Edoardo’s story: from Treviglio (BG), Italy to Madrid, Spain, for one year with Intercultura and the support of Fondazione Pesenti.
My relationship with my host family
My relationship with my host family has been good from the very beginning; they’ve been extremely welcoming and warm. Right away, I established a great bond with my host brother. We go to the gym together every day and sometimes hang out as well. For example, we went to the Rayo Vallecano stadium, to a drive-in movie, and to a park to do calisthenics with some of his friends.
Although I also have a good relationship with my host parents, we’ve had a few moments of discussion and adjustment—for instance, regarding family involvement. In Spain, it’s very important to be together at certain times, like after dinner or just before meals, which is different from what I was used to at home. At first, they asked me to participate more, and of course, I had no problem adapting.
My relationship with the local community and friends
My interaction with the host community has been fairly good. Spaniards are very open and welcoming, but even so, it was up to me to make the first move. In class, no one really came over to get to know me, but once I broke the initial ice, everything got easier.
My academic experience: school performance and relationships
My academic performance so far is a bit hard to define. There are subjects I do really well in, like English, and others I struggle with more, like Spanish Language and Literature—even though I’ve studied Spanish for six years. So far, I’ve only received four grades, and three of them were very good.
The relationship with the teachers has been a bit more challenging. None of them knew I was an exchange student, and some didn’t even seem particularly interested in finding out. Even now, some of them still don’t remember my name or where I’m from. Thankfully, this hasn’t been a major issue.
In general, I understand almost everything the teachers say in class and don’t have any major difficulties following along, though I definitely would have appreciated a bit more attention from some of them. As for my classmates, once I made the effort to approach them, they turned out to be very friendly and welcoming. I have a lot of fun in class—both during lessons and in our free time.
My free time
In the very first weeks, when I hadn’t quite settled in yet, I mostly stayed with my family or went to the gym with my host brother. But once I built a network of friends, everything changed.
Now I spend my time doing a variety of things: I go to the gym at least five times a week, watch movies, and often go into central Madrid—mostly with other exchange students. I also managed to join a baseball team—actually, my host family found it for me even before I arrived! Baseball is the sport I played in Italy, and it keeps me busy two or three times a week.
What has stood out to me in this country — both positive and negative
What has struck me most positively about Spain, this city, and its culture is how open-minded, social, and warm people are—they’re always willing to help. I also like the food much more than I expected. Another thing that impressed me is how well the public transportation system works—it’s extremely well organized and very affordable.
What surprised me, however, is that sometimes Spanish people, because of their openness and sociability, tend to say things or point out differences very directly—sometimes without much tact.
Three words to describe my experience so far (and why I chose them)
“Growth” – because this experience is helping me grow a lot, and I know it will continue to do so.
“Discovery” – because I’m learning so many new things, from the language to the culture.
“Happiness” – because I’m really enjoying myself, and right now, I wouldn’t go back home for anything in the world.
Anecdotes / Open Comment
The best moments of my year so far have been the two AFS orientations. I had the opportunity to spend four days with thirty other students from all over the world, who, like me, are living this incredible experience. Everything was organized by highly prepared and super friendly volunteers, who led us through a variety of fun and engaging activities.
