After completing my first two weeks in Florence I can definitely say Italians have a very different way of living than Americans. Being a large part Italian and having taken several Italian language courses throughout my schooling, I was able to adapt to their life style slightly easier than others. That being said there are definitely some hardships that take time to get used to. The first few days to week are pretty brutal. The time difference alone is a lot to deal with on top of having no air conditioning, ice, or dryer. These basic necessities we have in America are not custom here and takes a bit to get used to and can be inconvenient at times. Eventually you get your bearings and learn to live without these things.
I knew of a lot of these challenges going into the program and wanted to push myself to truly immerse myself in the culture. I am very proud of my Italian heritage and have wanted to come here my whole life to experience how my ancestors lived. In my Italian II class I am learning more advanced Italian allowing me to speak as much Italian with the locals as possible, which they greatly appreciate. Just like how in America it’s easy for us to spot foreigners, we are just as easy to spot here, and Italians are not afraid to stare and judge. In my other class, Cross Cultural Psychology, I have learned a lot about the cultural differences between Italians and Americans. We analyze Italian’s way of life compared to ours, from the speed at which we move, to the times we eat, to family dynamics, and so on.
By merely observing how Italians live it has helped me adapt to living here. Accustoming myself to their way of life has made my experience all the more enjoyable. My main goals for this program are to understand the Italian culture so I can not only live the life style to the best of my ability but also use what I learn from this experience in my future career. Talking to the locals and learning their culture helps me better understand how to connect with all kinds of individuals which will help me with patient care in the future. As a physical therapist I’ll treat many different patients who I will hopefully be able to understand better from my experiences not only in Italy but other countries and cultures I’ll see along the way.
