Exploration Switzerland, Italy, France, & Holland student Jules reflects on the deep connections forged during day stays with a host family in Osimo, Italy.
Hello from Italy! Our group awoke to the view of the rolling hills of the Italian countryside and set out through the tightly-packed cobblestone streets to see the Adriatic Sea. We were picked up by our Italian host-siblings and promptly spent the day splashing in the sea and basking in the sun.
The language barriers were insignificant as we passed a volleyball through the air and raced through the water. After a full day in the sand, followed by evening spritzes (non-alchoholic) at the beachside bar, we drove back to the hotel as the sun dipped beneath the sunflower-dotted hillsides. A few of us were lucky enough to stop at a café on the way back and were able to try a traditional late-night espresso!
On July 4th, it was entirely up to our host families to show us everything Osimo and Ancona had to offer. Some of us got to stop by a rocky beach, accessible by a massive stone stairwell, below a memorial for World War II. This beach was very different from the first, with carved stone in place of the hot sand we had encountered the day prior. Here, we jumped into the water from rock platforms and floated in the sea while getting a stunning view of Ancona’s towering, white seaside cliffs.
Others explored Ancona’s shopping centers and tried authentic Italian gelato. A small group of us even made authentic tiramisu, and were joined later by a handful of our friends to enjoy it together. We spent the rest of the blazing hot afternoon in a cool loft appreciating classical music as many of our host families took turns on a grand piano. At one point, someone in our group picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing Riptide, and the American and Italian kids alike all joined in singing!
In the evening, we all gathered at “Wall Street,” an English immersion school where some of our siblings study. Our host families were kind enough to throw us a party for the 4th of July, with music and food reminiscent of home. We danced, played games and spent the evening connecting with our new friends.
On our last day together, we got an early start to start kayaking down a hidden river. The shores of the river were adorned with roots and vines, much like those seen in South American jungles, which was a surprise to see in the Italian countryside. The river itself was shaded by towering canyon walls draped in vines. At the end of the river, we were met with a grove of natural pools and waterfalls. We spent our time at the end of the river jumping into the water before heading back to eat lunch and play another round of volleyball with our host siblings.
After a short and well-deserved nap, we wandered through the town of Osimo, shopping, eating even more gelato, and exploring monuments. We ended the day with a sunset terrace goodbye party before parting ways with our host families. The relationships we made will not be disrupted by distance as we have all promised to stay in touch. As our group left Osimo, our group reflected on our time exchanging cultures with our Italian friends as the hills of the medieval village faded into the distance.
Signing off from the train to Florence,
Jules H.
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