Travel stories

IMPRESSIONS OF THE COUNTRY AND CULTURE

My first impression of Italian culture is that it’s not very different from Spanish culture. What stood out to me was how aggressive their driving is, and the precautions they’ve taken with traffic lights to ensure pedestrian safety by increasing the time between green and red. I also confirmed their love for pasta, which I already knew, but didn’t expect to be so noticeable.

COMPANY

The company I’ve been at is called Punto Informatica. Overall, it’s a shop that sells all kinds of tech products — from printers, computers, and phones to headphones, prepaid cards, and more. Besides selling, we also repair these products. The team is made up of two bosses (Daniel and Marco), who manage everything and train new members. Then there’s Eduardo, a dual training student doing his internship at the company. In addition, there are four of us interns (myself included): Owen, Andrea, Emmanuele, and me, Jose. Lastly, there’s Carlos, who handles customer service. Honestly, I can’t complain about my work schedule. It keeps me busy, which helps the days go by quickly, and I have enough free time to avoid getting overwhelmed. Marco gave me Monday mornings off, as well as Saturdays and Sundays. The rest of the days, I work from 9:30 to 13:00 and 16:30 to 20:00, though I often stay 15 to 20 minutes longer to finish tasks.

EXPERIENCES

I’ve been in Porto San Giorgio for a week now. It’s been a bit tough being away from my family, especially with the workload. My first impressions of the company have been really positive; time flies by. Marco (my boss) gave me Monday mornings off and even gifted me headphones to talk to my family more comfortably. Food-wise, I’ve managed well, doing my weekly shopping at a store called Simply at a good price. This week at work, I formatted and reinstalled the OS on 17 computers for a giveaway and fixed and cleaned three broken ones.

Now into week two — it’s gone by quickly with all the work repairing computers. During the week, I barely had time to do anything but eat and work. On Friday, I went with my colleagues to Happy Days (a well-known pizza place) and had a delicious pizza. On Saturday, we tried visiting Fermo, but to our surprise, everything was closed on the weekend. Today, Sunday, we’re waiting for the teachers to arrive, so we’re just watching movies.

Week three has flown by too. At the company, we focused on repairing faulty computers since no new products came in. My colleagues promised me a trip to Pescara, and in return, I owe them a “Typical Spanish” paella. The weekend was great — with the Copa del Rey final, David and I went to a sushi place (Figaro Sushi) to watch the match, though Barça’s loss dulled the mood. Sunday morning I went to the beach and in the afternoon worked on my final project. A full week.

Week four wasn’t that eventful. At work, it was a tough one because the Italian interns finished their placements, so I handled morning tasks alone — though I enjoy working solo as it keeps me busy. Over the weekend, I recorded and edited my final project video, submitted it, and helped David with his. We rewarded ourselves with a short beach trip, though we only swam for five minutes after spotting jellyfish. In week five, Eduardo (a DUAL student) joined me in the mornings — a big help and great company. On Wednesday, he taught me how to change iPhone screens. On Friday, I got a message from my tutor: I scored an 8 on the final project, and the rest of my grades were great. Over the weekend, I gamed, enjoyed a tasty farm chicken, and relaxed in Porto San Giorgio. We also planned a trip to Rome next weekend. Can’t wait — hope to see Pope Francis!

ENDING

Only three weeks left until returning home. This week was similar to the last, except I got a bad stomach bug on Thursday that lasted till Saturday. Luckily, I recovered just in time to go to Rome on Saturday. I wasn’t 100% but still managed the 30 km walk under the blazing sun. We made it back alive — what a great experience. Rome is beautiful, and I’d recommend it to anyone. With David as a companion — who knew a lot about each landmark — it became a really enriching trip. Today I’ve just done laundry and rested to get ready for the new week.

Now into the final two weeks. This week was amazing because my dad took time off work and came to visit me for three days. I kept doing the usual tasks at work, but the moment he told me he was coming, it instantly became my happiest week here. My boss let me swap Friday for weekend work so I could spend time with my dad — we spent a full day in Rimini together. He even invited us all to the best pizza place in Porto San Giorgio. What a night — those pizzas were unforgettable! On Saturday, I had a beach morning with him, we ate at a restaurant, and then he had to leave. I was sad, of course, but also happy that the return to Terrassa is now so close.

Now the second-to-last Erasmus+ week is over. Nothing special at work, but mentally it felt like a blink with the end near. Marco told me he’d take me out for pizza at the best place he knows on Tuesday — I’m really looking forward to it. I worked Saturday — I get AC at the office, which is a blessing in 34°C heat. Today I’ve been with David: one last hike up the Porto San Giorgio mountain, grabbing some groceries, watching movies, and ending with another great beach afternoon. The final week has come. It flew by. On Tuesday, we had dinner with colleagues and bosses, and the rest of the week was business as usual. On the weekend, David and I hiked up the Ascoli Piceno mountain — it took the whole day. Sunday we cleaned the house thoroughly for the next tenants. And that’s the end of my Erasmus diary.

As a final reflection, I’d say it’s been a challenging stay but packed with experiences. I didn’t learn new things at the company, but I did apply everything I learned over my two years of studies and gained a lot of real-world experience. As for Marco, my tutor, I’ve already said it — working with him was a pleasure. He made me feel comfortable, valued, and trusted.