The neighborhood I’m in is surrounded by tall apartment buildings just outside of the central part of Bologna. The supermarket is about a 6-minute walk from here and it’s a nice 28-minute walk to the school every morning. Being able to walk into work has been quite nice. I get to witness many different people who walk by with their dogs, children and friends. I have a roommate that is going through the same internship as me who walks with me every morning. We see shops opening and everyone getting ready for their day. Unfortunately, the walkways are a bit of a mystery to walk through each day. Bologna is famous for their porticos, covered walk ways, and many dog owners who do not clean up after their pets. When taking our daily walks, we always must watch where we step. You never know what puddle just splashed all over and what that squishy stuff you just stepped in was. Oh, the adventures you will have walking through the porticos of Bologna. Not to mention that some of the path way is rough terrain with rugged stones, that I may have tripped over once or twice, if you know me at all, then you know I did! 😉
The smells aren’t the best. It is an old country and I believe the porticos prevent the path ways from really getting cleaned when it rains. There’s always a lingering smell of urine and trash nearby, which isn’t the greatest. If you are a person who cannot handle cigarette smoke, Italy is not the best place for you. I have a difficult time tolerating it, but I’m in Italy and I try not to let the little things bother me. It is a little weird how much everyone smokes over here though. Like it’s everywhere in all ages. Back in the states you hardly see people smoke anymore. That’s just been an interesting thought I’ve had since I’ve arrived here.
Bologna is an interesting city. It’s not a touristy location so you will meet less English-speaking people here when you go out shopping. As well as the shops themselves. Bologna is a richer city in a sense, everything is expensive. If you want to go shopping for cheapish clothes, you need to leave this city and go to others, maybe Verona of Florence, you may find cheaper options. Most of the shopping in Italy is Fashion name brand clothing. The cheapest places I could find for clothing for myself are places like H&M, even there can be pricy, since the clothes cost the same in Euros compared to the US dollar. Something that may be marked in the states for $29 will also be marked for 29€, which is converted to $33.11, so you’re spending more than you would back home. It’s a bit frustrating if you think of it in that way.
After school I like to stop at a cafe that’s on my way back home occasionally to sit down have an espresso while doing some homework. I enjoy sitting and watching people go by and thinking about the days ahead. It’s been a struggle with the language barrier still, not many people speak English in Bologna, if they do it’s very little. Sometimes it makes me feel a bit lonely, so I’ll call up my husband, dad, mom, or grandma to have a little chat. Friday evenings, all the teachers go out to have drinks and just hangout around the corner. It’s nice having a close-knit network of teachers where they all can hang out with one another. It helps with being able to collaborate with one another when you know each other better. It’s also another source of a family in a way, it’s nice to get out and talk through things with others who understand what you’re going through. Why not talk it out with your coworkers, if you’re not going too far I’d assume 😉
My experience so far abroad has been a real mind changer. I know the world is big and yet small at the same time. There’s so much that we as mankind are doing to this world that it’s almost overwhelming to think about. It’s fascinating going into another culture and seeing things through their eyes. Even from the education background. The school systems here are so different, even compared from the Italian schools to the International schools. It’s difficult to get into logistics, since I don’t understand all of them from both sides, but some ideas are the same where the International schools and the US schools want student-based learning, they’re just accomplished differently in each system. This opportunity has shown me many ways to fulfill my goals that I would like to accomplish with my future students. I would love to bring in opportunities for students to discover more about the world they live in and take those ideas to the next level. Having seen other cultures helps bring in other aspects you would never think about otherwise.
If you or anyone you know has questions about traveling abroad for school purposes or just for fun, feel free to ask me anything! I really enjoyed my time traveling around and meeting new people. It’s a wonderful experience I would hope for anyone to try.
Arrivederci!
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