So far during my time in Italy, I have found that there are many things that are different than in America. For example, on Sunday most stores are closed which means that if you want to get groceries, you will need to do so ahead of time or during the morning hours if some may…
Blog Prompt 2
In general terms I feel as if I have adapted quickly to my newfound city life in Rome. Nevertheless, I have experienced frustration because of the language barrier. On occasion I have felt helpless with the inability to clearly express my thoughts with locals. Had I made a big mistake in choosing to move to…
Blog Post #2
When it comes to cultural confrontations in London, it’s difficult to find the right words. This is thanks to the assumption that I have never been subjected to a significant cultural confrontation in London. My time in London has been incredible. I’ve been welcomed by British people, and since we all speak English, it’s difficult…
Blog #2: The Problem with Peanut Butter
I’ve really been enjoying my time in the UK, really I have. However, I’ve had a few moments of frustration while I was here. I remember, most clearly, perhaps the most absurd example of this happening. I was in the mood for peanut butter, and I remembered that the UK didn’t have any. I was…
Blog Post #2
As I have spent more time in Italy I came to see differences between Italy and America that had never occurred to me before. Doing laundry, going grocery shopping, even turning on a light are all things that are different here; most of the differences are minor but as time goes on it begins to…
Blog Post 2
This semester has passed halfway, I have been experiencing much culturally, which made me think about my life lessons. Since I have experienced general study abroad where I live away from home, it was easier for me to adjust my homesickness from my hometown. However, some new homesickness came into me, which I am missing…
Blog Post 2
Cultural confrontation was something I thought that I would not experience in the U.K. I felt that I was open-minded enough that I would not have this. However, I still experienced cultural confrontation that I did not expect despite my mentality. I became ill with a sinus infection, and I was not getting better, so…
Pre-Study Abroad Blog
As I reflect upon U.S. culture, both the fast-paced lifestyle and larger scale of everything comes to mind. In America, people are constantly looking for how to do something in the fastest way possible, whether that be with fast food or technology. People are constantly on the go and prefer to accomplish things in the…
Blog #1 France: IAU
American culture, it seems to me, is an amalgam of many competing influences and ideas. There is an openness here that allows the ambitious to integrate and thrive, but that openness seems to come at the price of a well-defined cultural identity. I feel very much of two minds about the multicultural environment in the…
Blog Reutlingen Germany
As part of the dual degree program I have gone to Reutlingen. The exam and semesters are structured differently and also at different times. The Fall 2021 semester ended on January 29, 2022 after I took my last of 8 exams. It was a very long and work heavy semester and not very pleasant with…