Bend Belluno Sister Cities Cultural Exchange

BEN ARRIVATA                   DI                       EVENTI                       SCAMBI                   METTE IN EVIDENZA              CONTATTO

​2024 Bend-Belluno Summer Cross-Cultural Exchange in the News

Samu and Eli

An international friendship develops through the Bend-Belluno summer cross-cultural exchange

2024 Youth Exchange

I stayed in a small town called Santa Giustina- about 20 minutes from the city of Belluno. The town was small but gorgeous and right near the Dolomite Mountains. A typical day for me in Santa Giustina looked like this: Mornings began with sweet pastries and espresso, followed by activities with my host sister Letizia - hiking mountain trails, meeting up with friends, or simply painting our nails and practicing Italian grammar. Then, around noon we’d have lunch. Lunch time in an Italian family is a special event. Letizia’s entire extended family would gather at her grandparent’s house where we ate a large home-cooked meal. Lunch often lasted for hours, as we chatted and went through multiple courses. Afternoons meant biking to nearby rivers or going to local events in Belluno. We’d always make sure to pause around 4pm for gelato at Santa Giustina's famous gelateria. Finally, we’d end the day very late, with a 9pm dinner.

​Gracie's AMAZING Summer

This past summer, I had the privilege of participating in Rotary’s Bend-Belluno exchange program. Although it was incredibly nerve-wracking to get on a plane and travel halfway across the world to live with a different family in a foreign culture, the experience was ultimately so rewarding.

They are teenagers like you, how are they different?
First of all in time management, a school system that is much less strict and
demanding than ours allows them to dedicate themselves to many activities
that are difficult for us: everyone, in addition to studying, has a paid job and
many have a particular activity. Carmen, for example, is a cake designer. Then
they are obsessed with sports: they are part of a team, they get up very early to train and they always do it with a high impact. They give absolute value to
physical fitness, as well as to their being American.

​What do you mean?
In the sense that they know nothing about what happens outside the borders
of the United States. They are simply not interested in the outside world. All
the families we stayed with welcomed us with warmth and affection, but they
barely knew where Italy was!

 The  Summer Vacation - That Lasts a Life Time

Exchange notes and photos by Gracie

My home base was in Santa Giustina, a small town right at the foot of the Dolomites. Every day had something completely new in store for me, whether it was learning new words or hiking to the tops of mountains. 

What I loved most about the experience was how it changed me. I fell in love with Italy’s beauty and culture (I even took home the trait of eating pizza with a fork and knife). By the end of the program, it was sad to say goodbye to it all, but the whole trip was worth it. If you or anyone you know is thinking about applying, do it!

There’s absolutely nothing to lose.

The most meaningful part of my exchange was without a doubt the relationships I developed with my host family. Letizia became like my real sister, we were a perfect fit for each other. We bought matching diaries that’d we write in together every single night. Her parents were so much fun. I’ll never forget when her mother, Martina, brought me to a European street party and taught me how to dance. Or when Letizia’s father, Thomas, gave me lessons in making perfect Italian espresso or authentic Pasta alla Carbonara. Letizia’s grandmother made sure that I learned one new Italian phrase every single day. Her little sister Viola reminded me so much of my own sister that leaving her was especially difficult.

​Stella and Letizia smile a lot, they look at each other often, they talk to each
other. They are happy to tell me about this experience, and just talking about it
makes it come back to life in the sensations, in the memories, in the nostalgia.
Thanks to the extraordinary availability and the perfect organization of the
Rotary Club of Belluno, the two girls and Samuele have done a cultural
exchange lasting a month with the town of Bend in Oregon, in the mythical
States. They left after having hosted Carmen, Eli and Grace, American
teenagers traveling in Italy, in July.

​Our group, the three American and three Italian kids, traveled as a group to Venice, which was absolutely wonderful. Seeing how the city operated and the lively bustle was something I’ll never forget.

And how did you get along with the girls with whom you ended up spending the whole summer?
Wonderful! The credit goes to Rotary, which during the organizational phase was able to mix our characteristics with theirs so well. We immediately felt very similar, and for everyone the experience was far above expectations. The support of our families was also crucial, as they encouraged, supported and helped us right from the start. It is a very strong experience from a personal point of view: you have to get involved on all fronts, and it is not always easy to mediate with the lives of others when you have no emergency exits. Being in two is nicer; you share the experience with someone who understands you and keeps you anchored to your world.

Today, I still message Letizia almost every day- I miss her so much. This exchange ended up meaning so much more to me than just a summer abroad. Now, I have a second family that I know will always welcome me back to their corner of Northern Italy. The Italian architecture, hiking, and daily gelato were wonderful, but it's these lasting relationships that made my experience truly life changing.

Some of my favorite memories were the hikes with Samu, my exchange-brother, and his friends. The views of Italy from all of those peaks were astounding. I was able to make so many new friends thanks to Samu.

https://ilveses.com/scambio-culturale-in-oregon/
Link for the original Italian version.

In the summer of 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a youth exchange program in northern Italy. The program, made possible by Bend’s and Belluno’s Rotary Club, allowed us to explore Italian culture, architecture, history, language, cuisine, art, and much more. This experience was one that has shaped me as a person, and I’m so grateful to have met everyone.

Exchange notes by Eli