Spending the last semester of my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in Turin, Italy, was the best send-off from university life that I could have ever wished for. The study abroad was an incredible adventure, that took many unexpected but thrilling and pleasant turns. It was one of the moments when you let go and allow spontaneity to guide the course.

Traveling in Europe, Africa, and Asia was a rewarding cultural experience which led to the simple realization that diversity and the cultural nuances are the jewels that make the world beautiful and worth visiting. Painting in broad strokes, the breath-taking Alps in their white glory, the Moroccan desert with the mint tea, the food and the wine on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Nice, the Belgium waffles, the Italian gastronomy and a proper German breakfast are just a few experiences that colored my view of the world, and made me long for the next trip.

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Politechnico di Torino, the university I attended, is known as one of the more difficult and technical engineering school in Italy. I planned for an easy semester abroad, but somehow, I ended up taking one of the most difficult classes on the mechanical engineering master’s program, as a bachelor student. The class was an advanced machine design course, and we learned the theory behind every principle in the machine design process. I understood many concepts that I did not understand before or was not exposed to in my previous courses. I also managed to travel often and do well in the class. The value of studying at a different institution and in a different country is the differences in the curriculum and teaching style. I understood the machine design process, and the class boosted my confidence stepping into the professional engineering world.

I also found an interest in the subject of company economics. I took the class because it worked with my schedule and requirements and I did not expect much from it, however, I found the topic extremely fascinating and now I may consider further studies in the subject of company economics. This was a pleasant surprise that I would never stumble upon if I did not study abroad.

Living with Italian students was a wonderful way to be playfully lectured on the proper way to cook, and make coffee. The Italian students were very kind and eager to teach me the unwritten rules of Italian gastronomy, coffee, wine, Italian politics, and history. Furthermore, Politecnico di Torino had many international students from all over the world. I befriended many of the international students, and together we shared many trips and experiences at the university, and we made an abundance of beautiful memories. Our cultural differences formed the connections between us and were good topics for countless fruitful discussions.