Mia's Life

The past month has been relatively peaceful, especially compared to the busy months before. My days have followed a simple routine: school during the week, and weekends filled with parties and friends. Last week, I traveled to Switzerland to visit Lynn, which was a refreshing getaway. Here in Padova, I’ve been appreciating the little things—lunches prepared by my nonna, the city center just a few miles away, hanging out with friends, family dinners, Italian lessons with my host dad, and the lively markets that pop up every day. The weather is warming up, and with it, the flower shops that have taken over the square. I no longer need to wear a heavy coat when I step outside, though the shift in weather has brought on some intense allergies these past few days.

Switzerland was a country I had never visited before and knew little about, but it turned out to be absolutely stunning, well-connected, secure, and filled with vibrantly colored buildings. After a long 8 ½ hours of traveling by various trains, we headed straight to a house party hosted by one of Lynn’s friends. Everyone there spoke brilliant English and were incredibly welcoming. Many of them had fascinating backgrounds, having lived in places like the USA, Bali, southern Italy, or even done exchange semesters abroad. We had a blast dancing to all the American hits, jumping around and just enjoying the energy.

The next day, Lynn and I explored Zurich’s city center, strolling through its beautiful streets. Every designer brand you could imagine had a store there. I convinced Lynn to check out the famous Lindt store, where we tried every flavor we could find. While we were at the checkout, I bumped into another American who claimed to be from Michigan. As I walked up, she was excitedly talking to the cashier about the many different dialects across the U.S., mentioning how Texas sounded very different from Michigan. That’s when I jumped in to announce I was from Texas. Though I’m not sure about dialects, I definitely noticed our accents were very different. Her accent was one I’d never heard before.

We also stopped for lunch at Joe & the Juice, a place I’d been wanting to visit for years. I had no idea Zurich had two locations right in the middle of the city! I went for the Joe’s Club, added jalapeños and Tabasco, and paired it with an iced vanilla matcha with oat milk. While the Tunacado is their signature item, I’m not a fan of tuna, so I skipped it. The chicken sandwich was delicious, though maybe not as amazing the internet raves about. I suspect most of its hype comes from their clever packaging and marketing. But the matcha latte? Hands down, the best I’ve ever had. I dislike overly sweet matcha (like the Starbucks version), but this one was made with high-quality powder. It had a vibrant green color and was perfectly smooth, with no clumps—clearly, they used a proper matcha whisk, unlike most places that just use a frother. I’m definitely going to search for a copycat recipe to recreate this at home. Matcha is my favorite summer drink, after all.

Afterward, we wandered into Coop, a Swiss grocery store. I always think grocery shopping is a must-do cultural experience when visiting a new country. I took note of the price differences, the variety of Swiss cheeses, and all the different candies. Lynn showed me some of the local Swiss treats, including a whole wall dedicated to various chocolates. I even saw The Dubai Chocolate, which I regret not buying.

We also visited one of the many churches in Zurich. I couldn’t help but feel envious of how many buildings there have centuries of history and unique stories, unlike Dallas, where I could probably tell you when most buildings were constructed. Then, much to my surprise, we stumbled upon a Lululemon store. I wasn’t prepared for the rush of happiness I felt after being away for so long. Upon inspecting the store, I concluded that the items were more expensive than at home, and some of the products were completely different. They had all the usual Lululemon staples, but also several exclusive items I hadn’t seen before.

Back at the apartment, we got ready for our second night out. I love the experience of getting ready with others. I wore a jean skirt and a black tank top. This night was filled with many of the same people from the night before, plus a few new faces. And just like the previous evening, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. It was another fantastic night.

The next day, I went to watch Lynn’s soccer game, and it was a success—her team won! It was funny because this random dad from the opposing team kept talking to me in German throughout the match, and I just kept laughing in response. He never realized I didn’t understand a word, and he even kept adding more to his conversation, eventually making sure to say goodbye at the end of the game. Afterward, we relaxed at home, chatting with Lynn’s sister and meeting her adorable bunnies. Lynn’s mom made the most delicious lasagna for dinner. Later, we headed back to the city center for drinks. The bar was buzzing with energy, and every table was filled, which meant it was clearly a popular spot. Luckily, we got a table and had a great time. Afterward, we sat on a wall overlooking the city, enjoying the view of the lights reflecting off the calm river below. The city looked absolutely beautiful at night.

Luckily, Lynn didn’t have school until the afternoon on Monday, so we had some time to go out before I had to catch my train back. We grabbed lunch at a Mexican place and shared a plate of loaded nachos. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them—nothing beats Tex-Mex, but these were definitely exceptional. I did my part as a tourist and stopped by a souvenir shop, where, following my mom’s orders, I picked up an ornament and a shot glass to add to my collection. We also made one last trip to Coop before parting ways. Saying goodbye wasn’t as hard this time since we already know when we’ll see each other again—this May, when we visit Lana in London!

Every week this past month has been filled with events on Saturdays with my school friends. Whether it’s a house party or a pizza-and-movie night, it’s always a blast. I’ve said it before, but I’m really grateful I was placed in their class—they truly are the best group of people. This month, there was also a huge four-day music event in San Remo, and one night we watched as the finalists received their awards. It was such a fun experience. A couple of my friends also celebrated their birthdays this month, and I love attending their celebrations—it’s always a great way to meet new people and have a good time.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m an exchange student, and I’m always connected to other exchange students, but it feels like everywhere I go, I meet people who are either studying abroad or preparing to. At one of the parties, I met a student who will be studying in Michigan next year. It really is a small world. If only Michigan weren’t so far! There was also a mini exchange program in my class where families could host a German student for a week, and then later, they would go to the German student’s house. While the German students were here, we threw a house party, and it was great because everyone spoke in English the entire night, since so many of us didn’t understand Italian as well. While I know it’s best for me to hear and practice Italian whenever possible, in casual situations like this, it’s just so much easier to fall back on English.

I haven’t been on as many day trips lately, so I’ve been spending more time at home with my host family. One sunny day, my host dad and I went on a hike together and were treated to some stunning views. A few of their family friends have come over for dinner, and I’ve helped prepare the food a couple of times. We blasted music from the speakers, alternating between my country tunes and Francesco’s techno and rap. One night, I even made a whole batch of tiramisu. My host dad said it was the best he’d ever had, but I’m pretty sure he was just saying that to make me feel good. After lunch, I often sit with my host mom for about an hour, chatting about life or her latest work dilemmas. As a lawyer, she always has interesting stories to share.

Lately, I’ve been putting in more effort to improve my Italian. I still have a weekly class at school and another online to help me along. Every night, my host dad and I read two pages from an animal book together. I go through the words to work on my pronunciation, then go back and translate them into English. I’ve also started watching an Italian series filmed in Rome called “Baby.” I keep the show in Italian, but add English subtitles to make sure I fully understand.

I’ve been trying to read a chapter book by Elle Kennedy, one of my favorite English authors, but in Italian. Although I only need to use the translator a few times per page, it’s still quite challenging. Recently, I found a website with free baby books, which has been really helpful. I read them over and then watch a short skit in Italian. This has been great because I can fully understand the content while learning how to structure sentences correctly. It also helps me with tenses and conjugating verbs.

In English, we use words like “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” and “they” before a verb to clarify who or what we’re talking about. In Italian, however, they use a single base word and change the ending based on who they’re referring to. For example, the verb “parlare” means “to speak,” but you change the “-are” ending depending on the subject. If I want to say “I speak,” it’s “Parlo,” and for “we speak,” it’s “parliamo.” Most of the time, the endings follow a consistent pattern, but there are many irregular verbs that don’t follow the rules, like “andare,” which means “to go.” To say “I go,” you say “Vado.” It’s definitely confusing, but these books have been really helpful in getting me accustomed to the different endings.

What’s helping the most is repetition and constantly hearing and seeing the words. I stopped using Duolingo a few months ago because I didn’t feel like it was making much of a difference, but recently I decided to give it another shot. I skipped ahead to a level that matches my abilities and have been treating it like a game or a form of entertainment to keep me engaged. I’ve also been writing random journal entries and letters in Italian. Even if the sentences aren’t structured perfectly, I think the key is just practicing. I’m now able to hold conversations and form sentences on my own. They might not be flawless, but my vocabulary has definitely expanded over the past few weeks.

I’ve been told I don’t talk about school enough, and while that might be true, there honestly isn’t much to report. My teachers give me random tasks here and there. For example, in art history, I wrote a report on Piero Della Francesca and his painting The Flagellation of Christ. In math, I showed my teacher the topics I should be learning in Algebra II, and she worked with me through problems, even giving me an English textbook. I also worked with my classmates to solve various math riddles.

In physics, I gave a small presentation to the class and joined a group project in the lab. In English, we’re diving deep into Shakespeare’s life, the Renaissance period, Elizabethan theatre, Doctor Faustus, Henry VIII, the Golden Age, the Chain of Being, and several of Shakespeare’s sonnets. I had a written test and will have an oral exam in a couple of weeks. For Italian class, I actually stood in front of the class for 5-minutes to give a speech over my exchange year in Italian. Gym class is pretty typical for Italian schools, but definitely not as intense as the gym classes I’m used to. It’s a bit strange because we take a whole bus to a gym/field outside the school, where we change into different clothes in the locker room and put on tennis shoes—only to not even break a sweat once we start the activities. Sometimes we play games, though. Last week, we played a version of dodgeball with one ball, where everyone had a different role. We also play virus, volleyball, or tennis. But most of the time, we’re free to do whatever we want. There are various balls to choose from, and I usually end up passing the volleyball around with someone or in a small group. In a couple of weeks, there’s a school volleyball tournament I’m going to be part of. I’m not sure what to expect, so we’ll see how it goes. My school is also planning some fun trips soon. We might go to either Venice or Vicenza (we’re still not sure), and there’s another trip planned to a coastal city where we’ll take a sailboat out for the day, possibly even staying overnight.

I’ve learned that strangers are just friends waiting to be made. I really enjoy talking to store owners and random people I meet along the way. A couple of weeks ago, I ordered takeout from an Indian restaurant and walked 25 minutes to Prato Della Valle for a little solo picnic. When I opened the bag, I realized there was no chicken—just naan and white rice. So, I had to walk all the way back and explain the mix-up. I ended up eating at the restaurant instead. By the time I got there, it was almost 4 pm, so the place was nearly empty. It was just me and the owner, and we started chatting. He shared that his Italian wasn’t very good either, as he had only moved to Italy from India three months ago. We ended up talking about everything—his life story, including his rocky relationship with his family, culture shocks we’ve both experienced, what we love about Italy, our dreams for the future, our favorite things, and places we’ve visited. I ended up staying for an hour after the restaurant closed. The door was locked when I tried to leave, and I honestly had to pull myself away—we could’ve kept talking for another two hours.

I had a similar experience around Christmas. I walked into a store, tears nearly spilling over from the stress of figuring out what to buy my host family for Christmas. And then I met two amazing guys. They were unapologetically themselves and celebrated the fact that I was from Texas. They yelled “Yeehaw!” and grabbed my arms, skipping around the store with me as if I were the best thing to happen that day. They had me say different words just to hear my accent, and asked me to tell them stories from my life in Texas. They cheered me on as I tried to speak Italian, clapping when I finished. They helped me pick out the perfect perfume for my host mom and wrapped it up like a present. On top of that, they gave me over 10 different samples and explained when to use each one. I couldn’t leave without them telling me how much they loved me and how much they were going to miss me. I walked out of that store feeling so much lighter and happier than when I walked in.

It’s moments with genuine, kind people like that that make my day. I just love meeting people like them and hearing their stories, learning about what led them to where they are now.

Someone asked me this week how long I’ve been here, and without thinking, I almost blurted out “3 months” without hesitation. It wasn’t until I had to count the months on my fingers as if to prove it that I realized I’m actually in my 7th month here. I’ve talked about life in Italy for so long, and now, with only 3 months left, I’m struck by how quickly time has flown. How has it passed so fast? There’s no way to hold onto it, and now it feels like it’s slipping right through my fingers. I have so much to look forward to when I get home, but that doesn’t make the thought of leaving any easier.

”Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts”- Charles Dickens