When I chose to do a home stay when I studied abroad, I’m not going to lie, I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. I interrogated several of my friends who had done a home stay when they studied abroad, which left me with mixed reviews. Either they had a great host mom who cared about their experience abroad or had a host mom that only cared about the money they were getting for hosting. I weighed the pros and cons and decided to go ahead and do it. This was also a nerve racking decision for me because I knew zip Italian except “pesto” and “ciao.” I can honestly tell you that at the end of the semester, I am leaving Italy with no regrets, especially about my home stay. I had a wonderful experience living with a loving Italian couple and was lucky enough to have a great roommate (Rachel!). If you’re thinking of studying abroad and debating a homestay, I can’t tell you what would work best for you because not everyone’s experience is the same. But I can tell you what I loved about my homestay so you know what you could possibly get out of it.
1) Residential Area. I’m pretty sure my apartment is in the retirement area of Florence. Elderly folks are constantly walking their primped dogs and old men use their canes to get to the bus stop. I love it. It’s a very comfortable area and I feel completely safe in the neighborhood. It’s an “upper class” residential area with about a 20-minute walk into the city center, which I love. It gives me a chance to meditate and listen to music.
2) My Host Parents. Franco and Maria Grazia. The most anticipated thing for me when first getting to Florence was meeting my host parents. I didn’t know if the spoke any English, if they would like me, if they were old and inhospitable. basically my mind was making up what they were going to be like. My doubts disappeared instantly after meeting them. Although Maria Grazia doesn’t speak great English, we get by. She urges me to speak Italian, but in a loving way. I’m still terrible, but I know much more than I would living in an apartment without any Italian. She always greets me saying, “Ciao, tesoro!” For the longest time I had no idea what she was saying until I found out it means “my treasure.” She is so loving to all her host students. She constantly asks me if I need something and gives me seconds at dinner. She knows me well. Franco is intelligent and gives us occasional Italian history lessons and political updates at dinner. All these months I’ve been trying to figure out what he does for a living and it’s still a mystery to me.
3) Foooood. For breakfast Maria puts out coffee, biscotti (breakfast cookies), muffins, fruit, and juice. Italians typically eat a light breakfast, but it’s usually quite sugary, like cookies and cake. Nevertheless, I look forward to breakfast every day. Maria Grazia prepares dinner five nights a week for us. We start with pasta or soup. My favorite is tartufo pasta or pesto gnocchi. Then she makes meat or fish, two vegetables, and bread. She goes to the market regularly; so all the food is fresh and healthy. For that I am truly blessed. For dessert it’s fruit, and occasionally gelato. As the season changes, so does the food. It’s wonderful to live in a home stay during this time because you get to experience the seasonal foods, like fresh mozzarella and bacciole in the spring, or the special cake at Easter. But food is a whole other topic; just know that I’m getting fed insanely well.
4) Laundry. Maria Grazia is on top of everything all the time. She does my laundry once a week, folds it and lays it on my bed. I make my bed every day, but I always come home to a freshly tucked bed and folded pajamas. She’s such a peach.
5) I am so glad I had a roommate here. We provided support for each other so we didn’t feel completely separated from the other students living in cool apartments in the city center. Rachel also helped me out whenever I didn’t understand an Italian word Maria Grazia would say. I just give Rachel a quick glance and she ould say, “I think it’s_____.” So thanks for the support and for being so cool, Rachel. You’re the best.
It’s so nice to have the homey feel when living in a different country, so I was very blessed to have such a positive experience in a home stay.
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