Melissa’s Journals

I started off the month with a trip to Sardegna, a beautiful island located west of mainland Italy. There, I got to meet other exchange students from all around the world coming to different parts of Italy, north to south. We spent the weekend playing games, swimming in the ocean, and getting sand all over our clothes . It was very windy, but in the afternoon, the sun would come out, and it was very nice . In the mornings, we went out early to see the sunrise. The beach looked absolutely stunning , and I could not stop taking pictures. The more I stood and gazed at it, the more I wanted to stay.

This month, I started going to school for six hours instead of five, which means I now get home at around 14:00 for lunch. On Saturdays, I still finish at 11:45, so I have the whole afternoon free. The shorter weekends have taught me to appreciate Sundays more. They’ve become my day to relax, take a break from school, and spend time with my host family , especially now that exams have started. Here, it’s common to have interrogazioni , which are verbal exams where the teacher asks questions, and the students have to respond expanding on the topic. I found this way of testing really unique , because it seems almost like the student is explaining the concept to the teacher. In a way, it tests your knowledge better than a written exam.

One of my goals before I came here was to say yes to everything, so when my host mom asked me if I wanted to participate in a 10-kilometer run around the city, I said, “Sure, why not?” It was the first time I ever ran that distance , so I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take me or if I would be able to make it before my legs could not go any longer. In the end, I finished the run and felt really achieved. Since it was in the morning, the sky was foggy, but I could see the sun peeking from the clouds. I made a quick tour around the main streets of Cremona and passed by the famous Po River, the longest one in Italy. It was a totally worthwhile experience.

I initially thought Halloween wasn’t celebrated in Italy, but it turns out Italians do enjoy dressing up and decorating their shops with spider webs and skeletons. Although it’s not as big of a holiday as it is in the U.S., it’s pretty common to see little kids in costumes going around saying dolcetto o scherzetto, while teens and adults see it more as an excuse to go out at night. What I found really interesting was that in cities like mine, where there aren’t neighborhoods to trick-or-treat in, the kids go to local stores and cafés instead.

A few days before Halloween, I went pumpkin carving with some friends, another tradition that’s gaining popularity in Italy . It was my first time carving a pumpkin, so I didn’t really know what to expect, but the place was beautifully decorated with jack-o’-lanterns, balloons, and piles of autumn leaves. Afterwards, I got to take my pumpkin home, making it a little piece of the evening I could hold on to.

With this month’s experiences in mind, I’m ready to embrace whatever the next one brings. Whether the sun decides to shine again or the trees remain bare a little longer, I’ll keep trusting that after the long season passes, new leaves will grow back.