The first Seed

When did I make the decision to move abroad?

Some time ago, I was a guest on Antonella Crisafulli’s YouTube channel. She is an Asnor career counselor, specialized in guiding young people who wish to have an experience abroad.

I shared my journey outside of Italy and how it all began.

And no, it didn’t start when I moved in 2019.

While answering her questions, I retraced the steps that led me to the Netherlands with my family almost seven years ago. Reliving them was a beautiful journey of reflection. I still prefer being the one asking the questions during interviews, but it was wonderful nonetheless.

You can find the full interview here, and I’ve also prepared some articles related to the topics we touched on during that hour of conversation!

Today I’ll start with “the first seed” (you can find it around minute 3).

A guest on the CoachforExpat podcast once used the image of a seed: once planted, it grows and transforms into the desire to spend longer and longer periods abroad.

I am a millennial, raised with the American dream and the myth of the prestigious East Coast colleges.

For my 18th birthday and my high school diploma, I gave up the senior trip (Athens! After five years of studying Greek I would have finally seen the cradle of our culture), the party, and any other gift that felt useless or frivolous.

What I wanted was to go to the United States, even if only for a short period.

Thanks to various associations, I managed to spend a month hosted by a few families in Oklahoma.

Yes, nothing to do with the East Coast.But I was in the United States. Alone. For the first time.

I was shy, scared, and at the same time very curious. For the first time, I experienced the feeling that I could manage on my own, even though my English was very basic (didn’t anyone speak Ancient Greek?!).

The sky in Oklahoma was huge, full of colors, and the spaces seemed endless. Not much really happened: I didn’t go on big trips or live any great adventures.But I came home grateful for that experience: I had crossed the world on my own, lived with complete strangers, felt free, and seen a little piece of the United States.

I was proud of myself. I thought I could do anything.

As a child, I never asked for anything. But the few times I truly wanted something, I was highly motivated and the choice always turned out to be right.

I decided that would not be my last trip abroad. I chose my university based on the number of Erasmus scholarships available: International and Diplomatic Sciences had plenty of them!

I started my first year at university full of dreams and expectations.But Erasmus was what I truly wanted. And I was ready to do anything to make it happen.

To be continued!