Category: Italy: ISA Rome

One aspect of Italian culture that I had to adjust to was how they view time. In Italy, things tend to move at a slower pace in all aspects of life. For example, the bus system is not the most reliable. Many of the buses tended to show up later than the scheduled time, or…

Now that I have completed a full semester abroad, I have lots to reflect on. I definitely had to adjust to a lot of aspects of my host culture. The first aspect was all the walking you had to do. The easiest way to get around in Rome is honestly to walk. I had to…

1.     An aspect of the host culture that I was not expecting to experience was the lack of alone time/space. Due to the size of our rooms and apartment, it was very evident we would be spending a lot of time in the presence of our roommates or friends. This is not a bad thing,…

Italy has been an amazing experience and I have truly been lucky to have the opportunities to travel most weekends and see other areas of Italy and other countries. Although my time abroad as looked perfect online, there has definitely been times where I needed to adjust and felt lost. The cafe and bar culture…

An experience of cultural confrontation that has happened so far during my time abroad has been when I first made some local friends. One friend, in particular, spoke no English. This was an interesting challenge to tackle, as I do not speak enough Italian to converse properly. The first night we met, I was with…

My biggest cultural confrontation as minuscule as it seems was an elevator. The first night that I was in Rome, before we moved into our apartments, I stayed alone at a Bed and Breakfast. I arrived at 9:30 pm and a random man was waiting out front with my name on his phone. Through this…

Thinking about moments of cultural conflict I think of the time I caught a cold. I first was not thinking about the possible conflicts of culture, but I definitely faced some. At home, I usually will take medicine, drink Gatorade, and have chicken noodle soup. In Italy, they seem to prioritize homeopathic remedies first, which…

Moving to a new country in Europe and embarking on an unfamiliar academic and cultural journey has come with a rollercoaster of emotions- from the initial honeymoon phase of complete excitement, curiosity, exploration, and joy to the dive down into feelings of homesickness, stress, confusion, and isolation. Factors including the language and communication barrier, public…

One example of cultural confrontation I faced was learning how to shop in Italian grocery stores. In a more broad sense, learning to cook for myself in Italy. In the United States, we have dozens of options for shopping for groceries. Around Rollins, there is Publix, Trader Joes, Wholefoods, and many more options. Near my…