Voices from Abroad: Carlotta Pilar Granata

Washington, DC (US), Campus Abroad: Georgetown University
Vienna (Austria), Exchange Program: WU Vienna University of Economics and Business
Beijing (China), Campus Abroad: Tsinghua University
London (UK), Arts and Culture International Internship: EBS/Enlightenment Productions
A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD
During my 5 years at Università Bocconi I had the opportunity to have various wonderful experiences abroad. First of all, in Washington at Georgetown University for my first Campus Abroad, then in Vienna six months for the Erasmus Program at Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, then in Beijing for my second Campus Abroad at Tsinghua University, and finally 5 months in London for my Curricular Internship at a digital marketing company.

When you leave home, you are always convinced that you know the languages, but once abroad, it soon becomes clear that the reality is a little bit different. You will come across countless amusing situations. Accents you do not expect, living alone, having to go shopping, to cook, in conclusion, to become an adult away from home.

Before leaving, I had never lived alone, so to get to an unknown place, deal with time management, study, shopping to eat, and have more freedom allowed me to grow a lot, and I have definitely changed: now I'm definitely more responsible and brave.

I had a good level of English and also German as a second language, but when I had just arrived in Vienna I immediately had my first difficulties with the language of Goethe. Luckily, Austrians usually speak English very well. But everything passes and after my first difficulties it was very easy to overcome the initial challenges, to pass exams in a language that is not your own. And the fabulous opportunity to meet different people and different cultures is priceless.

To be honest, I have not had great difficulties. What I remember was most stressful was managing suitcases, six months away from home and away from my closet, with the usual difficulties in handling luggage on the plane. When I left Milan I started with a suitcase of 23kg exactly, but when I came back, it was impossible to state the reason why I returned with two big, heavy, 35kg suitcases, full of gifts and mementos.

In any case, what I've understood is that when everyone packs their bags to return home, everyone is sad, because you never want to finish an experience like that. What you remember is not the hard study until late at night, but much more: lunch and dinners with friends from many parts of the world.

My experiences abroad have been unrepeatable occasions, I have breathed a kind of multicultural air, I have had the possibility to live in wonderful cities and to visit fantastic places.

When Italian students are abroad, somehow, they represent their own country and they are invested with a heavy responsibility, to fight with the nasty stereotypes of the Italians, and to let others understand that Italy is not only the place where you can eat pizza, and where people usually gesture. Italy and the Italian culture are perhaps something more.

What I understood from my abroad experiences is in any case that home is not only Italy, Milan, but home is where you can live in peaceful co-existence with people who are also different.

I am now ready to live anywhere.

edited by Jenna Walker