One of my biggest “aha” moments in Florence actually came about this week, nearing the end of my program from a small but meaningful language slip-up. Throughout my program, we had an Italian survival course built into the curriculum. It met just three times and was designed to help us navigate basic communication skills. From this, my friends and I felt a little more confident and excited to try out phrases like “ciao” when entering shops or greeting locals. From here, we used it constantly, thinking it was a friendly greeting appropriate for any situation. However, during a recent class guest lecture from a local Italian, we learned that “ciao” isn’t actually appropriate for greeting strangers! In the Florentine culture, it’s meant for people you already know, had a conversation with, or after you’ve established some kind of relationship. Instead, greetings like “buongiorno” or “buonasera” are the more respectful and culturally appropriate choices in public or with unfamiliar people.

This small correction hit me more deeply than I expected and has stuck with me. From this, I learned how learning a language isn’t just words and it reflects deeper values; like social norms, familiarity, and boundaries. This realization shifted my mindset from just trying to fit in to paying closer attention to how I develop in a space that isn’t mine.

Ultimately, this mistake became one of my biggest learning opportunities. It reminded me of the concept of cultural humility, which means being open to correction and embracing the fact we are visitors and will not always get things right. Even though our Italian course was brief, its purpose was to help us connect and has stuck with me. Now for the rest of my time here, I have been greeting people with more intention and recognizing how even a word as simple as hello carries weight of respect.