So far my time in Rome, Italy has been amazing! I have had such a great time learning the ins and outs of a new culture and a new language. It is especially fun for me because I am Hispanic, and I’m having a great time being able to compare and contrast the Italian and Hispanic cultures as the two are actually quite similar! I’ve met several Italian people my age, with the University Partners we were paired with as well as out at bars when we go out for a few drinks, and it has been really interesting to meet other university aged kids and learning about what they study and what their life is as a student in Italy. My favorite thing has been able to just walk around the city, and then suddenly passing by the Colosseum, or being able to eat gelato looking at the Circus Maximus.
There has been a little bit of a culture shock, of course, that I have been able to adapt to since arriving in Italy. The biggest thing that I have felt, especially when I am homesick, is the accessibility and convenience to everything. When at Rollins and I was having a bad day or needed a pick me up, it was easy to hop into a car and go off to Target, or pick up food at McDonald’s, or even take a stroll down Park Ave to the bookstore. But here in Rome, there is no Target or drive through one can go to. There are many places to stop by to grab a coffee and a treat, it is a thing to go get a coffee, it feels like much more of a journey and a process, and not an easy minimal interaction situation like it is in the United States. The same goes for just grabbing a quick dinner. There is no such thing as a quick dinner here in Italy as Italians value the time sitting at a table together, spending that time together. Dinners are usually at least an hour long, and it can be difficult to get the attention of a waiter, which can be tiresome when all I want to do is be done quickly and go to bed.
But what I have learned from this and what I have learned to appreciate is slowing down my life a bit, especially when I am having a bad day. I use the time it takes to get a coffee and a little sweet treat to take a breather and to re-set my mind set. I use the long dinners to catch up with my new friends and to check in with them. Instead of being cranky at the amount of time it is taking to eat dinner, I enjoy the bonding time, and even have gotten to know the waiters at our favorite restaurant we frequently visit. This small cultural shock that I did not even realize that I would get has allowed me to slow my life down a little to be able to either re-set my mindset and to enjoy little small things, such as dinner with friends. I feel like in the United States I am always rushing to do the next thing, even if I don’t have a next thing planned, and here in Rome I’ve been able to enjoy the present activity with no rush.