Studying abroad in Italy has taught me so much about myself and the Italian culture and it is very interesting to do a final evaluation of my experience and the things I’ve gained overall in the past four months. This has truly been one of the most influential experiences of my life and is so excited to keep these memories forever and use the intercultural skills in my career in my future
Some adjustments had to be made to get into the groove of life there one of the main things was shopping. Whether that be groceries, toiletries, convenience store items, household items, or more things which you would commonly buy, they do not have Walmart and Target open most hours of the day to meet your every need. Which in turn, although may seem inconvenient, promotes a more natural lifestyle for workers and respects the liveliness of individuals. So even though acquiring all your basic needs is not as easy as a one-stop shop it promotes a better lifestyle.
Living in Rome has been the best experience of my life, so I decided to transfer there. The cultural aspects and lifestyle of Europeans in general are more my pace. I feel as though people in this country have respect for the well-being of each other rather than the convenience of everything. Life is a lot slower which is something that I had to learn before moving there and it has helped me. I feel like it is less over produced, a more moral world in Europe, they are smaller and therefore pollute less and have a better way of living. Rather than constantly opting for convenience, Europeans make tiny sacrifices like walking and taking the bus instead of driving or air drying their clothes rather than using a drying machine. These aren’t always fun and easy things to do but it respects the planet and the natural way of living more.
When I expressed my opinion to people of the host culture, Italians, they were taken aback by how much I enjoyed it despite how inconvenient some of the things there are. They always think America is bigger and better so they wouldn’t expect me to want to move there. Italians think Americans are much more fortunate than we realize, which is true because everything is made so easy for us to live, but sometimes that is not the vibe for everyone.
Realizing that the negatives of a country can also prove to be the most positive aspects helps me learn to appreciate every aspect of every culture and take the best from it. For example, if I move to another country and don’t like their public transportation system I will learn to appreciate the fact that I don’t have to get stuck in traffic in a car. It can also help me explain to foreigners in the United States that I understand why they would be confused in our countries and help them navigate a new country.