Laura Pasqua Interview

What have you learned so far? I have learned how to be organized with my classes. I improved my English so much; when I came here I didn’t even know how to talk. My host family is Jewish and I am Catholic so it was a big difference coming here and I learned so much about this whole new religion going to temple every week. What surprised you most about America? Oh this will be fun! So people my age, like teenagers, I didn’t expect them to be so fun and welcoming to me. When they first met me they started to ask me questions about my culture and about Italy. I always thought I would have to make the first step to them but instead they made the first step, and it was so surprising to me. I was surprised that I made the varsity team for volleyball. And it surprised me that all Americans are not fat, I expected that. What things were you excited to do when you came? What are you still planning to do? When I found out that I was going to Massachusetts the first things I wanted to do were in the snow, like skating and tubing. I’ve already been ice skating, skiing, tubing, stuff like this which were so fun and so different. My city is in the south of Italy and in the south we never had snow, even in the winter. Going to Boston was one of my main dreams because I have family friends living there. I am still hoping to go to New York over one of the breaks. I’m also thinking about trying the softball team in the spring. I never practiced that but I would like to try. What do you miss the most about Italy? I miss the food, my family, my friends and the sea. As I said, the food, because it’s so much different than American food. I miss the weather because it’s so cold here and the coldest it gets in my town is 48 degrees in the winter. I miss Italian because I’m fluent when I speak it and I miss my Sicilian dialect. I miss my father and my mother, but it’s okay.