Ciao ! I cannot believe that I am already halfway through the program. Time has flown by so quickly, and it feels like just yesterday I was getting used to a completely new environment. The past few weeks have been so exciting, especially as I’ve had the chance to explore the city, try new foods, and meet new people from different backgrounds. Although I feel more comfortable in Italy now than when I first arrived, there have still been some challenges in assimilating to Italian culture. For instance, I have noticed that Italians prefer a more laid-back and flexible routine in a lot of aspects of their daily routines. For example, when dining in a restaurant people tend to take their time, chat, and fully enjoy their meal. This vastly differs from what I am usually accustomed to. In the U.S, everything seems very structured and timely. To adjust to this cultural difference, I have been trying to become more open-minded and overall just appreciate the experience.

A challenge I have encountered in my classes has been the ambiguity and uncertainty in the instructions provided. For example, in my consulting class, my professor often leaves tasks open-ended, encouraging us to take ownership of our assignments and prioritize our creative input. Compared to what I am used to at home, this initially made me uncomfortable as I was used to having very clear instructions and guidelines for each assignment. However, I have been viewing this more so as an opportunity to think outside the box and encourage collaboration among group members.

When navigating cross-cultural situations, I have been making an effort to become more informed so that I do not unintentionally disrespect local cultural norms. I have done this by asking questions to Italian locals and by conducting my own online research to better understand expectations. One thing I realized was that it is considered improper to go outside with your hair wet, as many Italians believe it can make you sick. Learning about these small cultural differences have helped me become more aware and more observant. Overall, these experiences have helped me communicate more effectively and build meaningful relationships with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.