"I am a free spirit, either admire me from the ground or fly with me. But don't ever try to cage me."
"Sometimes the wrong train can take us to the right place."

"I can't buy happiness, but I can buy a plane ticket.. and that's pretty close."
"It's not the goodbye that hurts, but the flashbacks that follow."

"You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place."

"It is the journey that matters, not the destination."

"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving."

"Sometimes the people around you won't understand your journey. They don't need to, it's not for them."

"Become friends with people who aren't your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn't the same as yours. Get to know someone who doesn't come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow."

"They say home is where the heart is, but what if your heart is in more than one place?"

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries."

"Even when someone is miles away, always remember that we are under the same sky, looking at the same sun, moon, and stars."

"If traveling was free you'd never see me again."

"I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, and dreams that turned into reality."

"I would gladly live out of a backpack if it meant I could see the world."

"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list."

"I'm homesick for a place I am not sure even exists. One where my heart is full and my soul understood."

"Home is where your passport is."

"Travel while you are young. This is the time for small pay checks and big memories."

"Travel while you are young and able. Experience is far more valuable than money will ever be."

"Can't we go back to page one and do it all over again?"

"It is your road. And yours alone. Others may walk with you, but no one can walk it for you."

"You cannot cling to the past. Because no matter how tightly you hold on, it's already gone."

"Not all those who wander are lost."

"Do not count the days, make the days count."

"Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag."

"A thousand miles seems pretty far but they've got planes and trains and cars. I'd walk to you if I had no other way."

"We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonics to creativity. When we get home, home is still the same, but something in our minds has changed, and that changes everything."

"Life is like a camera. Focus on what is important. Capture the beautiful moments. Develop from the negatives. And if things don't work out, just take another shot."

"It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.

"There is no way of knowing for sure where the safest place is, so the best you can hope for is to have some good company."

These past few weeks I've been trying to be okay and learn how to live life in Milan while wishing to be in the US as well. I still remember everything from my exchange year like it happened yesterday. It helps me to watch videos on the internet. It helps me thinking that other people will watch them right before going on exchange to have an idea of what to expect, so I decided to share with you some of the films that I enjoyed watching.

Four of them happen to be filmed by Italians. 

The first two are made by Federico, who spent a year in Colorado, United States.

The other two are filmed in Australia.

I really like the beginning of the first one because of what the narrator says..

This one explains really well how I feel right now. It explains how hard it is to return home. I share it with you not because I want you to be sad but because I want you to realise that you have to enjoy every single moment because we cannot rewind.

- Cris

I got home and I felt weird. After nearly one year away, I was back to where everything was "old" and "familiar", and around people who spoke my native language. It was like I never left. I felt empty.

I couldn't understand how it was possible that one full year was already gone, so quickly. I came back home to happy people. Everyone was so happy to see me. It was awesome. I felt loved. However, I woke up the next morning and everyone acting normally, as if I actually never left. They would constantly talk about what happened while I was gone but I couldn't understand it or laugh along because I wasn't there. It wasn't my experience to relate to. Everyone expected me to act "normal". Whenever I tried to speak my mind, talk about the things I did and learned, I felt like no one understood me. Some were even annoyed by me. According to them, I would talk about America too much. They were either bored or not interested. 

I ended up keeping everything for myself and relying a lot on music. It didn't help me much though because every single song I had on my phone was somehow related to something that happened in the US. 

I do feel better now but my mood constantly changes. I am sure I will be able to heal with time. I will take charge of my own life and take care of myself. My journey has just begun.

 - Cris

If I have to be honest, I wasn't homesick when first I got abroad. I was homesick four or five months later, basically the period between my birthday and Christmas, but nothing major. At the beginning though, as I said, I was not. Because I was really excited to be in America, I waited for so long that I could not think about home at that time. I am from Milan and I lived in a smaller town in Northern Colorado, but I didn't care at all. I was where I've always wanted to be. I didn't have all the services that Milan offered me, but I loved Colorado and I adapted myself to that kind of life because going on exchange means being flexible. 

Leave your room.

The clock is ticking.

Live it up. You will know if you fully lived it because it will hurt when you will have to fly back home. However, it will be worth it. I promise.


"Homesickness is not good, stop for a minute and think about all the stuff that's around you. I am not used to living in a small farm town, without public transportation, but what about the people I met during the exchange? what about my awesome host family? what about all the "first times" I experienced? Honestly, I am not ready to leave yet. I'm not ready for home. I'm not ready to go back and say "everything is gone" or "was I really there? was it a dream?". People say "you will meet your friends again" or "you can come back and visit" but they don't see things the way we, exchange students, do. It's the combination of everything that makes our exchange year unique. I can come back and visit, but what about high school, I can't just come back to school as well. In addition, my rotary friends won't be there, and so most of the seniors in my class because they will be going out of state for college. So yeah, I still have a few weeks and I will do my best to enjoy this experience until the end."

- Cris

To learn a new language;
To socialize with new people/networking;
To become familiar with a new culture;
To become independent and more open minded;
To learn how to spend time by yourself.
etc.

I know that some people at the beginning decided to study abroad to learn a new language, but when you come back home you realize how much more you learned and the language becomes just one of the many things. This is my case, I came back speaking English and that's the first thing people tell me, like "your English is very good" and no one focuses on how independent I became abroad and stuff like that.

REASONS WHY 
BEING AN EXCHANGE STUDENT IS AWESOME:

You meet people from all over the world and discover new interests.

For example, I always wanted to go to the US so badly that I didn't realize how wonderful some other places can be. I met people from South America, Asia, Europe etc. and now I'm really having a hard time deciding where I should go for my next holiday!

You connect with people you have never known before. 

By the time you will be close to fly back home you will realize how many people you met and how many people love you and will miss you. It will be nice to think that you have family and friends even abroad. It will be hard to be far apart but friendship is stronger than distance.

You will have more than one home. 

Leaving for a year is a huge step in life. In less than 12 months anything can happen and you have to settle in by yourself in a new environment, but trust me when I tell you that your host country will become your home by the end of the year. For me, it was harder to leave than to arrive.

You will be on your own.

If you are anything like me, you will enjoy your own space. Yes, I was hardly in my room because I always tried to hang out with my host family and friends, but it was nice to know that at the end of the day I could just close the door behind my back and do my own things.

You will learn a new language. 

Some people choose the country they want to go to based on its official language, but in my opinion, the language should not be the only thing to think about. Choose a place because you are interested in it, even if learning its language will be challenging. Go to Italy. Italian might not be an important language but hey, you will be cool because you will be able to speak it! And don't worry about your English, you can improve that as well by simply using it when it becomes more convenient.

You will realize who your real friends are.

Before you depart for your long term commitment, everyone seems so sad and claims that you will be missed. The truth is that just a few of those will be able to prove it to you and will stick by your side even with an ocean in between. The first ones cheering for you at home are your family members.

Traveling is the best way of learning.

Professors might tell you to read page 57 of your book to learn about Italy. They might explain you the culture and teach you the language, but the best way of learning all of this is to be there and see things with your own eyes. You won't understand what Italy is really about unless you move there and live as Italians do.


- Cris

There are lots of organizations out there that allow students to study abroad. However, today we will be focusing on the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, thanks to which I was able to spread my wings and travel to the unknown.

affordable
I am 99% sure that most students are most concerned about one thing in particular, and that is cost. What I can tell you is that Rotary is among the most affordable programmes out there. Cost is kept to a minimum (subscription fee, health insurance, flights, visa fees). Plus, your Rotary host club will give you a monthly allowance so that you can cover expenses such as your phone bill or school supplies (you can also literally spend it on pizza and movie tickets).

you will be taken care of

Being sent to a place where everything is new to you at a young age isn't easy, is it? It is important that you always have someone to contact in case something doesn't feel just right. Rotary ensures that exchange students have counsellors in both their home town and host town. It also organizes a post-arrival orientation and many "team-building" events throughout the year (which usually coincide with outbound orientations, fundraisers, and conferences). The post-arrival orientation is probably the most exciting. You will meet all the brave exchange students from all over the world that will study nearby you, learn about the rules, meet Rotarians that will become your point of reference when something just isn't working the way it is supposed to be, and more. I still remember clearly my orientation to this day. My group and I were camping in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming. No phone connection, no social media, no warm showers. And that is how I met my best friends.

You will not wear a blazer just because it's stylish. Your blazer represents your role abroad. You will be an ambassador for your own country. Many will look at you and think "Why is that person wearing patches and pins?" but I guess that's the fun of it. Just remember that your actions will reflect your culture and where you are from, so try to be always your self best. You might be wondering if you can choose your colour and the answer is no. Every district has its own colour. Check with your local rotary before purchasing your blazer. As time passes by the jacket grows with you. All the things you do and all the people you meet will have a place in your jacket and in your heart. It's all about promoting peace, diversity, and cooperation between people. Students do so by exchanging pins the very first time they meet. It may sound silly to people not familiar with it. However, let me tell you: it is a very good way of breaking the ice when you meet someone new. You will soon end up with incredible friends from all over the world, who will love you regardless of where you are from.

We are all different from one another, even if we are from the same country, right? That is exactly why Rotary assigns students to move than one family. You will get to know more people, and, as a consequence, more about the culture of your host country. It can definitely be hard to be moving from a family you really love, but the good thing is that at the end of the year you may have not one but two families to love as your own.

What are you waiting for? Have you packed your stuff yet? The experience of your life awaits!

- Cris

Welcome to my personal space. You can call me Cris. I am a teenager that two years ago decided to study abroad. No, not one of those summer schools. No, not one semester. I’m talking about a whole year overseas. So now picture me, a sixteen-year-old guy, standing in front of an airport gate, with a piece of luggage, a laptop, and a huge desire of conquering the world. As I said goodbye to my parents and walked away, that warm summer day of 2014, I officially became a high school exchange student and a rotary ambassador for Italy in the USA. 

In a blink of an eye, it’s July 2015. I am standing in front of an airport gate again, but this time I am wearing my pinned Rotary Blazer at DIA, Denver International Airport. You see, every single pin on my blazer meant something. Every little thing hanging on my jacket came from different parts of the world. Remember that one year ago I wanted to conquer the world? I felt like I succeeded. The hardest thing to do at that point was facing the fact that... time was up. No more travelling across the States, no more “Hey dude, what’s up?” in the hallway of my American high school, and no more Rocky Mountains out of my window. 

I can't deny it, I am heartbroken, emotionally unstable. Submerged by all kinds of books I have to study before the beginning of the new school year. I don't know what to expect from my senior year. I don't know how it will be to see my classmates and my teachers again. I hope that I will be able to enjoy my final year and that, in a way, it will pass by quickly.

My vacation, as people call it, was amazing, definitely one for the books. I have had ups and downs, but I decided to bring back home only the positive things, those we want to remember forever. As I am not ready to accept the fact that I am not a high school exchange anymore, I opened this platform. I felt like our community needed something more. A portal where advice, stories, problems, and solutions could be shared. 

This is how "Cris Goes Abroad" was born.

- Cris