Culture Shock

Immediately upon touching down in Italy, the cultural difference between it and the United States was obvious. People in Italy were so much warmer, so much more friendly than in the United States. In Italy, when people leave their houses, they expect to socialize, to meet new people, to have conversations! In the United States, conversation with strangers is almost always met with hostility and suspicion, and a general “Why are they talking to me?” attitude. In Italy it’s totally different. Not only will you not be given a death-stare for trying to speak with someone, they will speak back and continue to do so until you decide to leave! People in Italy are so welcoming to new people, that it makes me sad sometimes that I’ve had to return to the United States. I felt really at home in a country where people genuinely want to speak to each other.

My experience with culture shock was a bit unusual, I’d say, and my professor often remarked at how well-adjusted our class was. I was obviously beyond excited for the first week of the Dialogue, and actually managed to remain so for the entire trip. The second week was definitely the most difficult, as it was rainy most of the days. That was when I was the most homesick. I really missed my friends and family, and my girlfriend back home, and was wondering what they were all up to while I was away. But once the rain stopped, I went right back to enthusiastically experiencing as much of Italy as I was physically able to. I probably stumbled right into the perfect solution to Culture Shock, be busy all the time. Sure, it was a little frightening and strange to be in a country whose first language is not one I know very well, but I just kept filling my time there with new sights and sounds, and practicing my conversation all the time. Another thing I believe helped me to beat the culture shock was the company I had. The other students on the trip and I were all so different from each other, but we all quickly became really good friends. I think this is probably the most important factor in beating culture shock: be with friends.