Some Opportunities Are Simply Too Good to Miss

Kristina, a participant in the Discover Italy program, shares her story from Italy:

Italy has fascinated me for years—to the point where I truly believe it’s the only place outside Serbia where I could actually live. I had already started learning the language more seriously when I stumbled upon this cultural exchange program, and I knew immediately: this is exactly what I need to find out if I could truly fit into the Italian lifestyle.

She wasn’t so sure that everything would go as planned, but our coordinators have been there to help her every step of the way.

After signing up, I went through quite a few unsuccessful interviews, which was really discouraging—I was close to giving up. But the program coordinators, Kristina and Dragana, didn’t give up on me. Thanks to their persistence, I finally ended up in Brescia. The kids took to me quickly and have been calling me zia (auntie) from day one.

She fell in love with the city immediately!

We live a bit outside the city center, which makes my dream of spending all my free time wandering through town a bit trickier. Still, whenever I can, I throw myself into local life—ordering food at restaurants, buying books at bookstores, asking for sizes in boutiques… I can’t tell you how happy I am when people don’t even realize I’m not from here and I manage to handle the whole exchange in Italian! 😀 So far, I’ve only visited Brescia and Verona, but I definitely plan to explore more—Milan, Bergamo, and of course, the iconic Lake Garda are next on my list. Hopefully, the weather holds up!

Her final message for everyone is:

If I were still a student, I’d absolutely do this again next year. This time around, I had to quit my job to join the program—but honestly, I don’t regret it for a second. Some opportunities are simply too good to miss.”