Studying abroad in Italy has truly been a blast, however, over the past two months, I have had to make some adjustments to my daily routine to better fit into Italian culture. The first thing that comes to mind that has been challenging for me is the language barrier. When I arrived in Florence in January, I knew absolutely no Italian. I was so grateful that most people here could speak English, or else I would have been totally lost! However, seeing how many locals here can speak multiple languages, it actually inspired me to want to learn and speak more Italian in my daily routine here. I have met locals who can speak Italian, English, Spanish, and more!
Italian class here has helped me learn a lot of basic Italian so far. For one Italian class, we had to order at a cafe fully in Italian. My Italian teacher is also extremely engaging and keeps us speaking and building upon our skills in class. While it is definitely challenging at times, I think learning the language is really fun, and it helps me feel more connected to Florence. I now order things at gelato shops and cafes in Italian, and most of my interactions at clothing stores are fully in Italian. Looking back at how I knew nothing two months ago, I am proud of how far I have come in just a short amount of time!
Another thing that was an adjustment for me here in Italy was walking everywhere. At Pitt, I live pretty close to all of my classes, and I take a car to the grocery store. Here in Florence, I live a minimum 20 minute walk from everything. In the beginning of the semester, I was worried about hating the walk, but now I truly love it. Walking everywhere is really fun, and walking allows me to have the best conversations with locals. Whether it is walking by the waiter that works at the end of our street and having a quick conversation or simply saying “Ciao!” to someone as I pass, I love each interaction. One of my favorite memories was on my walk home from the grocery store when I passed a group of young school children, and they started speaking to me in English to practice, as they were walking with their English teacher. It was so heartwarming, and I ended up having a nice conversation with their teacher as well. All of the people in Italy have been so welcoming and kind.
Although study abroad brings on challenges and adjustments, I am happy to endure each one. Since being here, I feel as though everything I have endured has taught me something along the way. Emerging myself in the local culture and habits has made Florence feel like home. I cannot believe this program is already halfway over! I cannot wait to see what the next six weeks have in store for me!
