凯莉驻军

当前级别: PT三年级学生
主要: 物理治疗
留学国家: 意大利

What has been your most rewarding experience abroad so far?

在意大利，我有很多有益的经历. Overall, I think the relationships I’ve formed have been the best. My clinical instructors and patients have taught me a lot and I could not be more thankful for them. 我喜欢能够向他们每个人学习. Whether it’s been fumbling through the Italian phrases I know, 或者完美地问路, they have eagerly taught me the language and laughed with me when I botch the language entirely. They brought me into their homes for huge family meals involving everyone from In-laws to distant cousins, 当我问怎么做食物时，他纵容了我. The most rewarding out of everything was the ability to experience life with them one day at a time. They showed me the importance of believing in humanity whether we are from the same culture, 国家, 或不. 对我来说，这很美.

你最喜欢你的东道主文化的哪一部分?

白天每餐都喝咖啡! Most people would think wine, but coffee is a mainstay here. 不管是浓咖啡还是卡布奇诺, most Italians order coffee after their meal as a social aspect of life. I loved being able to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with no rush to leave the restaurant.

你最喜欢的一次旅行是哪一次?

I have a tie between two beautiful and very different places. Cinque Terre was my favorite place along the seaside to visit. The people, views, and colors are very different from your classical Italian houses and 国家side. The five cities can be hiked between, and I adored the long hikes. It really gave you the chance to enjoy the serenity of the forest, vineyards, and sea along the way. My second favorite trip would have to be my hike to the top of Mount Vesuvius and exploring the surrounding city of Pompeii. While the weather was not clear during my walk on the volcano to see everything, just the fact that I could stand on top of a landmark that made history was breathtaking. 庞贝也有它独特的美. 我从小就喜欢历史, and to be able to see and learn more in person was truly amazing.

当你离开时，你最想念什么?

享受用餐而不感到匆忙. In 意大利, there is no hurry to eat your meal and leave so the next person can sit down. The meals are very calm and relaxed so that you can enjoy the time with whoever you came with. I feel like they appreciate the time they spend together during meals a lot more than many people, 这是我最怀念的一件事, but am excited about bringing home to my own family and friends.

What has been most challenging living in your host 国家/culture?

第一，加油站! Every place can be so different and you can’t always just stick your credit card in the machine and let it go! However, the most challenging part has been the direct immersion into the Italian culture. Both of my rotations were in cities where no one spoke English. My instructors at the facility were my only English communication, 其他的一切都是我在那里学到的. I think this was the best way for me to take my education and experience to a whole new level. I can honestly say that if had not been this way I would not have learned nor enjoyed my time there as much as I did. I feel like I became more of a citizen than a tourist during my time thanks to that experience.

What is your best advice for a future study abroad student?

Don’t be afraid, dive in, and leave every notion of what you think will happen behind you. I have learned that if you are afraid of being away from home and already think you know what to expect then you are in for a whirlwind of change. I knew very little Italian before coming over here and it was the best decision I made to just jump in and start asking questions to those around me! They were open to teaching me their language and lifestyle and that made the experience worthwhile. 是开放的. 有很多想法, 概念, and ways of life that you will see that are much different than your own. It’s okay to wonder and ask questions, but don’t judge them based on your own life. It’s new and much different from everything you know at home, 特别是如果你不是在旅游区, 这就是困难所在, 但同时也很值得.

你还有什么要告诉我们的吗?

我喜欢与病人和他们的家人一起工作. 在这里的大部分时间, the patients stay for many months in hospitals and other forms of rehabilitation so they can be away from home for a very long time. I am grateful for the opportunity to help these patients laugh on a day to day basis so that they could feel more alive. 我永远不会忘记那笑声, 眼泪, and amazing times spent with my patients and their families who taught me so much as I leave my clinical sites.