From Kathmandu to Ca’Tron

For a 19-year-old girl, moving alone from Nepal to Italy (Kathmandu to Ca’Tron) was a dream come true. I have always been a girl wanting to get out of her comfort zone and strive for more, which I consider a blessing in disguise for me. In this article, I will mostly be covering life in Italy and, most particularly, H-FARM, the campus, from my perspective.

It is intimidating, alright. Mainly because it was a new place for me, and I think I would be intimidated by anyone, anywhere. To start off explaining this, the first day I came to lessons and stepped foot on the campus, I was in awe the whole time. The classmates I met were very friendly, and slowly but surely, I started realising that it was the same for everybody.

To consider the life here around H-FARM, it is not the best for young people. It’s located in the middle of nowhere, and living near the campus is both a blessing and a boon. You have the campus, of course, but at the same time, the environment outside the campus is not as vibrant as it is inside. Personally, I love it. The weekly grocery runs and visiting Venice and the places nearby from time-to-time with my friends turned out to be fun little trips we took to the city area.

H-FARM is a crazy place, in the nicest way possible. The atmosphere is so lively and welcoming here that I immediately felt a sense of belonging. I didn’t know what to do at first because there are a lot of things to get your hands on. It was very frightening; it still is (a little). I am someone who is always wanting to do more, wanting more freedom and space so that I can be the best at everything I do. I like to test all my boundaries and talents and challenge myself every day. I realised that it is the perfect place for me as my horizons are expanding every day, and I think it will continue to do so for as long as I am going to be here (and after that too, I believe). The people here are so driven and motivated, and I feel the energy bursts radiating from everyone all the time.

In the early months of 2023, I got to have a very fruitful meeting with João, for whom I am very grateful to have as a mentor, and joined the media agency, FARMedia, in the marketing team at the college. My will to strive for more skyrockets when I brainstorm my ideas or just have a chat with João. I am also a part of the college newspaper, H-INSIDERS, for which I create some content and occasionally write articles. Moreover, I am a member of HORIZON, an international club that my peers founded and of which I am currently the project manager. I had a great outlet to touch on all the things I’m interested in, aside from my studies. I get to work with my friends AND make fruitful connections with great people along the way; what more can I ask for?

I came to understand that getting out of my comfort zone and saying “yes” to things really does make a difference. I grab every opportunity I get, even though I’m not completely sure about it, and go through with it. H-FARM is a place where I get to explore all aspects of my creative side while moving forward with my academics at the same pace. I hope to do more in the years to come.

This is just the beginning of a long and what I am sure will be a worthwhile journey, and I will forever be grateful for Italy, H-FARM, and all the people who have been, are, and will be with me throughout.

PS: This is not sponsored by H-FARM at all. But it has the potential to be considered a LinkedIn post that has been pending for about two years now.