Melissa’s Journals

Besides Christmas, many Italians also celebrate Santa Lucia on December 13th. Santa Lucia is practically a less known version of Santa Claus. She brings toys and sweets to the children, and it’s said if you see her, she throws ashes in your eyes. The morning of Santa Lucia, I was deeply heartened when my host mom told me to look under the Christmas tree, where I found a couple of gift bags waiting to be opened. I found this tradition really cute; yet another opportunity to share some love and gratitude with my host family. I too got them a few gifts, but they deserve far more than a tangible object for all they’ve done for me, from receiving me in their house to the small moments like Santa Lucia.

This month, I took a couple of day trips to cities nearby, sightseeing and visiting the Christmas markets as they lit up the streets in each one. First, I went to Mantova, a quiet city by the Mincio River. When we got there, my friend and I were looking at a stand with handmade goods. The woman there asked us if we liked them and then she gifted us a pair of paper ornaments, which I thought was really sweet. We continued exploring the town and tried cioccolata calda, which is very different from the hot chocolate in the U.S. This one is much thicker and richer, almost like drinking melted chocolate.

On another occasion, I went with my host family to Bergamo, a city divided into two parts: la città bassa, the more modern area, and la città alta, the historic part, elevated above the rest of the city. We ate lunch together, visited the Duomo, and walked around the city, which was full of tourists like us, who were making the most of the long weekend.

A few days before Christmas, I took a trip to the Italian Alps with my host family and cousins. We stayed in a village called Pampeago , close to the Austrian border. We went skiing, which I enjoyed even more than I thought. At first, I was scared of falling, but once I did, I realized I was okay and there was nothing left to worry about. It wasn’t too cold, and it was sunny for the most part, so the views were amazing. For a moment, as we were approaching the very top of the mountain, it felt like something out of a dream: the clean air, the landscape covered in snow, and the sun rays softly touching my skin. We spent the days sliding down the mountains and going on short hikes. We would stop by the restaurant to have an aperitivo and relax a little. As I make more memories like this one, I realize how important it is to appreciate every detail of it, from the smell of cigarettes and coffee to the sound of Italian music on the radio. These are the sensations that I’ll remember when I think of Italy.

We got back from the mountains right in time for Christmas. The morning of the 24th, I went on a short shopping spree with my host mom to get some last-minute groceries. It brought me some nostalgia, reminding me of the times I went to the supermarket with my family in the U.S. It was especially beautiful since everything was decorated for the holidays. The rest of the day was dedicated to preparing the Christmas Eve dinner. In Italy, it’s a tradition to eat seafood, so we had some octopus, shrimp, and scallops for antipasto followed by pasta patate e cozze, a typical dish from Puglia, a southern region of Italy. For dessert, I made them an apple crumble cheesecake that turned out better than I expected based on my little experience in baking. It was a different Christmas this year, but a very special one. I met the nonno and nonna for a second time, and I spent the day with my host mom, being each other’s moral support for the dinner preparations.

On the 25th, my host parents invited a friend over to eat Christmas lunch together. This time, we had marubini in brodo as a primo and arrosto for secondo. I love Italian dining culture, because between every course there’s a time to talk, so we sit at the table for hours without realizing it. We eat, chatter, and eat once again. After our meal, we went over to the grandparents’ house to eat the dolce and exchange the Christmas gifts. We stayed a little longer chatting with the nonna, and then we came back home to enjoy the rest of the holiday together.

Christmas did not end on the 26th however. Here in Italy, it’s the day of Santo Stefano, another day to keep celebrating Christmas. I went with my host family to a nice restaurant, where I met some of their childhood friends who were coming home for the holidays. We had a view of the Po River in front of us, and the sun shining outside made me almost forget it was winter. The hours went by, and we were still at the table, enjoying the last moments of this beautiful holiday season together.

For New Year’s Eve, I went to a friend’s house with some other exchange students and we each brought food from our country to share. This time, I decided to represent my Mexican heritage with some guacamole. After our little potluck, we spent the rest of the evening singing and dancing. We stepped out in the freezing cold right in time for the fireworks to go off at midnight. Even after we all screamed, “Buon Anno Nuovo!” I couldn’t fully grasp the fact that it was the start of a new year. Moving on to 2026 felt like ending a book with an incomplete chapter. There are still many lessons from 2025 that I have yet to unravel in this upcoming year. Especially now that I’m repacking my suitcase and getting ready to change host families, I’m using this time to reflect on all the memories I’ve collected so far. Whether captured in pictures, written in my journal entries, represented by a pin on my Rotary blazer, or simply held in my heart, each memory leaves me with something special I can carry with me to my new home.

Living here, I’ve learned a lot about Italy, but also about myself. At times, I’ve even had to unlearn certain beliefs I once thought to be true. I hope the new year brings many more opportunities to grow, and many more versions of myself to uncover. Most of all, I wish to enjoy every moment and make the most of this second stage of my exchange year. Happy 2026!!