Category: Italy: ISA Rome

It is unfathomable that I have been abroad in Rome for two months now. Within these two months I have been taken aback by some cultural aspects. One big shock to me was the concept of “siesta breaks”. Italians and many other European cultures love the idea of a mid-afternoon rest break. These breaks typically…

I have experienced the most cultural confrontation when dining in restaurants. I find it very frustrating how slow the service is when trying to order or when trying to get the check. It is almost like they servers do not want to take my money which is very different from America. In America they try…

Out of a few cultural confrontations I have experienced in Rome, one of the biggest has been Rome’s public transportation system. Due to my apartment being a little ways away from campus I either have to walk or use the bus which has been entirely different from when I am on campus back at Rollins….

One cultural confrontation I have experienced in Rome, Italy is the grocery store products. As one who likes to cook at home and meal prep for the entire week, it is extremely difficult to do that here. The first problem I was presented with was the different brands the store offers. The store is a…

The cultural confrontation of transportation has been hard, but knowledgeable. I have become so used to having everything within a short distance of me. It’s made me become more and more aware of my surroundings. It’s also made me become more confident with directions and guiding myself. Before coming here I was not at all…

Thus far, living in Rome has been nothing short of amazing. The American University of Rome and the city have been incredibly welcoming to us students abroad. We are made to feel very comfortable in public spaces such as restaurants, and the Romans have a lot of patience (despite some of us having little to…

Having been abroad for about six weeks now, several challenges have presented themselves. Overall, adjusting to a new culture, schedule and language has proven to be difficult, but not impossible! I have found that having patience and staying positive makes all the difference when faced with everything a new city and country throws at you….

One instance of cultural confrontation I experienced was navigating the transportation system in Rome. Back home, public transportation is not something that I have much access to in my area, so it was new to me in general. While it was overwhelming at first trying to figure out how to use the buses, it’s a…

One unique aspect of American culture is our reliance on cars and the centering of the car in planning and infrastructure. The United States is the third largest country by land in the world and spans a whole continent. We are connected by highways and interstates and our cities rely on them for transporting goods…

An aspect of American culture that I have realized is quite unique is the mindset of not wanting to waste one’s time. This attitude is not only understood from the second person’s point of view but is also expected of oneself. Most American’s likeminded value of time is because of the instillation of the simple…