Moving 5,000 miles away from home and planning to experience her dream life, Margherita Verzin begins her year long stay in America.

This senior travels from Verona, Italy to Neenah to stay with host family Troy and Christen Butler.

A few weeks after Verzin’s arrival, she realizes she misses the hectic lifestyle of Verona, a city of over 250,000 inhabitants, and most of all her family. She misses seeing her parents and playing with her 2-year-old brother.

In Italy, Verzin’s school starts later at 8 a.m. and ends earlier at 1 p.m. Most weekdays Verzin will spend up to four hours studying and the rest of her night hanging out with friends, making the calmer lifestyle of Neenah a difficult transition.

“I like Neenah, but I wouldn’t want to live here.”

Verzin enjoys the lush gardens, big cars, and school system in Neenah. Verzin’s favorite pass times include shopping, hanging out with friends and exploring new places.

Her love of exploring has lead her all over the world, travelling to India, Tunisia, Egypt, all over Europe, and now America all before turning 19 years old. Experiencing different cultures is important to Verzin who hopes to one day live in a large city in America.

A free spirit, Verzin looks forward to her future of continuing to travel the world.