Hey everybody! Here's a short video I filmed on our day at an animal farm. Reminded me of home (Shoutout to my sister and her horse Coyote- I miss you guys! <3)
Monday, October 31, 2016
Vlog Posted!
Hey everybody! Here's a short video I filmed on our day at an animal farm. Reminded me of home (Shoutout to my sister and her horse Coyote- I miss you guys! <3)
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Vlog Posted!
Ciao a tutti!
Here's a short video following Regina and I on our afternoon in Alghero :)
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Introduction- Ciao! Mi chiamo Nicole!
Hi! I'm Nicole. This is a blog I created so I can document and share my thoughts and experiences with you during my year abroad in Italy! I'll be posting photos from my travels and writing about my new life here in Sardinia, Italy. I hope you enjoy :)
For the past month and a half, I - a 16 year old California girl - have been living away from my friends and family in Italy. After an orientation meeting, a long talk with my parents, and a tedious application process, I made the choice to spend my junior year of high school in a foreign country. Why? I have absolutely no idea. All I know is that it happened, and now I'm 6,000 miles away from the only place I've ever called home.
Before coming here, I had about 6 months of preparations, application work, and meetings to process that I would be leaving my life behind in California to build a new one. I didn't fully process anything until my final two minutes at the airport with my family. There were lots of tears, hugging, and a heavy Rotary blazer hanging on my shoulders. A small part of me was screaming not to let go of my mom, but after I dragged my way through security check, I waved goodbye, and I was off.
Despite the back and forth argument going on in my head, I walked to my gate. I had gotten through the first obstacle on my journey, letting myself go... And there I was, about to endure 20 hours of painful flying and layovers from San Jose, to L.A., to Rome, to Sardinia.
I packed up my life into a small suitcase (or three large ones) and flew on my own to the beautiful, Italian island.
Here, I live with a host family. My host-dad, Giuseppe, my host-mom, Giovanna, and my host-sister, Giulia. They've "adopted" me into their family for the duration (10 months) of my exchange. Meanwhile, their 16 year old daughter, Giorgia, is in the States living her own second life.
I've been blessed with a family who from the day of my arrival told me they wanted me be a part of their 'forever family'. And I can honestly say that after a month and a half of living with them, I know I am. They treat me like their own daughter, and I feel comfortable and happy with them.
I share a room with little Giulia, who despite my initial worries has proven that she respects my privacy and gives me space when she knows I need it. We've built a strong big-sister - little-sister relationship. She fills a hole in my heart where my little sisters are, and I think I fill the hole in her heart where Giorgia is.
Once I felt completely settled in with my family and had gotten over my first rough patch of homesickness, the next challenge came, making friends. Now despite what my parents say whenever I try to talk to them about this, I have a small social anxiety problem. I think it has built up over the last 6 years of my life while I've moved from school to school to school. While my fears of being friendless and an overbearing amount of nerves and panic attacks have never gone away, I've learned how to cope with them. It's been a sort of practice, having to move to so many places and start over. And I viewed doing this exchange as a final step into overcoming my anxiety. Now, if moving to a new school every few years was hard enough for me, I wasn't sure how moving to a new school in a foreign country with a language barrier and without my family was going to work, but I still wanted to do it.
And so I did.
The first day of school was unlike any other first day I've had. I walked into the classroom 15 minutes late with an, expected, introduction as the foreign exchange student from California. To me did that sound interesting? No. To them? It was the coolest thing ever. They wanted to know everything about my life. What does my city look like, how do people dress, what do I do in my freetime... the Californian lifestyle fascinates them. To them, the United States is a dreamland, the best place on Earth, and they all want to live there. Specifically in California, New York, or Florida - which makes sense.
I can honestly say I admire the way friendship is expressed through affection in Italy. The girls and guys in my class are so affectionate with each other and (unlike in the States) these gestures are considered friendly. A guy and girl hugging while they talk- friends. A girl cuddling with a guy and falling asleep on his shoulder during class- friends. Even the guys are more affectionate with each other- to an extent. Everybody expresses their love with each other without any judging or accusations of crushes flying around the room. It's just how Italians are. And it's beautiful.
While I wish I could instantly be as close to everybody as they are to each other, they've been in the same class (literally all 26 of them in the same classroom) for years, it might take a while. But the girls have already let me in, and a few of the guys. And even if I'm not close to all of them yet, not one of them makes me feel unwanted or alone.
The first day I met them they invited me to a "Classic European Class Only" party after school. So it was just the 26 of us after the first day of school, eating pasta and getting to know each other- more like them getting to know me. It was a very Italian evening.
I have made a few really close friends since I've been here. Two from school, Carla and Mavi, who have been the most welcoming and helpful friends ever. They make a strong effort every day to help me, teach me, and include me. I'm very thankful to call them two of my best friends.
Then there's Regina. She is a fellow Rotary Youth Exchanger. She's from Mexico, a few cities over from where my mom grew up, which built a connection between us (as well as the fact that we both speak Spanish). When we first met, I introduced myself to her in Spanish and since then, we've formed a strong friendship. We hang out every week whether it's dinner at Piazza d'Italia, shopping or movie night! We also go to the gym three times a week because let's be honest you've got to do something when you eat pasta and pizza every day-- the stereotype is real.
So, here I am! All settled in and excited about the next 9 months of my journey. And I hope you're excited about them too.
That's all for now, Ciao!
-Nicole Solomon xoxo
For the past month and a half, I - a 16 year old California girl - have been living away from my friends and family in Italy. After an orientation meeting, a long talk with my parents, and a tedious application process, I made the choice to spend my junior year of high school in a foreign country. Why? I have absolutely no idea. All I know is that it happened, and now I'm 6,000 miles away from the only place I've ever called home.
Before coming here, I had about 6 months of preparations, application work, and meetings to process that I would be leaving my life behind in California to build a new one. I didn't fully process anything until my final two minutes at the airport with my family. There were lots of tears, hugging, and a heavy Rotary blazer hanging on my shoulders. A small part of me was screaming not to let go of my mom, but after I dragged my way through security check, I waved goodbye, and I was off.
Despite the back and forth argument going on in my head, I walked to my gate. I had gotten through the first obstacle on my journey, letting myself go... And there I was, about to endure 20 hours of painful flying and layovers from San Jose, to L.A., to Rome, to Sardinia.
I packed up my life into a small suitcase (or three large ones) and flew on my own to the beautiful, Italian island.
Here, I live with a host family. My host-dad, Giuseppe, my host-mom, Giovanna, and my host-sister, Giulia. They've "adopted" me into their family for the duration (10 months) of my exchange. Meanwhile, their 16 year old daughter, Giorgia, is in the States living her own second life.
I've been blessed with a family who from the day of my arrival told me they wanted me be a part of their 'forever family'. And I can honestly say that after a month and a half of living with them, I know I am. They treat me like their own daughter, and I feel comfortable and happy with them.
I share a room with little Giulia, who despite my initial worries has proven that she respects my privacy and gives me space when she knows I need it. We've built a strong big-sister - little-sister relationship. She fills a hole in my heart where my little sisters are, and I think I fill the hole in her heart where Giorgia is.
Once I felt completely settled in with my family and had gotten over my first rough patch of homesickness, the next challenge came, making friends. Now despite what my parents say whenever I try to talk to them about this, I have a small social anxiety problem. I think it has built up over the last 6 years of my life while I've moved from school to school to school. While my fears of being friendless and an overbearing amount of nerves and panic attacks have never gone away, I've learned how to cope with them. It's been a sort of practice, having to move to so many places and start over. And I viewed doing this exchange as a final step into overcoming my anxiety. Now, if moving to a new school every few years was hard enough for me, I wasn't sure how moving to a new school in a foreign country with a language barrier and without my family was going to work, but I still wanted to do it.
And so I did.
The first day of school was unlike any other first day I've had. I walked into the classroom 15 minutes late with an, expected, introduction as the foreign exchange student from California. To me did that sound interesting? No. To them? It was the coolest thing ever. They wanted to know everything about my life. What does my city look like, how do people dress, what do I do in my freetime... the Californian lifestyle fascinates them. To them, the United States is a dreamland, the best place on Earth, and they all want to live there. Specifically in California, New York, or Florida - which makes sense.
I can honestly say I admire the way friendship is expressed through affection in Italy. The girls and guys in my class are so affectionate with each other and (unlike in the States) these gestures are considered friendly. A guy and girl hugging while they talk- friends. A girl cuddling with a guy and falling asleep on his shoulder during class- friends. Even the guys are more affectionate with each other- to an extent. Everybody expresses their love with each other without any judging or accusations of crushes flying around the room. It's just how Italians are. And it's beautiful.
While I wish I could instantly be as close to everybody as they are to each other, they've been in the same class (literally all 26 of them in the same classroom) for years, it might take a while. But the girls have already let me in, and a few of the guys. And even if I'm not close to all of them yet, not one of them makes me feel unwanted or alone.
The first day I met them they invited me to a "Classic European Class Only" party after school. So it was just the 26 of us after the first day of school, eating pasta and getting to know each other- more like them getting to know me. It was a very Italian evening.
I have made a few really close friends since I've been here. Two from school, Carla and Mavi, who have been the most welcoming and helpful friends ever. They make a strong effort every day to help me, teach me, and include me. I'm very thankful to call them two of my best friends.
Then there's Regina. She is a fellow Rotary Youth Exchanger. She's from Mexico, a few cities over from where my mom grew up, which built a connection between us (as well as the fact that we both speak Spanish). When we first met, I introduced myself to her in Spanish and since then, we've formed a strong friendship. We hang out every week whether it's dinner at Piazza d'Italia, shopping or movie night! We also go to the gym three times a week because let's be honest you've got to do something when you eat pasta and pizza every day-- the stereotype is real.
So, here I am! All settled in and excited about the next 9 months of my journey. And I hope you're excited about them too.
That's all for now, Ciao!
-Nicole Solomon xoxo
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