My Experience in Piombino - Emma García

When they told me I was chosen for this Erasmus experience to Piombino, I couldn’t believe it.

I was very excited, but also very nervous because I was the only girl in 3rd of ESO (all the other selected students were in 4th). I only knew one of the other girls who had been chosen, Ana. In the first few meetings, I tried to integrate into the group as much as I could, and despite being a little shy, they welcomed me warmly and we all became good friends from the very beginning.

Arriving in Piombino was unforgettable for me; we had been sitting in a minibus for three or four hours, and we were tired and hungry. As we approached the meeting point with our host families, my nerves increased. I remember that when they opened the minibus doors and we saw the families outside, we were so nervous we didn't want to get out and we started screaming. However, once we got off the bus and I met my host family, I knew I had been very lucky. Lorenzo (my host brother) and his mother greeted me with a big smile and a hug, which I really appreciated, as I was very nervous.

Throughout my stay in Piombino, the family was always very attentive to me. I learned many things from them, especially how to relax and slow down. I also learned many Italian words, and that they make a gesture with their hand on their cheek when they like something.

All the Italian Erasmus students were wonderful at all times. Despite the age and language differences, we were all teenagers having a lot of fun and making new memories. 

During that week we did many things: they took us to the beach several times, Daniel and I were taken to a thermal lake, we visited the center of Piombino, I went to a school theatre with Uxue, Neyara and Daniel, they rented a rugby field where we had a great time with all the Erasmus students,… I even met Lorenzo's grandmother!!

My experience in Piombino was unforgettable, I definitely recommend it. 

In addition to all this, we also visited other cities: Florence, Elba, and Rome. Our host brothers/sisters couldn't come with us on these trips, but we still had a great time.

In Florence we saw many interesting things, but my favorite part of the day was when we were given a few hours free and could explore the city at our own pace, the 8 of us together.

Elba was definitely one of the best excursions. We arrived on the island by boat, and there we had a 2-hour tour where they told us about Elba's history. Again, I think the best part of the day was when we had free time to be on the beach, all eight of us. We swam in the crystal-clear water, and a guy let us use his paddleboard. 

The day in Rome was also extremely special for me. It was the last day of our stay in Italy, so before leaving, we had to say goodbye to our host families. The farewell wasn't as emotional as our goodbye in Bilbao, since we knew we would see them again in a week.

Having spent the entire week together, the eight of us, when we arrived in Rome we were closer than ever, and we all trusted each other a lot, which I think made the day even better. What's more, our teachers, Marian and Teresa, prepared a surprise for us: spending a night in Rome all together!

After running from one part of Rome to another in an attempt to see as much as we could, it was time for dinner. Teresa took us to a very good local restaurant where we ate pizza.

The walk back to the apartment was the most fun part of the day; we were so tired that we laughed at everything. The night was just as fun: after the teachers went to bed, we had a pajama party in the main living room, and we had the time of our lives. There was definitely no better way to end our week in Italy.

This Erasmus gave me a family I could've never imagined, both from the Spanish and Italian students. I hope we can all get together again someday. One of the best experiences of my life!