My time in Sorrento!

Ciao a Tutti!

My name is Paula and I am an American student who has been studying in Sorrento for the last 4 weeks . I was looking for a great study abroad experience and this is the perfect example! The school in Sorrento is a small school for students of all origins and age. I think that things like that are the best. I have taken Italian classes with other people from the Netherlands, Austria, and Russia!

Since I am here for the full semester, I have a concentrated Italian class with another student from America twice a week. In that class we learn grammar and verb tenses, things that will help us to communicate with the local Sorrentini. However my favorite class is definitely Italian conversation class, because that’s where I can put to test what I have learned in class.

In the classes that I have taken with other international people. There are also many cultural and practical classes that can help you to understand the way of life here. So far I have managed to take an italian cooking class (where we made pizza and gnocchi!!) and a gelato class where we saw how to make real italian ice-cream.

The first weekend I was here in Sorrento, I made my first excursion to the island of Capri. Only about a 30 min boat ride away, we were in paradise! With a beautiful beach, adorable shops and breathtaking views, Capri is a place I will always remember. I also got to take a tour of the island by boat. It was so beautiful, and I even got to go inside the “grotta azzurra” – a stunning grotto with crystalline blue water -. Since then I have been able to visit Positano, the Amalfi Coast and Napoli.

All of those places – although completely different from one another – showed me a part of Italy I have never seen before; visiting while accompanied by locals totally changes the way you see things, you don’t feel like any odd tourist because you see the deepest part of a city from the eyes of the people who live in it everyday. I also love the feeling of hospitality you have here in the South of Italy, wherever you go people are so kind!

My experience here has been fantastic, and I have learned so much. I am currently living with a host family which has been amazing and vital to my cultural integration. I am so happy I chose to study in Sorrento! The opportunities the school has presented me are amazing. I can’t wait to continue my next 2 months here!

Paula, USA