adult study abroad: an important recommendation

homestay, homework, tagliatelle al ragu

When I was in college, I studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France. When I look back at that time, I remember it as an idyllic, romantic period of my life, full of adventure and happiness. I didn’t have much money, but I had time. I had youthful beauty and an energetic outlook. I put myself out there and made friends with people from all over the world. I went dancing all night and woke up at 7 am so I wouldn’t miss art history class. I stayed in hostels with deckhands in a pink chateau in Nice, took overnight buses to Barcelona and walked aimlessly around Park Guell, and hung out in the backyard with my host siblings who laughed at my accent and cheered me up when I felt lonely.

I tried to channel all of this energy last week when I took TrenItalia northbound to Bologna, Italy. I had booked a mini study abroad week at an Italian language learning school there, including a stay with a host family. A “northern city” known for its riches, red brick portici, and excellent food and wine culture, I was excited to settle into this university town as a student. After a four-hour train ride, I hopped off the bus and rang the doorbell at my host family’s house, despite never even seeing a picture of the place! The start of a great adventure.

Funny enough, my Italian host parents reminded me exactly of my French host parents from Aix-en-Provence. The husband was very kind, cheery, and shy, and the wife was very loud, assertive, and wild. They were very open-minded and used to having foreign exchange students in their home, greeting me as I came and went. I shared a bathroom with their twenty-something son who was studying piano in between Rome and Bologna. I would take a little nap after school and fall asleep to him improvising on the piano as the rain fell outside my window.

My school looked like something out of a movie. Inside a large brick palazzo, up a tall marble staircase, and inside you will find tiny little classrooms stuffed to the brim with eager students. The only tools for instruction were chalkboards. I was the only American in my class, which was mostly full of Europeans of all ages from Switzerland, Poland, Germany, France, the Czech Republic and Sweden. Given the diversity of the group, we had lively conversations about life in our respective countries.

Walking down the streets of Bologna felt like being in a vintage Wes Anderson movie. Every sign hand lettered. Every archway framed a beautiful store. My French classmate, who wore seventies-style vintage clothes, long hair, and wispy bangs, said “it is always a pleasure to take a walk through Bologna”. During our lunch break, we would run out to find pizza for 1.70 euros or binge the free snacks offered with our aperitivo drinks. It was so wonderful to use Italian as our common language. Having the comfort of speaking to other foreigners, who are forgiving of mistakes, was freeing. We discussed films, politics, music, and art. Over coffee, I learned about their Italian lovers and during apertivo we exchanged the best spots for second-hand thrifting (an absolute treasure chest in fashion-orientated Bologna).

One night, I went to cooking school with Davide from Bologna Cucina. It was so meditative to roll out the dough, cut shapes, and form our pasta over good conversation. I loved chatting with a beautiful chef from Copenhagen who convinced me to move to Denmark (as if I needed more convincing).

The culture in Bologna feels worlds away from Napoli, making my “study abroad” experience seem even more accurate. The hearty food, stately architecture, nicely organized bike lanes, and efficient bus system felt easy to navigate compared to chaotic Napoli. Also, daily commuting to school made me feel like I was more than just a tourist, but a participant in local life.

Certainly, the lasagna is memorable and the art is impressive, but it’s really the people who jolt you awake from the perspectives and assumptions you’ve made from your worldview. Even though it was only a week, it was the shift I needed to make me feel more of a participant in Europe instead of an outside observer. Studying abroad also challenges you to be more flexible and adaptable, even if it’s only for a week. If I can influence you to do one thing - it’s not to buy lipgloss or drink a green smoothie in the morning - but to try studying abroad as an adult.

Have you ever studied abroad? What lessons did it teach you? More:

• You don’t need to live abroad to study abroad! Many of my classmates were retired, on vacation from their full-time jobs, or young students trying to get set up in Italy. For anyone thinking about going on a “mini study abroad” trip, I wanted to give you my approximate budget. My accommodation was 33 euros per night and I could cook my meals in their home. The accommodation was organized by my school. Check it out here! In Napoli I also recommend NACLIPS, it’s a great language school I have been to many times.

• Read more about Bologna from my trip there last year, where I went to an artisanal Parmesano Reggiano tasting.

• Thank you to

  Laura
  for your awesome food recommendations, we enjoyed Terzi, Buca Manzoni, Mortadella Lab, and Osteria dei Grifoni (which was as hysterical as you mentioned).

• Another big thank you to

  Taste Bologna
  for their awesome PDF Guide to Bologna, a free gift when you subscribe to their Substack! We enjoyed Vicolo Colombina and I will always dream of my lasagna sammy at Forno Brisa.

• Don’t forget, you can buy my guide to Napoli, my guide to Ischia, or email me for Italy travel advice.

Finally, if you are American, I kindly ask you to vote. I already voted from abroad but please do research the issues that are important to you. For me, the most important issues are reproductive rights, gun violence reduction, and climate change. I also learned a few new things about the Harris/Walz campaign thanks to

Maggie

who highlighted the campaign’s focus on families: “A few that really stand out to me: A $6000 tax credit for the first year of a child’s life, a cap on prescription drug costs, a $25,000 credit for first time homebuyers (and other supports for housing costs), the first-ever ban on price-gouging to drive down costs for groceries, and a plan to ensure that working parents won’t pay more than 7% of their income on childcare (while also pushing for rights and protections for childcare workers).”