It’s a Roller Coaster

I think no matter the city you travel to, language barriers are a key contributor to feelings of occasional discomfort and culture shock. Local languages are such a beautiful characteristic of areas, but when you cannot express yourself and have difficulty understanding others it can be overwhelming. One way to overcome this is to carry a travel translator book with you when you walk about the city. My friends and I were lost once looking for the grocery store, and we were in a small area of town where many people did not speak English. I had my book with me, and we were able to ask directions from a lady working at a local shop by using frequent phrases the travel book provided.

Another key difference in Italian culture is the dining experience. To start, meals in Italy are slower than in the United States. They allow you to talk after your meal and will only bring the check if you request (“Il conto, per favore”) it to be delivered. In addition, waiters in Europe are paid better than in the United States and therefore do not need to be tipped. Not being reliant on tips, service can sometimes be less accommodating.

Even with all of the cultural differences to adjust to, culture shock typically only lasts a brief period where you feel overwhelmed. When I first entered Italy, I was excited to begin my five weeks in the historic city of Rome! After a few weeks, I began to miss home and American normalcies that I am familiar with. However, when the time came to leave, I did not want to part ways with the beautiful country and the people I met while studying. Culture shock is a roller coaster. You start by being surprised and overwhelmed, you adjust and accept the differences in the middle, and then you are sad to see it all go. Overall, my time in Italy was fulfilling and I will miss it incredibly. I am so grateful to have been able to spend the past five weeks in Rome studying at John Cabot!