Visiting from Italy: Luca Ferioli

Q. Where are you from?
A. “I am from Italy, Bologna, which is in the North.”

Q. Why did you decide to become an exchange student?
A. “I decided to become an exchange student for the English first because I wanted to have good English, and I thought it would be a fun experience. And to know new people.”

Q. What do you miss most about Italy?
A. “Oh the food, especially the pizza.”

Q. What has been the biggest challenge coming here?
A. “I think, making new relationships, because I changed twice, that’s why. The first one was easy, the second one I had to work more. And also the rules, following the rules is sometimes hard.”

Q. What has been the easiest thing for you to adapt to?
A. “I think the easiest thing is the school. They make you feel very comfortable in school.”

Q. What’s the weirdest thing that you’ve found Americans do?
A. “Leftovers! Everyone here eats and cooks a lot of leftovers. We don’t eat leftovers at all [in Italy]. We make less when we cook, so everyday we have to make something new. I don’t even have containers in my house. If I make something I just put it in the fridge with wrap on the top, but that never happens.”

Q. What do you love or hate most about Virginia?
A. “What I love? The nature.”

Q. If you could stay here or move back to Italy, which would you choose?
A. “Both probably. I would like to spend some time there and some time here. I cannot choose.”

Q. What’s one thing you expected to see when you came to America?
A. “The fast foods. We only have one, McDonalds, and Burger King sometimes. Also the yellow school buses, the trucks, we don’t have trucks.”

Q. Has it been difficult doing exchange during Covid?
A. “I think COVID didn’t really matter. People, they use COVID as an excuse, but it doesn’t really count.”

Q. Would you ever be an exchange student again?
A. “Yeah. I would do it again because it’s fun.”

Q. What’s been your favorite part of the whole experience?
A. “The high school, it’s super fun.”

Q. What’s been the biggest cultural difference between here and Italy?
A. “Of course the language. We also walk a lot and use our bikes. Like when I walk, I am the only one that walks in the streets here. I go to school, I go wherever on my bike, because we cannot drive until we are 18.”