Paige’s Journals

September 20, 2025

A Beginning Worth Remembering

The Journey

So I cannot believe I will have been here for three weeks, I feel like it has gone by too fast. I arrived on September 1st to the Venice airport where I was greeted by my host mom. The Atlanta airport, the Newark airport, and the Venice airport were easy to navigate and all of the worries that I had prior to departure were soon relaxed. I remember I was extremely nervous to catch a bus and switch terminals for my connection because I had never traveled alone before, but it was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It’s also so true how many people recognize Rotary, especially because of the blazer. While I was waiting for my connection in Newark to Venice, I sat next to an Italian family at the gate. It turned out that the dad was a Rotarian from Cittadella, a city near Vicenza. He already knew about the exchange program, which made for a fun connection and gave me a chance to practice my Italian before I arrived. A little later, a Canadian couple sat at the table next to us and they recognized my blazer too; they told me their daughter had done a Rotary Youth Exchange years ago. Soon we were all talking about Rotary and sharing our travel stories. It was such a great interaction, and it really helped calm my nerves before the nine-hour flight. 

I experienced minimal jetlag because of how much I slept through my flight. That was great because it allowed me to get things done on my first day. After unpacking and settling in, my host mother and I ran some errands to set up my Italian number and let the police station know of my arrival. However, most of the first day I rested from my flight.

Inbound Camp + my first Couple Weeks

About four days into my exchange, my host mom and one other inbound who lives in the city next to mine departed for the Dolomites, where inbound camp took place. Meeting all of the other kids and the ROTEX was super nice, and the views were breathtaking. We went on a hike the second day after arriving, which was a bit strenuous, but so worth it. No matter which way I looked, I was met with incredible scenes. Surrounded by mountains with jagged peaks, lush forests, and green valleys with little villages, was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The air was so fresh, and everything looked so peaceful. The second day we went on a shorter (but harder) hike and stopped outside of a restaurant at the top. We played games in a circle and ate our lunch. After a while I was surprised with a delicious slice of cake and a song because it was my birthday. After resting and talking, we headed back down the mountain to go fun bobbing. If you don’t know what that is, it's a little cart on a track that winds down the mountain really fast. It was seriously so fun, I wish I had taken a photo, but I was enjoying the moment. Then I carpooled home with the host parents of the girl in the city next to mine. Immediately after arriving back in Vicenza I attended my host brother’s soccer game. The next couple of days before school started were spent exploring the city with my host mom, sharing meals with my host family, and running errands to immigration offices to do some paperwork for my stay. One thing my host mom always says is how much Italians love complicated paperwork.

School + Sports

Before leaving for Italy I did a lot of research about the differences between Italian schools and American schools. So now that I have actually started school I’ll tell you what I’ve learned is true and what is not. (Keep in mind this is for my school and it is different depending on your area in Italy). Students stay with the same class for all years of high school, and each day the teachers switch classrooms, while the students stay. The teachers give lectures and the students take notes, and sometimes do activities from the textbook, or writing activities. All schools in Vicenza, including mine, do not have school on Saturdays which I’ve learned is common in other areas. For example, in Padova, the city next to mine, one of the other inbounds does have school on Saturday. At my school, the students wait outside of the building for the bell to ring at 7:45, then everyone goes to their classroom. Every day I have six classes with a fifteen-minute snack and social break in the middle, and finally the school day ends at 1:35 p.m. Just in time to have lunch at home. Something I vividly remember from my research of Italian schools was that the teachers are not “your friend” like they are in American schools. What I’ve learned is that this really depends on the teacher because for some teachers we do stand up when they enter the room, and for others we don’t. Some of them are really serious and strict, but most of them joke around with the class and are less formal. As for language at school, the teachers talk pretty fast, and so most of the time I pick up some words I know and can put together the context, but for other classes, like Philosophy, I am completely lost. However, I am really lucky because I have friends in my class that help explain things and help me take notes. Also, all of my teachers are really understanding.

One of my goals for exchange was to play a sport/try a new sport. Because of this, my host mom and I went to this event in the park where you learn about all the sports in the area. So far, I have tried a tennis club and a beginner volleyball team. Next week, I am going to try another volleyball team, and a running school. In Italy, you get two or three free chances to try a club or team and then you pick one. So, once I have tried more sports, I will pick one to do during my time here and I’ll keep you updated. 

Something I found interesting is that one of my classmates said tourists love coming to Italy, but he doesn’t enjoy living here. I was surprised because I find Vicenza so beautiful, but it made me realize that people see things differently and that the “grass is always greener,” I guess.

Something else my exchange has taught me already is how willing people are to make connections and that it is easy to find friends no matter where I am, whether that is in the seat next to me on my flight, kids at school, or kids on my volleyball team. I want to end this journal by saying a thank you to Rotary and my family for this amazing opportunity. I am forever grateful.