Somehow in a family of two accountants I never picked up those genius mathmatical skills, so let’s see if I can get this right. In fifteen days, I raised $850 dollars. Since this was in the month of April, AFS will match $500 of that dollar-for-dollar. This puts me $1,350 closer to Italy. Wow. I’ll admit sometimes I log onto my blog just to see that. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such generous friends and family who are willing to help me achieve my dreams for next year. I cannot express how thankful I am for each and every one of you.
After waking up early for a Saturday morning drive to New York, my dad and I arrived just in time for my first AFS orientation. I live and breathe AFS/Italy/Study Aborad, but this made it seem very real. Throughout the day I got the chance to talk to most of these kids about where and why they were going. Their destinations ranged from Japan to Norway, Spain to China, and Germany to Indonesia. AFS volunteers organized us into various stations where we did silly exercises to break the ice before getting down to business. In the morning, we talked about our biggest concerns and expectations. For example, we expected to learn a new language but we were also concerned about how long it would take to understand, just like we expected to make new friends but understood how challenging the beginning will be when we cannot communicate well. I felt really comfortable and everyone was so open about all the emotions that come with leaving everything across an ocean and finding our own way in a new country with a new language.
At lunch, I sat with two girls studying abroad in New York from Italy. It was refreshing to see their excitement when I mentioned that I would be in Bologna. They told me all about the schools, nightlife, style and traveling. Benedetta even explained her shock to see students on the first day of school in their SWEATPANTS! Now, this basically defines the Miranda Academy dress code, but my messy, overflowing closet can prove that I am prepared to step up my game for those Italian students.
After getting lost in the school (typical homeschooler move), I found my next station where we discussed respect, safety and scenarios in a new culture. It was a good way to analyze how we would handle different and sometimes difficult situations.
Driving home later with my dad gave us the chance to discuss our days, as we were in separate rooms for the majority of our time. I think seeing students from across the world learning English and adjusting here so well gave him extra confidence in the program. Though his biggest concern during my application process was the language difficulties, I think that was entirely eliminated on Saturday. His support is always so comforting to me and I couldn’t happier that I got to spend this fun day with him.
Fun Fact: Students in Italian schools never change classrooms. Instead, their teachers switch from room to room.
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