Embarking on a new adventure is filled with trepidation, excitement and a certain sense of melancholy. You go from a place of comfort to an alien environment. When I first came to Italy, I could barely say “hello” and “where is the bathroom?” and I, admittedly, struggled for a few months before I was able to settle into Florence and its lifestyle.

Culturally, it wasn’t too hard for me to adapt to the local customs because, to my surprise, it was very similar to Nepal. The locals were very welcoming and helpful and their religious beliefs held similar to my own so it almost felt as if I had visited an alternate reality of Nepal. 

I was fortunate enough to have studied and grown up in an international school, therefore adapting culturally wasn’t too challenging because I had developed an ability to adapt to different customs and traditions over time. Personally, the most difficult thing may have been finding my way around Florence. The city is old and beautiful, but it is also a maze. I would be trying to find my way towards the center and I would unknowingly be walking in the opposite direction towards the outskirts of the city. It took me a good three months to be able to make my way from my house to classes and cafés. 

The sense of amazement, wonder and magic I felt when I first arrived here was indescribable. I could feel the weight of a thousand expectations lift off of my shoulders and I felt like I finally had an empty canvas to paint my new adventures on. Upon arrival, I had unknowingly held my breath when I first walked into town and saw the looming grandiosity of the Duomo ahead of me, when my university took me on my first field-trip to the Tuscan Countryside and the Vineyards, I had a childlike sense of wonder about me and when I looked out over the Florentine skyline from the Piazzale Michelangelo, I had no other feelings than the feeling of pure appreciation that I was able to live here for the next four years of my life. 

When I made the decision to study in Italy, I actively sought out a place where I knew I would be able to start anew. This, to me, meant stepping away from the bubble of comfort and community I was surrounded by at home. Every now and then I miss that bubble and crave for that sense of belonging, but I felt then, as I do now, that removing myself from that bubble allows me to develop into the person I potentially can be without the limitations of being sheltered and having everything served to me on a silver platter. Florence, being the birthplace of the renaissance, allowed me to go through my own personal renaissance, where I was able to use the skills I established in Nepal and mature into someone more substantial. Substantial could be interpreted in many ways, but to me it means a more wholesome and cultured person. 

Studying in a country you didn’t grow up in always comes with its fair share of problems. If, like me, you choose to study in a country where English is not the commonly spoken language, you’ll have difficulty communicating, and if, like me, it’s your first time ever having studied abroad and living alone, you’ll have difficulty socializing as a result. We don’t realize it until we’ve left the country, but we, as Nepalis, rely so heavily upon our community and the comforts we have been privileged to. However, if like me, you go into it with an open mind and with an idea that everything that you know will be stripped from you, you will truly find a way to be happy in your own company. 

I dived into my new adventure headfirst and with eyes closed; without any expectations. Truly, no expectations, and that was the best decision I have ever made. Sure, there were bumps along the way like my inability to speak Italian and difficulty making friends but they were all minor problems that resolved themselves with time and patience–as with anything. Studying in a different country comes with its fair share of trials and tribulations tailored to each individual, but getting through those and coming out the other side makes it worthwhile.  I’ve learnt to take my experiences with a shot of espresso and a scoop of gelato because I know that if I didn’t have the courage to embark on this journey, I would never have been able to find my sense of ‘purpose’.

The author is a student at Florence University of the Arts, Florence, Italy.

The Nepali Diaspora living in different countries abroad are welcome to write about experiences of the cities that they inhabit for our column ‘Citylogue’. Send submissions to mycity@myrepublica.com with the subject-line ‘Citylouge’.