Lessons from One Month Abroad
Packing up my sweaters and boots in the middle of August felt wrong, and it further reiterated the fact that I would be gone for so long that the weather would be drastically different by the time I returned. I was unprepared for the anxiety and sadness that I felt as I tried to fit four months’ worth of clothing into two suitcases, knowing that I would be wheeling them out of my house the next day. Yet, I had no choice but to follow through with it. As my mom helped me fold, she repeatedly told me how much she would miss me and that I was headed for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I knew she was right, but there wasn’t a single part of me that felt ready for it. If there was a trick to preparing for the unpredictable, I would’ve loved to have known it.
I reasoned that once I settled into my new home in Sorrento, Italy, everything would be okay. I would feel normal, in fact, and life would simply fall into place. Within a few weeks, my cramped apartment began to feel a little more like home—although, sharing it with four other people may never get easier. Dealing with the language barrier everywhere also became less stressful. Now, I have been here for a month, and while some things have certainly become easier, other aspects of the culture are harder to acclimate to. Here are the lessons that I have learned from one month away from home.
Make an effort with the local people.
For the first few weeks of my stay, I was struck by how much the locals seemed to dislike me and my friends. We were always polite, yet they seemed unwilling to reciprocate our kindness. They were cold and, frankly, quite rude. Now, a month later, I’m starting to understand how tired they must be of tourists and as my face becomes more familiar with the employees of my favorite shops, they have begun to warm up to me. Now, when I get coffee in the morning, they say “ciao” and smile. This may seem like the bare minimum, but trust me when I say not many people who enter the shop are greeted in that way. Obviously, learning names also goes a long way. Whenever I can, I try to ask the workers what their names are in the hopes that learning them will show that I care. By doing this, I have made a few local friends throughout the town, and it’s always exciting to pass by their stores and say “hi.” Last, I recommend ordering in the language that is spoken where you are staying. I quickly learned that ordering in Italian got me cheaper prices and much friendlier service. Half the time, my pronunciation is bad, or I say the wrong word, but it is truly the thought that counts.
Photo by Leah Dumaine
Always have a backup plan (or two or three).
My friends and I quickly discovered that our plans rarely go smoothly. The transportation in our area is quite faulty, and while this may be a regional problem, it is always smart to have a backup plan in case the one you are expecting falls through. One Friday, a few friends and I were planning to take the train to Naples, a large city only about an hour from our town. We had the whole day planned, and prior to arriving at the train station, our plan seemed flawless. However, we had no idea that the train staff had decided to go on strike that day, and as a result, there were no operating trains. The next day, another friend and I decided to visit a nearby town and spend the night to make something of our so-far-unsuccessful weekend. We packed our bags and headed to the ferry port with our tickets in hand… to find out that despite the beautiful weather and clear skies, the ferries weren’t running because the waves were too rough. Five weeks in, and we are still learning how to travel around this area. I am slowly realizing that while it might seem impossible to leave Sorrento, it actually just requires perseverance and a plan A, B, and—just to be safe—C.
Photo by Leah Dumaine
Make the best of everything.
I learned quickly that moving to a place almost 5,000 miles away from my home in Baltimore, Maryland, was likely the hardest thing I had ever done. A delightful combination of culture shock, homesickness and plans repeatedly falling apart led me to believe that I had made a terrible mistake studying abroad. Yet, while each problem I encountered left me disappointed, each also taught me a lesson in resilience. Being so far out of your usual environment means that things are bound to go wrong… all the time. At first, it may seem like the end of the world, but as you become accustomed to adversities, it becomes easier to bounce back. I taught myself to immediately find the positives in my day and to remember that I was lucky enough to be studying abroad, something that few people are fortunate enough to do. Not only was I abroad, but I was also in a top vacation destination. Sorrento is a place that people dream of spending a week in, let alone four months. Feelings of doubt and sadness will always creep in, but making the best of every situation is key.
Going abroad is difficult, but here is my advice on how to make a new city feel like home: get outside, meet people, be resilient and try to be as positive as possible. Unfortunately, there isn’t a trick to preparing for the unpredictable; instead, be ready to bounce back and get excited to make thousands of memories and grow more than you ever thought possible.
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