This Is an Experience I’d Recommend to Everyone

Writing to us from sunny Italy is Bojana, a participant in the cultural exchange program “Discover Italy.” Below, she shares her reflections:

Hello everyone! I’m sending you greetings from a train somewhere in the heart of Sicily. I’ve been here for about a month and a half now, with another month and a half still to go. During this time, I’ve already explored much of the island, and I hope to visit a few more places before heading back.

If someone had told me I’d spend three months in Sicily and enjoy it this much, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. Through this cultural exchange, I’ve met so many wonderful people and learned a lot about different cultures and lifestyles. What amazes me most is how welcomed and at home I feel with a family that isn’t even my own.

This is definitely an experience I’d recommend to anyone, because with every journey, you not only discover new places, but you also discover so much about yourself.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to read this. And if you’ve been thinking about applying for something like this—wondering if you’re the ‘right kind of person’ for it—my message is: absolutely go for it. Try living in a completely new environment, and let this be the moment you finally shatter any doubts you’ve had about what you’re capable of doing.