Ciao Everyone!!
I have currently just completed my midterm exams. This week, I will be updating everyone on my adaptability and problem-solving skills while studying in Florence. The most challenging aspect of the culture is understanding and communicating in a different language. Even though most Italian people can communicate with me in English, it still uncomfortable to walk around every day speaking English with my friends. Most of the time, it feels like the locals are staring at my friends and I while we are outside and judging our interactions even though they probably aren’t paying attention to us. I had to adapt to the idea that I should not be ashamed of being having an American culture while living abroad.
Furthermore, whenever I walk into a store, they usually greet me in Italian and ask me how I am doing but I have to respond in English. They respond to me in English, but I feel bad that I have been living in Florence for months without knowing their language and being able to communicate with them. It has improved the longer I have been here by taking my Italian class and learning some basic phrases and words from Italians. Hopefully, by the end of the trip, I can have small and simple conversations with the Florentine people to show more appreciation for their language and culture.
Moreover, another cultural difference is the way the Italians view social interactions. The Italians prioritize personal relationships and a more relaxed attitude, whereas the Americans tend to have a more structured lifestyle. For example, Italians order expressos in coffee shops, which they drink at the counter while talking to fellow customers. Some of these customers may be their friends or just random people, but they are always in conversation with each other. In America, most people enter the coffee shop to get a coffee without any social interaction. If there is social interaction, it is because friends plan to meet together. This difference was apparent to me in my first weeks of living here. At first, I thought it was weird to talk to anyone while getting coffee, but after living here for a couple of months, I find it comforting to engage in a conversation.
Adapting to the culture here has been easy, as most Florentine people are very welcoming. They are all kind when entering stores or restaurants or walking along the streets. It also helps that I went to college far away for two years, during which I learned how to live independently by making food, navigating new places, and caring for myself. College helped prepare me for going abroad. Studying abroad in Florence has been my best experience, and I never want to leave.
