Why did I choose a Gap Year experience? And why now?

Lilliana, a recent college graduate from the United States, had her first brush with the Italian language during a family trip to Rome in 2018. That initial spark turned into something much deeper: a passion that shaped her studies, her travels, and eventually her decision to take a gap year.

Read her reflections on how Italian led her to Sestri Levante and to a new chapter of growth, connection, and self-discovery!

Lilliana's gap year story

During the summer of 2018, my family and I embarked on our first family trip to Europe, spending a week exploring the historical gem of Rome, Italy. At the time, I did not know much about Italian culture nor the language beyond what is present in the States. As a bilingual family, we went in with the assumption that our Spanish would get us by. While many Italians are skilled with multilingualism and spoke to us in Spanish, we discovered the uniqueness of the Italian language. I automatically found myself intrigued with how different it was from the languages I knew. Hearing Italian sparked an interest in me, and by the time our week trip had ended, I knew I had to learn the language. 

Fortunately, I graduated high school two years later and found myself at a college with an incredible Italian Language Department. As a bit of an overachiever, I spent many nights rewriting my grammar notes, listening to Italian songs, and watching Netflix shows in Italian. I found myself so passionate about the language that I declared my major in Foreign Languages right away. I took upper-division courses taught in Italian about famous authors like Boccaccio and Elena Ferrante, lived in the Italian hall corridor, and even wrote my thesis on Italglish (the mix of Italian and English.) By the end of my junior year, I had a solid understanding of the language, but it was time to put it to the test. 

I returned to Italy for my study abroad in Sorrento, where I interned with various sectors of their language department. Going into study abroad, I had prepared myself for development in the language, but I had not yet considered how much I would enhance my cultural understanding of Italy. I specifically remember one day entering the office to show my internship advisor the work I had completed. After reviewing my lesson plan, he told me to go enjoy the rest of my day on the beach. Shocked that I would be released early, I listened as he explained to me the concept of la dolce vita in Italy; a way of living where the work and life balance not only coexist but respect one another. As a result of our dolce vita discussion, a deep appreciation and understanding of Italian culture began to unravel. During my six weeks in Sorrento, I found a true peace that I had struggled to find in a long time. Whether it was having an aperitivo with friends or going on a passeggiata alone, I felt at ease with living in the present moment. By the end of my time in Sorrento, I had grown into a new version of myself—one where I respected my life needs outside of work. 

A year later, I officially graduated from college with my Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages and Linguistics, all inspired by one little trip to Rome. The life change that followed graduating college required many days of patience and understanding. Prior to graduating, I knew I wanted to move to Italy to master the language. However, once I graduated, I considered a full-time job thoroughly, as many of my friends were headed down that path themselves. One by one, my friends dispersed throughout the country, and I was alone in my hometown wondering which life decision to make. With each job offer that fell through, I began to question if taking a job in the States was what I truly wanted. 

By the time New Year’s had rolled around, I had decided I was going to fully pursue moving to Italy. Overwhelmed with how to move abroad, I reached out to a friend who had once au paired for a family in Sicily. Despite having experience working with kids, I had never au paired and the idea was daunting. I spent two months reaching out to families, trying to find the perfect match, but I quickly became overwhelmed and felt as though I would never find the right fit. One day, while waiting for my mom at work, I began to scroll on Instagram and came across an ad for Italianforawhile. I had talked to Annetta, one of their gap year advisors, back in September and decided it was not the right time in my life to go abroad. But this time around felt different. I stared at the picture of Sestri Levante, intrigued and eager to learn more. The day after began a series of video calls with Annetta where we worked together to bring my Italian vision to life. 

After picking the town of Sestri Levante, I have no doubts that this is the right journey for me in my life right now. I will be able to fully experience Italy and its culture through language immersion in a region I have not visited. With the school, I will be able to strengthen my proficiency in Italian, opening doors to potential jobs and opportunities in my future. But most importantly, it will provide me the chance to connect with locals not only in Sestri Levante but across all of Italy. When I first started learning languages, I would get embarrassed or shy if I made a mistake. I quickly discovered that my perfectionism was stopping me from connecting with others. Eventually, I accepted that making mistakes is part of the learning process, and the relationships that were created as a result of letting go of perfection are ones I will hold close to me for many years. This time around in Italy, I am excited to let the reins go—seeing how I will form relationships through the beautiful language and how it will help me grow into a new version of myself.