After what seems to have been around the world in 180 days, I feel even more certain that identity has strong influence on our experience of the world. I do also believe that people who have different identities experience the world in a different manner. The world that surrounded me for the last four months however, also demonstrated that it is quite capable of shifting our identity. That somewhere along the journey of study abroad, the world we seem to integrate ourselves into immediately engulfs us. Often, I wondered if my own perception of identity had shifted or if I was simply put, finding myself more than ever before. While I was abroad, I felt drawn to the Italian community more because of my Hispanic upbringing. In a way, I often felt that Europe reminded me of parts of South America. Upon visiting Eastern Europe however, I felt the biggest connection.
The Air B N B’s and our interactions with the locals demonstrated to me that because of my identity, I found certain aspects of day to day life less shocking. Furthermore, because of my upbringing and identity I didn’t feel frightened to jump into the deep end of the pool in regard to experience and new adventurous. While abroad I often feel like my interactions with locals were easier to navigate and establish due to my identity as a young Hispanic girl.
In regard to viewing Romans and their customs, I also felt less scandalized than other people I met along the way. It felt as if I had already known certain customs and was rather just embracing them, rather than feeling any type of shock in regard to traditions and customs. I think our identity sets the base for our experiences. Overall, our identity and our upbringings can ultimately shape us when faced with experiences such as travelling abroad and living there for an extended period of time. However, if we remain open minded to our experiences, our identity can also change and be shaped by our surroundings. It would be crazy to not say that Rome made my identity and my perception of myself changed, for the better of course.