ENDICOTT, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Eleven students from Italy made the long trip back to their country after spending two-weeks experiencing American culture.

Union-Endicott High School’s Italian Exchange program connected eleven Italian students from Varese Italy, with American host families.

The Italians spent the first three days touring New York City seeing sites like the Statue of Liberty before coming upstate and visiting Albany, Niagara Falls, and more.

One of the students, Simon Epietrobon says that the two cultures are completely different, but he loved the experience, despite the fact that here in the states, some people put ranch on pizza.

Italian Exchange Student Simon Epietrobon says, “America is so different to Italy. The food is so different, the people, relationships, all of the things are so different from Italy. But, I think I like, a lot America but, in my heart, I love Italy.”

The UE students will make the trip to Varese in the Spring and spend two weeks with an Italian host family.

Epietrobon says that he is the most excited to show off Italian architecture, and introduce the Americans to what real pizza, and real pasta tastes like.