By Dylan McAdoo
Jake Hilley, a junior at Ponte Vedra High School, has gotten to see what two different lifestyles are like. Jake lived in Italy for three years and moved back to the U.S. right before his freshman year of high school. Jake lived on an American naval base in Naples, Italy and went to an American school there as well.
The COVID-19 situation was a lot different there than in Florida. Jake said, “it was very isolating in Italy given he lived on a base, and it was such an elderly population, not very much going out and about.” Jake also said, “everyone wanted to move to Florida, it was like heaven.” The school life compared to Florida was similar as Jake went to an American school, so all the type of classes and schedule was about the same.
Going out in Italy compared to Florida is very different. Jake said, “when you would go out, your parents had to go with you every time because you have to be 18 to drive, so going out would be with your parents.” Jake also said, “when you parked your car you would have to pay someone to watch because if not it was most likely getting broken in to.” Jake mentioned “the outsides of restaurants and different places would look very run down and beat up, but the inside was much nicer and didn’t look like a shack on the inside.” The food was always on point Jake mentioned. He said, “they always took extra time and effort to make sure the food was at its perfection, and it never let down.” Jake added by saying, “most of the food I had in Italy was the same as here in the states, but, it was so much more better tasting and richer in Italy.”
“When you parked your car you would have to pay someone to watch because if not it was most likely getting broken in to.”
Jake hilley (11)
One of the major differences between Italy to America is the sports. Jake said, “there were no club sports or club teams, only recreational sports.” Jake also said, “you could not play contact sports until you were in high school. So as a football player when I was in Italy, I could only play flag or touch football.” Jake also said, “I didn’t travel very much, if I did it would be on a school field trip.” This was Jake’s only overseas post.
Pictured: Jake Hilley (11) overlooking the mountains in Italy
