Before coming to Italy, I found myself pretty nervous about building a new community. I did not really know anyone coming into the program, and that uncertainty made me feel a bit anxious leading up to my departure. I was unsure if I would be able to quickly adapt to this new environment or whether I would find genuine connections.
However, those initial feelings of anxiousness gradually began to fade. Being in a shared space with 4 additional roommates created an immediate sense of connection. I still vividly remember the very first trip that we all took together. We were all still adjusting to a new country, a new routine, and each other. As our first outing, we took a two-hour train ride from Florence to Pisa, which became one of our core memories as roommates. After this quick trip, the following weekends we took on more adventurous excursions outside of Italy, which further strengthened our bond and helped us grow more comfortable with each other. With each new experience, what started off as complete strangers living under the same roof turned into a close-knit group that felt more like family. It was crazy to think that without this study abroad experience, we would have never crossed paths with each other, especially since we all went to different colleges.
In the classroom, I also got the opportunity to form connections with both peers and professors alike. Because each class had fewer than 20 students, our professors were able to know us individually by name. I remember walking into my consulting class for the first time, where our professor had us go around and introduce ourselves. Right after, he gave a short activity where we had to go up to the board and teach the class based on a topic he chose. I remember trying to avoid eye contact, hoping I would not be chosen. But in the end, he called on me. Even though I was nervous at first, once I got up there it felt natural, and that was the first time I realized I would truly enjoy the class.
The next day, I went to my international economics course and was placed into a group activity. One of the students in my group recognized me from the consulting class and started a conversation with me. From that simple interaction, we became class friends and began working together more often. Beyond these moments, what stood out most was how easy it became to connect with students from such diverse backgrounds and different universities. Despite coming from different places, we all shared the same experience of having to adjust to a new environment. This ultimately made it easier to build genuine friendships. I am so grateful to have met so many wonderful people through this experience that otherwise would have not been possible.
