My name is Isabella Perez. I'm a business management and international business major at the University of San Francisco. I went on the Summer on the Italian Coast program in Sorrento, Italy. I chose CIS Abroad because I wanted to immerse myself in a different culture.
Throughout my summer in Sorrento, I became more independent much faster than I had anticipated. One of my goals was to expand my independence but I did not think I could grow so much over a short five week program. Initially before coming to Sorrento, I never thought I would do anything on my own since I am so used to being around people at college. In the United States, I am constantly completing my tasks with others so during my time in Italy, it was important to me that I could learn to be comfortable doing things on my own, big and small.
To accomplish this goal, I started by incorporating small tasks that I could complete independently. The first one being grocery shopping on my own at a supermarket in Sorrento. Although I was a little bit nervous initially, once I was in the store looking around, I felt more at ease. Afterwards, I felt proud of myself for challenging myself to do something on my own in a different country.