I never doubted the impact that my identity could have on how I experience and view the world and I still believe that the impact of one’s identity on their experiences is quite large, almost like the effect of rose-colored glasses, but not necessarily always with a positive connotation. Everyone has a unique perspective and worldview which causes one to have different takeaways and struggles when interacting in the world. You can only hope that your perspective is one that is open to new opportunities and experiences that you can seize and that it isn’t instead limiting you. Furthermore, before studying abroad I emphasized how different identities impact how you see and experience different cultures and the world at large. I believed that those on the opposite side of the spectrum with regards to different aspects of identity, do tend to see and experience the world differently. While this still remains true, I would say that being abroad reminded me how unifying experiencing a new culture can be. While abroad I met people from all walks of life, yet no matter what our political views were, what God we believed in, or didn’t, or what our race and ethnicity was, we all bonded over the difficulties of adapting to a new culture, our appreciation for different cultures overall, and our awe of the history all around us. Therefore, while different people see the world through a distinctive lens and experience new situations differently, we have more in common with those that seem to be the most different from us and experience new situations more similarly to others than we originally expected. In the end, these similarities lead us to bond in many ways. With those I met abroad, we continuously worked at utilizing our different perspectives and takeaways to ensure that everyone was experiencing this new culture in the most openminded way and taking the most away from this experience. We would all talk about what we love and disliked about being abroad, and sometimes there was overlap, and other times what one loved about being abroad, was what someone else disliked about being abroad. By linking reasons why some aspects were liked and others disliked, those with opposing views were given the opportunity to see things in a new light. Therefore, we bonded over what we saw and experienced in the same ways, but also grew and expanded our perspectives by allowing differences and giving way to new perspectives. My time abroad was invaluable, full of growth, new friendships, a million new memories, and countless life lessons. Rome will always be home.
