Going abroad, there is a lot to be excited about. I may have had even more than the average person. In my head, I thought the culture shock, six hour time difference, and time away from home can’t be that bad.
Did I know anyone I was going abroad with? No
Did I speak Italian? Well, no
Did I love fashion and luxury, so Milan was the perfect place for me? Not exactly
So, what was I excited about? The Olympics. The travel. Meeting new people.
I won’t lie to you, the Olympics was the main thing.
I was volunteering for my favorite sport. There was a chance I was going to get to watch games, possibly see my favorite players of all time. Maybe, I would even talk to them, and we’d become best friends, or I’d get a job offer from an NHL executive because they were so impressed. Back to reality, there was a chance I would meet other students volunteering, and make friends! However, some concerns did come up immediately: almost everyone around me was at least 30 years older than me, plus everyone spoke Italian.
Almost every day for three weeks, I was waking up early, taking a tram, then a train, then a bus, then sitting in a room where only Italian was spoken, trying to understand. After that, I stood around for hours. Sometimes, getting to watch a bit of a game or practice, or holding the door open for players. I’d eventually return to my apartment, watch my recorded lectures from that day, and the routine repeated.
The Olympics ending was really hard for me. My first month was so busy, and now I had to become a student again. A student who didn’t really know anyone, and was only taking three classes because of registration issues. I reached out to some of the people I had met during orientation and tried to make friends with people in my classes, but my volunteering conflicted with the time slot for group formation, so I was on my own.
My mental preparation for going abroad didn’t prepare me for this.
My expectations from before came back, and hit me hard.
English isn’t as common here as in other Italian cities. This made my first weeks in Milan quite shocking. I vividly remember first arriving in Milan, walking around the city looking at signs outside of stores all written in Italian. I had a similar experience in the grocery store, and this was when I realized that I had really downplayed how culture shock was going to impact me. It was jarring looking at something that you’re used to being called something else.
I thought I was going to easily make friends, hoping I would already have travel plans made. I didn’t think not speaking Italian was going to bother me as much as it still does. Part of me regretted choosing Milan, as I still had months left, and I didn’t know what to do.
I decided to accept Milan for what it is. It may not have as much history as Rome, as many exchange students as Florence, or the beaches of Sorrento, but I saw potential. Instead of exploring the luxury stores, I explored the various parks. I found cafe and gelato recommendations on Tik Tok, and I even went to the aquarium one day. Flea markets overwhelm me, but when they’re as good as they are here, I brave the crowds. Currently, I’m on the hunt for a nice vintage watch to become my new jewelry staple.
I tried to go into my study abroad experience with the confidence of someone who’s done this a thousand times before, but I realized that I need to accept that things aren’t going to go perfectly and it’s normal to be worried. Having such a unique study abroad experience has made me that much more proud of myself and appreciative of my time here. Expectations are normal, but it’s so important to have an open mind and go with the flow, and things can turn out even better than imagined.
Kelsey Welby
Spring 2026
GW Exchange - Bocconi University
School of Business
Business Major