Have you ever joined a new school, sports team or group of friends? You may have found yourself wondering if they will like you, or may be afraid you will make an embarrassing mistake. That is how I felt when I first arrived in Italy. I was going to spend a year in a new country, learning a new language thousands of miles away from my friends and family. I wondered if I would make friends and worried about being homesick. I wondered what the Italian people would be like and if we would have anything in common. I was pleased to discover that most of the Italians I met were very nice and as curious about me as I was about them. We had a lot in common and found a lot to talk about. In my drawing classes, for example, the Italian students and I would talk about art, and I would ask them about fun things to do around the city. I would try to talk to them in Italian and they would try to speak to me in English. We laughed at each other’s mistakes and taught each other how to say words correctly. Sometimes we would get together for breakfast or coffee. One girl even invited me to her birthday party! Making new friends made me feel more at home.
Another way I became part of the community was by attending local events.
