Next week my friends and I will embark on our trip to ISA, the American University of Rome. The preparation process has been long and tough (don’t even get me started on packing), but I am still beyond excited to land in Rome.
I have studied abroad before. I know firsthand the extreme culture shocks American students can experience when they set foot in Europe. Life there is vastly different than what we experience. Value is placed on different ideas and beliefs, and it takes a while to fully adjust. Specifically, I have noticed how we treat meals and our time at the “table.” In the United States, many people don’t see eating as a break time or even all that important. We eat a lot of food on the go, whereas in Europe, they treat meal time differently. Here, we will often try to make eating a quick ordeal. We see it as something that’s necessary but not all that important. I know how that sounds obviously eating is important, but with our lifestyles, we don’t get to sit down and enjoy our meals that often. It’s a huge reason why the fast food industry is so prominent in the United States.
After studying abroad twice in Europe, this is something that I definitely now have some resentment towards. I was taught in Spain and France that meal time is precious. It’s stressed that when you eat, you should sit down and be surrounded by those closest to you. Living with a host family, I ate dinner every single night with them. My host mother would spend hours prepping for dinner for her sons and me to arrive home, and we would always sit at the dinner table. This is significantly different than my parents. We would often sit in front of the television while eating and order take-out. At school, dining stops are also quick. Regardless of if I am alone or by myself, we eat quickly, as we often have class or homework to attend to. It may seem like such a minor difference in lifestyles, but I can promise it takes some adjusting too. I am unsure how it will differ now that I am not living with a host family, but I will look to revert back to the ways I was taught in high school. I hope to show my friends the meaning of meal time in Europe and to carry on this value during my time abroad.
I am unsure how Europeans, or Italians, would view this difference. In my opinion, it may take them by shock. I have seen their value on mealtime, and how much it means to them. So I think they would experience their fair share of culture shock living here. After experiencing both ways of life, I can say I heavily favor how the Europeans treat their meals. I would love if Americans saw it the same way, and I could spend more quality time with friends and family around the dinner table.
This exercise was super useful because it forced me to remember what living in Europe was like. I have a pretty strong advantage here, as I have months of experience dining in Europe. Remembering what it was like also brought up other memories and realizations I had while living there. I am excited to use my prior experiences when I land in Rome.