I am now home from my fall semester abroad in Rome, Italy. It was a wonderful time and I loved every second of it.
There were new experiences for me but also very similar experiences for me. Living in a city, it is not always the most practical to drive, nor did I have the resources for that. Getting to class involved planning and assuring I had the proper time to get there as I had to walk or ride a bike to school. Taking time to walk to destinations instead of driving was an experience I was somewhat used to but have never had to do this much before. Adjusting to this became easy, as it was something I did everyday. There were times where I would walk 20-30 minutes where I usually would just drive when I was back home in the United States. The language barrier does exist and that can make certain times confusing. For example, if you walk into a small shop they do not always speak english so this makes learning italian phrases and learning a little Italian helpful. In addition, Americans tend to be more punctual and focused on productivity, while Italians tend to be more relaxed and less concerned with strict schedules. This is reflected in the way that Italians often take long breaks for lunch and leisure, while Americans are more likely to work through their lunch hours.The values, behaviors, and attitudes did not cause much confusion to me as my family acts very similar. To get into some detail about this, Americans tend to value personal space and maintain a greater distance between themselves and others, while Italians are more physically expressive and tend to stand closer to one another when interacting. Also, In terms of communication, Americans tend to be more direct and straightforward in their communication style, while Italians tend to be more indirect and use more body language and gestures to communicate.
I personally loved my experience in Italy. It was everything I thought it would be and more. I enjoyed my walking travels and love how Italians function. However, sometimes it did have its poor moments. For example, walking to school in the rain is not a fun time. Also, expect to get something from a shop at a certain time and when you get there it is Riposo (break time) and you have to wait until they reopen to get what you need.
I think that somebody from Italy viewing my experience would be happy and somewhat upset at the same time. I learned and viewed all of Rome’s history and learned to respect it all. I visited many of the well known areas and places to go in Rome. However, I am sure there are some super local spots that many tourists or people never end up finding which could provide a very real experience. I think the person would be happy to see that I respect Italian culture and am a fan of it.
This reflection prepares me to respond to future cultural misunderstandings and conflicts as I have lived in another country for four months. I understand that there are differences and I now know how to adapt to them and guide somebody in learning how to do the same.