Earlier this summer, I took a short family trip abroad. We flew Delta, and their newest safety presentation video is preceded by a short video on how traveling closes the gaps between human beings and shows us all the similarities we share. As September nears, I find myself considering this further.
As an American born student with Latin American roots, I have been exposed to the two cultures. This has allowed me to be more flexible and makes it easier for me to adapt to other cultures. This also gives me an advantage when learning Romance languages, making it easier for me to pick up Italian from already speaking Spanish fluently. Due to this, I think my experience of culture shock will not be too drastic and uncomfortable. I will be able to focus more on exploring and creating connections.
As a city with a long established artistic culture, I expect to find more people interested in the arts. I find that American culture is very centered in pop culture, and it is a little more difficult to find people my age deeply interested and invested in fine art. Perhaps I will meet people with the same passion as me for art and its place in human history. Orlando is such a new city that walking through Rome will feel to me as if I’m walking through a whole different world, an artwork itself.
Overall, I cannot wait to finally experience Rome and not have to continue making assumptions and guesses on how it will be. While I am feeling stressed out from waiting too long to start my packing, I have a sense of ease and an open heart, knowing that this semester will be as enjoyable as I let it be. I hope that my travel companions and I can manifest a beautiful, humbling, and informative semester.
Europe is much more focused on the health of our planet than the United States is. Public transportation is more extensive and less water and energy are wasted. I am very used to American living and will probably encounter issues getting used to these changes but I know they are for the better and they are changes I have wanted to make.