Thus far, living in Rome has been nothing short of amazing. The American University of Rome and the city have been incredibly welcoming to us students abroad. We are made to feel very comfortable in public spaces such as restaurants, and the Romans have a lot of patience (despite some of us having little to zero experience in the Italian language). That being said, there have definitely been a few instances where I found myself frustrated, and this typically comes as a result in sharp differences in culture.
The first example that comes to mind is dining. In the states, I am quite used to eating quickly, and rarely (unless I am with family) are meal times supposed to take 2+ hours. Here, however, it’s the exact opposite. Italians put great value on their mealtime and will often spend hours outside cafes eating and drinking. It has been frustrating at times when we are in a rush (as Americans usually are), and getting our check closed out takes an almost comical amount of time. It’s not a huge deal, but scheduling is much different here because if we go out to eat, we need to set aside 2 hours for it. I am, however, coming to appreciate the importance of it.
The primary example I have of cultural confrontation is train strikes. Train strikes are a weekly occurrence in Italy, and during these strikes, all trains are canceled. There have been multiple instances now where our trains have been canceled while traveling around the country. Now we sort of know how to handle it, and remembering the first time it happened has now become a humorous memory we talk about at dinners. While certainly an inconvenience, we have slowly learned how to deal with it. Just another instance that requires a tad more planning and research.
These have both been valuable lessons for us as we adapt to the Italian way of life. While they were frustrating in the moment, it’s all part of the process. This trip has been unforgettable so far.