By Ffion Williams, Third Year French & Italian
Following the first two months of her year abroad in Palermo, Ffion Williams weighs up how her expectations have compared to the realities.
Two months have passed since I first set foot in Palermo, and I can honestly say that they’ve been some of the most exciting months of my life so far. My job has kept me so busy that I haven’t had a chance to write this until now, despite having tried on at least four separate occasions. Although the time has flown by, I also feel as if I’ve been living here for a whole year already. There have definitely been some ups and downs, but on the whole my job is a dream and suits me perfectly, and I’ve met some fantastic people, who have helped me settle in almost immediately.
The First Month
The feeling of the plane landing in Sicily was a kind of excitement I’ve never experienced before; all my nerves and anticipation turned into pure thrill at being somewhere so different from home. I spent my first few days getting to know my way around the Palazzo, and learning what my new job consisted of. The whole first month was a whirlwind and quite a culture shock, but after a month I really felt like I belonged.
Missing Home
Having my boyfriend and friends come to visit when I was a few weeks into my year abroad was so much fun, but it also made me incredibly homesick once they’d left. After my friends and Thomas had gone home, it suddenly hit me that I was going to be away from home and university for a full year, and that life wouldn’t be put on pause just because I’d moved abroad (sounds obvious, I know). For a few days I felt like I would do anything to be back in Bristol, reliving my second year, but I managed to get back into a positive mind-set before long. Thomas is coming back this weekend and my family the weekend after, so I’ve got lots to look forward to!
Night Life
Palermo is now one of my favourite cities in the world, partly thanks to its incredible nightlife. I’m not sure about the rest of Italy, but here in Sicily there isn’t really a club culture; instead, people gather at bars and dance to music in the streets or in big squares. The music often comes from people with speakers strapped to their Vespa’s - how much more Italian can you get? If I’m honest, I expected the nightlife here to be intimidating, and I expected the men to be much pushier than in Britain. However, I have been proved completely wrong! It’s so relaxed, everyone is extremely friendly and wants to chat, and almost every guy is very respectful, even more so than at home.
Working Life
Having never had a full-time job, I really had no idea what to expect, and reality hit me like a tonne of bricks. Although my job is extremely flexible (I’m writing this in a café at midday on a Monday as I managed to get the afternoon off), I never considered how tired I’d feel after a full day of dealing with guests, doing check-ins and keeping on top of the 5 million emails we receive on a daily basis. Some days I work 8am to 10pm (with breaks of course), and other days I am completely free to swan around Palermo and do as I please. I also get to help out with the dinners and cocktail parties which are held at the Palace, which is a definite perk of the job.
Italian Language
Since I have to deal with lots of English-speaking guests, I would say that I speak 70% English and 30% Italian whilst working. However, I try and make an effort to speak as much Italian as possible outside of work. I didn’t expect my confidence with the language to grow so quickly, but I also didn’t expect every single grammar rule to disappear from my brain each time I have a conversation with someone. There are definitely days where I’m confident in my Italian, and there are other days where I barely manage to string a sentence together.
So, to sum it up, my first two months have exceeded my expectations. Although there are days where I just want to curl up into a ball and forget about my responsibilities, most days I love my job and the city I’m living in. I just wish time would stop moving so quickly!
Ffion x
Featured image: Epigram / Ffion Williams
