Having to leave everything that is familiar to you can be terrifying, especially when you are doing so to go live at a stranger's house. I get it, we've all been through it. I had the privilege to meet my host family prior to my exchange as they were traveling to Europe for the summer, so that was my luck. I know that not a lot of students can say the same, but it is always worth it to go abroad with an open mind and positive thoughts anyway. Our happy thinking sometimes isn't enough and we do end up feeling like we don't belong, homesick or lonely. Fear no more, I have the perfect TV series to keep you company.

The Fosters.

When I didn't feel particularly up to do much during my exchange, I'd watch a lot of tv series. That isn't because I wasn't enjoying my experience, but that's just who I am. I am attracted to the film industry and tv in general. One of the shows that particularly kept me company while I was gone on my exchange was The Fosters. As the title may spoil, the series talk about foster care, and beyond. The main characters fight unhealthy social systems, spreading the message that everyone is loved and welcome to be whoever they are. Two lesbians open their doors to many foster kids who over the years, as the story evolves, get officially adopted by these two incredible women. 

The story covers heavy topics, like cancer, lgbtq+ stories, gun violence, stalkers, broken hearts, mental health, and insecurities of all sorts. Unfortunately, we can relate, to some extent, to a lot of these things, but the bottom line is that we can go through everything if we stick together and help each other out. This incredible family kept me company over the years. I've watched the show when I was in the United States of America as an exchange student, but also when I was home in Italy, studying in Denmark or in the United Kingdom. I've felt lonely sometimes, I didn't have much money to go out and do things, so I'd stay home and binge-watch. Some people can't do that, but I discovered that I can and I'm not afraid to say that this series gifted me many smiles when I needed them.

How does this show relates to people being on an exchange you say? Well, I think about my host parents. They opened up their home to me and many more exchange students over the years. Doing that enables many things. When they welcomed me to their house, shared their belonging and food with me, we established a relationship that is now unbreakable. It is obviously very different from fostering someone who has been through the system, but these experiences have something in common: trust. It's hard to believe that people are willing to share what they have (e.g. a home) with someone they don't already trust - but that is why we have time. We spend time with each other and we learn things about one another. 

I really learned a lot watching The Fosters and I hope that I somehow influenced you because it's worth a watch. It's currently not on Netflix. Its network is the former ABC Family, now Freeform, but I'm sure that if you are like me you will find a way to watch it even if you are not from the USA and don't have access to Freeform. 

What is your favorite tv series? and why? Comment below!

- Cris

For the past few years, I've been packing, unpacking, moving out, moving back in, taking off, landing, getting a new job, enrolling in new universities, shaking new hands, engaging with strangers, going to socials, events, and such things. Great! In fact, this is why I've done it and I keep doing it. 

But... would travel exist without home?

No. Our birthplace is our starting point. That is the one thing that we can't change about ourselves. Think about it. We can change homes, countries, even our own name, but not the place where we are born. That is something that we will always carry with us. When we travel, we embrace new cultures and welcome new habits into our lives, but we always tend to share our own with foreigners. We may not even be the patriotic kinds but as soon as people open their mouths to say something bad about our country, we suddenly step in and defend it as if they were talking poorly about us. Isn't it true? We take it personally. We think we are the only ones allowed to talk in a certain way about our birthplace.

As I moved from one place to the other, I looked for peace. I looked for my happy place. And from time to time, I even thought I finally found it. The truth is that most times that feeling would be temporary and my mind would still take me back to Milan. I'd miss doing the same boring things I've done since I was a kid. Who would have actually thought? Feelings, though, always change.

 I want to decide for myself whether my assigned place is actually the right one for me or not, and in order to do so, I travel. I explore. I feel things. 

We do have the power to change things. Play the game. You may have been born and raised somewhere, but where do you want to grow up? Where do you want to mature? Where do you want to say your last words? I strongly believe that we are the authors of our own destiny, we just need to know how to write.

- Cris

Cristian Meets Coventry.

There's nothing better than a gloomy Sunday to catch up with my dear blog. I'm sitting in my room, sipping warm tea, playing acoustic music and letting my thoughts run through my head. 

I moved to the United Kingdom when it was technically still summer, even though when I arrived here the weather was just cold and... well, terrible. Not a great start for a new beginning, but everything counts. I applied for the University airport pick up service because I thought that it was the easiest way to get to my new home but I arrived in Coventry super late on a Saturday night, so no one was at the reception to check me in. Once I got everything sorted, I walked towards my flat, I entered my room and found out that there was no bedding. Long story short, I slept with two layers of clothes and my bathrobe and I was still cold. Again, not a fabulous day to begin with, but whatever.

Four days into my study abroad experience, I changed room. I moved from the ground floor to the first floor of a new block. My flatmates were just as loud as the people below me right now. So yeah, I'm in desperate need of a change once again, but the University's housing team won't let me break the contract unless I find someone willing to take over my room. The situation has been going on for too long, to the point that I don't sleep well at night, I can't focus when I do homework, and I just don't look forward to going back to the dorm at the end of the day.

Cheers on the luck I'm lacking.

That said, I enjoy the University. The facilities are quite good, my classes are very interesting, and my lecturers well prepared. When something bad occurs I always try to keep in mind that there are good things, and in my case classes are the positive aspect about the experience. I came to the UK with an open mind and the desire to take my skills to the next level, and I feel like I have the opportunity to do so here.

Hong Kong Design Institute.

My class is composed of exactly nine individuals. I know, it is pretty small, at least when you compare it to other classes that count up to a few hundreds of students. What is cool about it though is that my classmates and I got to know each other fairly well, which is what we need because we do have to team up quite often for group projects. It didn't take long to establish a relationship with the lecturers either, which is great because if a problem occurs, the lecturer can help you as he or she actually knows you, not just your name or face.

We may not be numerous in Coventry, but the thing is - my course runs in Hong Kong as well. Why is that cool? Because I get to go there to work on a cool project sometimes in December. I'm sure it's going to be an amazing experience from which I will be able to learn a lot. In addition, I've never been to Asia so I am really looking forward to trying new foods and see more of the world we live in.

Tips for you.

As I mentioned earlier, housing for me has been - and still is - a huge problem that I have to fix. All I can say to you is: read every contract before you sign; think of all the options before making a decision; seek help and support from everybody. To me, the dorm seemed a good place to live at. I've seen it as a good way to make friends, but I also thought that there I wouldn't feel alone and that I wouldn't have to worry about bills and such things. Turns out that I had to pay extra money to change from one room to another and that I didn't meet anyone who I can now call my friend. I am actually quite annoyed by the fact that university accommodation is too expensive for what it actually really is. I share the bathroom and the kitchen with other five people. My room is just right next to the kitchen which means that I can hear loud and clear every conversation that people have in there, it doesn't matter if there are two or ten people in there - anything that I can hear through these paper walls is categorized as noise. I literally went to four different places to seek help to change my room. Sooner or later, someone will realize I am a person and not a walking bag of money.

In conclusion, keep in mind that there is a 50/50 chance that you may have a good or terrible experience in University-managed halls, but if you will want to move out, you will most likely still be liable towards your room or will have to find a replacement. There's never too much thinking when it comes to making decisions that will affect your next few months or years of your life. Think twice, think three times. If you need help don't hesitate to contact me.

- Cris