Luci, Lezioni e Leggeri Momenti: Fine Autunno in Italia

Hello! The time from Thanksgiving to Christmas, like for many, is my favorite time of the year. The past month has been full of hard work and homework, and I’m grateful for the growth that comes with it.

I really do have to apologize quality of photos...

Where the Semester Came Together: The Pitch

This week, we finished the pitch “competition” with all of the students. Going back to my last blog, I planned a lesson for students at the high school focused on the connection between English and entrepreneurship. Because many of the students are working on their art portfolios, the lesson plan was focused on personal branding to pitch their portfolio to future employers or clients.

Brainstorm and Make It Your Own

The lesson began with brainstorming skills. Students were given a list of relevant skills employers and entrepreneurs in their field require and how they relate to their current skills. Skills ranged from videography to sculpting to digital animation. Using these skills, students followed a template to create their own pitch.

I was so pleasantly surprised. Some students wanted opportunities to sell their art, work at specific galleries, or attend certain universities. My favorite? Learning problem-solving through mastering the spinning hook kick.

If I were an employer and a high schooler came to me with a pitch like theirs? I might hire them.

Case Study: Franco and the Cafe Owner

To connect theory to practice, students learned about Franco and his favorite cafe. On Franco’s frequent visits to his local cafe, he overheard the owner talking to the barista. The café’s clientele was decreasing, and the owner wanted to use social media to stop relying on foot traffic. Franco studied graphic design at his high school and knew how to make social media content.

Franco could choose to ignore the comment, or apologize for eavesdropping and tell the owner he could help.

I wanted students to realize that although moments like this may or may not be common, they do happen.

Franco decided to give a quick 30-second pitch to the owner in a simple format.

Pitch outline:

• Name, high school, “major”

• A unique skill, a project he worked on, and a specific outcome

• What he would like to do for the café owner, and whether the owner was open to it

  
  

Bringing It Full Circle

After delivering the lesson, I created my own deliverable: a report for my supervisors at my university and the school. By analyzing statistics and the implementation of new strategies from one lesson to the next, I created an outlook report to assess how well the project met previously determined performance indicators. Not only did it exceed expectations, but it left students with something meaningful and practical.

This culmination of this project marked the moment I could slow down and focus on gratitude. 

Thanksgiving, Italian-Style

The following week was Thanksgiving. Although this holiday is not celebrated throughout most of the world, I decided to make it special with my friends and homestay family, dividing Thanksgiving into two parts.

On Thanksgiving Day, we had a Friendsgiving at my church, potluck style. Like every year, I spent most of the day cooking. My portion included baked vegetables and apple crumble cheesecake bars.  I arrived just in time to enjoy it all.. Maybe an hour late (like everyone else). 

We shared what we were grateful for, played games, and ended the night with gelato and cheesecake for dessert.

Side note: Italian cream cheese has a much more potent flavor. It tastes more like cheese than watered-down milk, and I’m not sure I can ever go back to making cheesecake without it.

Friday: Homestay Dinner

Once again, I spent the day cooking, but this time for a full Thanksgiving dinner. Since Italians don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, finding a ham was unsurprisingly difficult. We settled on an uncooked prosciutto, baked it for an hour and a half, then finished it with a glaze.

This wasn’t just any Thanksgiving dinner; it was Italian-style. There was a first plate, salad, second plate, dessert, and a digestive. Pesto pasta came first, followed by lettuce with olive oil, then the ham. Dessert? Cheesecake.

We ended the night with games and a short gratitude discussion, bringing Thanksgiving to a close. After a week centered on food, friends, and reflection, reality set back in quickly.

Returning to Routine

 My internship and psychology courses are wrapping up with final projects. The first was the pitch project described above. The second involved creating a family-centered activity that fostered motor development growth. I focused on a tradition we practice at my church: family home evening.

In my international business class, we explored trade theory between countries and their relationships with organizations like the WTO and IMF. My favorite moments were the slightly unnecessary tangents. We began with a discussion on logistical and trade strategies businesses use when geopolitical tensions arise, but ended with a conversation on corporate social responsibility.

Finally, The European Union class has been challenging. There’s a lot to absorb and memorize, but I’m learning a lot in the process and building a deeper understanding of how the EU operates.

Before fully disappearing into finals and deadlines last week, I gave myself one last pause.

Bolzano and the Christmas Markets

Earlier in the semester, I learned about Christmas markets across Europe and knew I wanted to visit one before leaving Italy. I also knew I didn’t want to take the trip alone.

By a small miracle, I made it to Bolzano in northern Italy, where both Italian and German are spoken. With its strong German influence, it felt like traveling to another country while staying within Italy—and at a much lower cost.

The Trip

The journey began with a six-hour bus ride from Florence to Bolzano. After a few transportation hiccups, I arrived at my friend’s family’s home for dinner. They were incredibly kind, and it was the perfect start to the trip.

The next day, I traveled to Ortisei, a ski town. After hot chocolate and apple strudel, I wandered through Christmas markets before taking a cable car to Soprabolzano and a charming train to Ritten. On the way back, I stopped at the Bolzano markets to buy Christmas presents for my family.

For me, Christmas is about worship and spending time with the people we love, even when they aren’t physically nearby. Although the markets center around buying things, watching families enjoy the lights and each other made the experience feel genuinely meaningful. It was sweet and pleasant.

As the season that began with growth and gratitude comes to a close, here’s a brief summary of the past month. I’m sorry for the lack of blogging recently, but you can expect one or two more posts before the end of the year.

This is my final week in Italy, and I return to the U.S. on Saturday. I’m deeply grateful for the time I’ve spent here, the friendships I’ve formed, and the lessons I’ve learned. I’ll share more reflections in the next post, but for now, it’s finals time.

Arrivederci!!