Visiting another place can temporarily affect a person. For sophomore Oliver Gellini, he was submersed in Italian culture for more than a year and it has permanently affected his life.

“I got to experience a totally different culture,” Gellini said. “It not only gave me an amazing experience but improved my knowledge of the Italian language.”

He attended his seventh grade year of school in Italy, and believes that immersing yourself in a culture is the only way to really understand it.

“I learned more there in a year than I ever have in any textbook,” Gellini said.

He lived in Italy from Aug. 9, 2007 to June 11, 2008 with his family in a downtown apartment in Trieste.

“In my opinion, Italy is the most beautiful country in the world,” Gellini said. “But I guess I’m a little bit biased.”

Gellini’s family is not originally from Italy. His father was born in Croatia, but his father’s family lives in Italy.  Gellini and his family have gone to visit for months at a time since he can remember.

“Italy has the best food in the world, best scenery, and in my opinion the best ladies,” Gellini said.

Gellini’s family went to Italy to try and keep the culture alive in his family and to revisit the world his father grew up in. They also having living relatives that they visit in Italy.

“I love visiting Italy because it reminds me of how different places in the world can be,” Gellini said. “A lot of people may never get to experience how different other cultures are, I am blessed to be able to have experienced it.”

Gellini tries to remain as in touch with his culture as possible, he is a founder of the Italian club and an active member. He also spends his mornings in the library with friends that have similar cultural roots.

“One of the things I love most about Italy is the culture,” Gellini said. “The way of life of the people is just wonderful.”