It’s hard to believe it, but my last day at school was today. I couldn’t bear to say goodbye to my instructor and my friends. Through this experience, I have met students from Germany, the Czech Republic, England, and even right next door in the United States. Not only did this experience challenge me in my ability to speak the language, but it challenged me to form new relationships with the people I met.
Reflecting back on the past few days makes me realize how fortunate I am to have chosen a program in Siena. The size and welcoming nature of this city truly made me feel so at home. Yesterday as a class, we took a day to go to the local market. Siena’s market is incredibly large, and it’s full of amazing vendors who begin to speak to you about their life story, where they came from, and why they love selling their products. I had the best conversation with a vendor from Napoli who started making dresses when she was just 14 years old. I had a little trouble understanding her at first and she excused herself for speaking in dialect, but I assured her that it was no trouble! Through this conversation, I was able to learn a few of the Napolitano words she used when telling me her story.
After spending a few hours at the market, we took a long walk around the city and toured some of Siena’s landmarks. While we were walking through the Goose Contrada, an elderly man stopped our group because he overheard us having conversation about the history of the city. He invited us into his workshop where he makes every streetlight by hand. The streetlights here have the symbols of the Contradas etched into wood and carefully painted with the Contrada colors. They ranged in size and design, and I couldn’t believe how many there were! He was so proud to show us his hard work, and even sat down to paint a little and show us his technique. If we hadn’t gone on a walk, we would have never been able to share such an incredible experience with a local. But the amazing day did not stop there.
Another woman whose house was about 15 minutes away from the shop ALSO stopped us. She was curious to see if we were a touring group. When our instructor assured her that we knew Italian, she told us that she wanted to let us see the inside of her basement. Her basement was made of the original bricks and stone of the city. Above the basement area was the street I had walked every day to school. I was mesmerized by her compassion and willingness to see such a special place. She and her husband chill wine in the basement and sell it in their retirement for a little extra money. She talked about her happy marriage and gave us the advice to never give up on our dreams and always find the time to travel to knew places.
This is something I will miss terribly about Siena. There is a sense of friendship and trust in this city that I have never seen before. No one is a stranger. It’s a beautiful thing, and I can’t wait to challenge myself to be more open to opportunities like this when I get back to the States.
Ciao!
Madelyn