Author: Riley Garrison | Major: Finance | Semester: Summer 2024

To Paris we go

I just completed my time abroad in the beautiful town of Paderno del Grappa, Italy! I spent four weeks at the amazing CIMBA Italy program where I took two courses. I had heard about this program for many years and knew it had to be special. After a long conversation with Dr. Molly Rapert, one of CIMBA’s most loyal and beloved professors, I decided this was the place for me! I was drawn in by the quaint town we would be staying in, course offerings, and freedom of the program. CIMBA is unique in the sense that it doesn’t take place in a busy city center, rather a town with one restaurant and one coffee shop. I was intrigued by this idea because I knew I would get a front row seat in a real Italian town. One where they spoke only Italian and lived their days just as you might imagine, coffee drawn out throughout the morning, long meals, and no timeline. While the campus of CIMBA didn’t meet all those expectations, my time spent away from the classroom presented just this. Making friends with the local family that owned the coffee shop, or bar as they would call it, and becoming a regular at Al Sole, the local pizzeria.

We spent much of our time during the day in our two courses- two blocks in the morning and a three-hour block of one course, twice a week! While the three-hour block seems daunting, many classes were able to field trip to local museums, churches, and factories in neighboring towns. I decided to take Dr. Rapert’s “Global Consumer” class along with an Italian course titled, “Italy Live.” Each class, I learned something new about the Italian culture and the global market. The field trips aided our learning and allowed us to immerse ourselves in a completely new culture in the rawest way. From ordering in Italian at the bar to exploring the factories of Hausbrandt Coffee Roasters, each experience taught me more about world around us.

While the school aspect of CIMBA taught me lessons I will hold on to forever, the growth that happened during my time abroad was what truly impacted me the most. I was surprised to find out just how much comfort you can find in the uncomfortable. When I arrived in Italy, I had a few good friends and some familiar faces with me. There were also a lot of strangers and people who I was completely unable to communicate with. They didn’t care to speak the little English they knew, and I was even less helpful knowing only how to say “ciao.” I began to realize just how many things would be “uncomfortable” about this time. There would be a layer of challenge added to each interaction as we navigated this new country. With each uncomfortable interaction, I began to find comfort in the unknown. The unknown faces that became my best friends. The unknown foods that became what I crave. And the unfamiliar locations that now hold some of my fondest memories. You see, the thing about being uncomfortable, is that you always have a choice. You can choose to remain uncomfortable, or find things to ground you, seeking a sense of comfort. The second I allowed myself to seek that level of comfort in the environment I had throw myself into, I started to view things differently. I was able to open myself up to new friendships, experiences, and relationships that pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me a stronger person. I learned that it sometimes takes a mental shift to choose to succeed in a new environment. That things will not always be as easy as they appear, but with the confidence to seek discomfort, you might just change your life. Something I hope to carry with me for the rest of my life.