February 2024

As second semester rolled around the corner, and the new students came in, the full year students were tasked to show the new students around Viterbo, and bring them up to speed and fill them in on what we learned during first semester.

The opportunity to show the second semester students around Viterbo was the perfect way for me to “measure” my progress thus far. While taking the new students on a tour around Viterbo, including showing them the “best” bars (caffe), restaurants, and places to study, it helped me to retrace what I did first semester, and think about the things I would like to continue or start in second semester.

During this time, I often thought back to the times when I had been in their position struggling with the language barrier while having to deal with such simple tasks, if it were back at home, but suddenly in a foreign country would be seemingly much harder, and more frustrating. There were many times that I had wished that there was a previous student next to me guiding me through every step. While that was not the case, having to get these tasks done alone helped me gain a develop a level of independence. 

For me, true mastery lies in the ability to teach others. So, as soon as the second semester students came, I used this as an opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge and “measure” my progress. I tried to help the semester students whenever I could, including walking to several different phone stores to get an Italian phone number, and at that moment I had realized my growth and a new skill unlocked. While there is no one way to make progress, being able to embrace and push past the challenges and failures, and eventual success indicates progress!