Ciao a tutti! My name is Alina, and I‘m an exchange student from Italy. Coming to America has been such an exciting adventure, and I‘m going to share a bit about my experience and what it’s like to live in a different country.

I‘m from a very small village in the mountains in South Tyrol, a region in northern Italy. The region where I live was once part of Austria, but became a part of Italy after WW1. That‘s why we still have Austrian/German traditions and also speak our own language, which is like a German dialect, as our first language.

At home, I‘m going to a high school with a focus on languages, where I learn German, Italian, French, English, and Latin as my main subjects. The school system is very different from the school system here in America. We can choose the school we want to go to based on our interests, but we can’t choose the subjects/classes in school. I became an exchange student because I wanted to improve my language skills and experience life in a different country, which is very different from what I‘m used to. I decided I wanted to do my exchange year in America because I had heard a lot about American culture and schools, and I wanted to try new things, like sports and clubs, and meet new people.

When I first came here, I didn‘t expect very much because I didn’t know what life would be like in America or how it would be in an American school. But already in the first days here at Annandale, I met so many great people who became my best friends, and I learned so many things and skills.

Life at home is very different, and honestly it‘s hard for me to find many similarities because there are definitely not many! I used to live in a very small village in the mountains, and my school at home has only about 250 students. Now I‘m surrounded by big cities and I‘m in a big school. Back in Italy, I focus a lot on my studies because school is really hard there, and I spend a lot of time outside and with my friends. Here, I like to try new things, like new sports (because we don’t have sports at school where I live). I did winter cheer, and now I’m playing tennis, which I really love! I also spend a lot of time at school.

But of course, there are some things that I miss about home, like Italian food and our traditions. I tried some Italian restaurants here, and it‘s good (most of the time), but nothing tastes like home.

Being alone on the other side of the world can be really tough sometimes, but being here has helped me become stronger and more independent, and it showed me that life in another country can be completely different, yet amazing and full of new experiences.

When I signed up to do a year abroad, I didn‘t know where I would end up. Exchange students from other countries that I spent the first days in New York with ended up in Texas, Michigan, and other places, but I‘m so thankful that I got placed with an amazing host family here in Annandale because it is great, and I love it here! I really like how everyone is supporting each other and the spirit this school has, and it showed me that school can actually be fun and exciting. It‘s not only about studying for tests, but also about being a community, helping each other, and making new friends.

I‘m so grateful for everyone who makes this year so special for me and is a part of this amazing experience!