Italy Feels Like Living in a Movie

Bojana, a participant in the cultural exchange program with Italy, shares her impressions of spending the summer in Verona. Here’s what she had to say:

I’m currently part of a cultural exchange program aimed at getting to know Italy. I arrived in Italy on July 5th and will stay until October 1st. I must admit, at first I was nervous about going on exchange. I kept wondering—will I fit in with the family? What will our daily routine look like? And believe me, in my case, the old saying turned out to be true: ‘If I had chosen myself, I couldn’t have chosen better.’ Just a few days ago we celebrated my birthday together, and they made such an effort that I didn’t even feel like I was away from home.

The family Bojana is staying with is very international, and their daughter—who Bojana spends most of her time with—speaks excellent English, which has given her a great opportunity to improve her own language skills.

We live in Affi, a town near Lake Garda, but we’re currently vacationing in Albinia by the sea. I really love that when the family travels, you travel with them. Before this, I had done a student exchange that really opened my mind, but here in Italy… it feels like I’m living in a movie. We’ve already become great friends despite our age difference, and we’ve even planned their trip to Serbia.

Bojana’s typical day includes helping with breakfast and getting ready for the beach.

We stay at the beach until lunch. Then we go home, prepare lunch together, I spend some playtime with the little girl, and we head to the pool. After dinner, if my new friends are free, we head to a local bar for drinks and good conversation. I’ve met a few people I really connected with, and we’ve been exploring the surrounding areas—traveling with locals always makes the experience more authentic.

Her message to anyone still on the fence about applying?

This program is an amazing chance to broaden your horizons. You’ll meet wonderful people and get to truly explore the country. It’s not the same as visiting Italy as a tourist—you get to live like a local for three months. Plus, the program is affordable and the agency makes the entire process very straightforward. If you’re even a little curious—go for it.