Talianka Sonia píše o svojom roku na Slovensku (článok je v originálnom znení).
When I first came to Slovakia in September 2020, everything for me was at the same time very exciting and strange. It was the first time for me going outside of Italy, and therefore also the first time I actually had to hold conversations with people in a different language than Italian, which made me a bit nervous, but I was also very excited because I was looking forward to learn a new language, meet new people and discover beautiful places from the country. Meeting my host family for the first time was a very special moment for me: I remember I was very shy, but they were so nice to me and welcomed me into their home very kindly, showed me the place around and then we had dinner all together. During the first days of my stay, I had quite a few culture shocks (like for example the structure of a house in Slovakia, the bathrooms, the meals..), but the one that I remember the most is when I met my host family at the Wien airport, and the AFS volounteers, after saying some sentences to me and the other exchange students in English, started speaking slovak with the families very fast, and me and my friends looked at each other with a very surprised face. During the whole flight from Italy to Austria I didn’t really realize what was going to happen to my life, but in that moment I really thought “wow! my exchange year is officially starting now”. Even with the corona pandemic going on, I was still able to have a very good time in Slovakia and enjoy my stay: I got to meet so many people, I made friends from all around the world but, most important, I now have a second family that cares about me and that has helped me during difficult times, and I’m really grateful for that. Sometimes, even now, some memories of my exchange year come back to my mind in the most random moments, maybe when I listen to a song or see something that reminds me of Slovakia, and when that happens it’s so unreal that it almost feels like I was in a dream! With this experience I had the opportunity to grow up as a person and learn about the culture and traditions of Slovakia, but also to appreciate my own country’s! I will always keep this experience in my heart and remember all the beautiful people that had part in it forever.