Identity is one of the key foundations of humanity. It has caused wars, shaped political climates, built and broken barriers, and boggled the minds of most of the world. Our beliefs, values, and judgements all stir together to form the core of our identity. Typically causing more strife than peace, identity has been integral in shaping our world\u2019s history and evolving the human population. The way identity plays out in society varies across cultures. I will be facing this difference for the first time as I venture from the United States to Rome, Italy, where I will be studying abroad for the next 4 months. In light of this trans-Atlantic journey that I am about to embark on, I realized that 20 years old is an interesting and essential age to reflect on one\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First and foremost, I identify as a young woman. While living at \nRollins was a taste of freedom for me, traveling alone to another \ncountry and living on my own is a feat of total independence that many \npeople of my gender and age do not have the ability to experience. These\n 4 months abroad should progress my identity as a strong, independent \nwoman. Additionally, cooking entirely for myself abroad will be a new \nfeat that, while falling under typical female gender roles, coincides \nwith my love of food and my ability to create with it. Crucial to my \nexperience is my Italian identity. Traveling to Italy feels more like \n\u201cgoing home\u201d than going to Rollins did. While not fluent in the language\n (yet), I feel less of a stranger in a new land than an eager student \nlearning her heritage. This is integral in terms of my adjustment to the\n Italian culture and how I both view and relate to the natives I meet \nthere. I already feel connected to the people, and desire to become more\n and more Italian every day there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, my identity as a young student paints the way I interact with\n and see the world, especially a city as rich in history and culture as \nRome. Every overheard Italian conversation, beautiful building, and \npiece of artwork sparks my interest and desire to explore. While I will \nbe taking classes at a university, the bustling streets of Rome are \nwhere my hunger for knowledge will roam free. I hope to learn from the \nlocals much more than just pasta-making, but the particulars that \ncomprise a Roman\u2019s identity and how to live more like one. The different\n identities I encounter while abroad, from my American roommates to the \ncorner cappuccino-makers, will both challenge and enrich my own, as I \nstrive for a harmonious and beautiful time abroad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Identity is one of the key foundations of humanity. It has caused wars, shaped political climates, built and broken barriers, and boggled the minds of most of the world. Our beliefs, values, and judgements all stir together to form the core of our identity. Typically causing more strife than peace, identity has been integral in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":402,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[369],"class_list":["post-18450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-isarome","tag-rollinsabroad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/402"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18450"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19565,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18450\/revisions\/19565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}