As I have spent more time in Italy I came to see differences between Italy and America that had never occurred to me before. Doing laundry, going grocery shopping, even turning on a light are all things that are different here; most of the differences are minor but as time goes on it begins to add up and become frustrating. The most significant moment I had of cultural confrontation was, unsurprisingly, due to the language barrier. Unfortunately, I hurt my leg while in Italy which mean I had to go to the hospital and have multiple doctors’ visits while here. I was scared to have something bad happening so far from home and what made it even more difficult was the language barrier. It was hard to communicate, sometimes, with the doctors and the receptionists which only made my recovery more difficult. After becoming very angry and upset about everything I realized that sitting around pitying myself was not going to help, so I began to find ways to help my problem. Luckily, the ISA program director was available to help me the whole time so the reassurance of having someone there to help me made me feel a lot better. Before doctors’ visits, I would look up some Italian vocabulary I thought I might need, I memorized the word for knee, pain, walk, stairs, etc. all to make it easier for the doctor to understand how I felt. I am still dealing with the situation, but looking back I’m very impressed with myself. I handled a medical emergency not only by myself but in a foreign country where everyone speaks a different language then me. While I obviously wish I had not hurt myself while here, I cannot deny the personal growth that has come from the experience.
