individual group leaders were amazing and really helped the trip go smoothly. Overall it was a very positive experience and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to really get a feel for many of the different parts of Italy.

I had a great time. We had a weeklong culinary training program. The host family was so nice. Italy was beautiful. We were in many different cities in Italy. I established friendships with the group members. The group leaders were fantastic. If you are hesitant to go on this trip, do it.

On this trip my people’s skills has really changed because I made friends and family in a time spare of 30 days. In the United States, something like that wouldn’t happen because I have my own set of family and friends to be with all of the time while in Italy I had nobody that I knew. I view myself as a more efficient leader because I can move/ inspire people to expand their horizons. And for that I thank you Experiment!

I had always wanted to go to Italy, but never thought it would happen this year. From starting the trip in Rome to ending in Venice- Italy never failed to amaze me. The home stay was one of, if not my favorite, parts. All the families were so kind and welcoming which made the whole experience even better. My family always made sure I was happy and comfortable. They made sure I was able to see the mountains and the beach before we left. If I had the chance to go back to Italy, I would take it in a second. It was one of the best trips I've ever been on.

If you told me a year ago that I'd get a chance to go to a foreign country before I'd even graduate from high school, I'd think you were pulling my leg. My name is Matthew Cardoza. Currently, I'm a high school senior who this past summer took one of the biggest opportunities of my life by going on this month long program, which took myself and 14 other high schoolers from all over the U.S. and the world to a country, in this case Italy, to learn about its culture and communities. The leaders of my group were very experienced in Italian language and took us through five different locations, which were Rome, Cortona, Cosenza, Asti, and Venice. Some of the places had little day trips to places like Florence, Tropea, and Torino mixed in their to further increase our places to visit. The other students who I was with not only were a collection of awesome people of varying backgrounds, they inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and made even the difficult times better for me! A huge part of the trip was getting introduced to an actual Italian family and living with them for nine days. While there, I had to utilize my Italian skills and my social skills when I had to interact with the family and all their friends. This was challenging at first due to awkwardness and lack of fluent Italian speaking, but soon I got the hang of it and even spoke fluently in a speech dedicated to them at the final dinner with all the families! Overall, I had an amazing journey with this program and the people who went on it with me, and I now have the ability to use this experience as an excellent thing to remember and to tell to other people!