International Culture
As soon as I landed back in Dallas after 12 weeks in Italy, I felt like I had woken up from a dream. My first thought was, “did that all actually happen”? I’ve been home for a few weeks now, and I still feel as though the past three months were a mirage. People back in Auburn have asked me how my abroad experience was, and there is no way to put it simply. I could start with unreal, dreamy, magical, unique, or intimate, but I know people are only looking for a one-worded response, and besides, those words barely scratch the surface to describe the journey anyways.
If someone did happen to have the patience or the willingness to let me ramble to them about my study abroad, I would talk about the pace at which Italians move. They’re slow. They take their time with food, with people, and with walking. Everything seems intentional. Coffee cannot be taken to-go there, so you must sit and enjoy your espresso shot at the café with a friend. The Slow Food movement (derived and thriving) is in Italy. Food is made to be an experience, so it is sourced locally, made with passion, and meant to be enjoyed over the course of hours in good company. Even the fashion moves slower, with an emphasis on quality over quantity, and incorporating timeless pieces into every wardrobe. There is nothing like seeing a well-dressed Italian woman on the street.
Everything is centered around people. Food is there to be eaten with friends and family, wine is meant to loosen the crowd to have more enjoyable conversations, enjoying a coffee in the morning at the locals’ favorite café is sacred Italian time, and walking is meant to be done while linking arms with a dear friend on the cobblestone streets.
I got the true Italian experience because I went with 13 other girls from Auburn who were as open-minded to the journey as I was. We lived, learned, slept, and ate together every day for 12 weeks in a foreign country. They were my lifeline and my home, and we experienced every culture bump and breathtaking view together. I learned that meals could last 4 hours long as long as you’re in good company, coffee is more than a grab and go situation, and museums are far more fascinating if you buy a ticket with someone who will stare at and dissect paintings like you do.
I cannot express this enough- but if you get the chance to learn abroad, you must go. If it is for 3 months, 1 month, 2 weeks, you must go. Traveling is a young person’s game. My group and I walked everywhere, with luggage on our backs, through trains, buses, and automobiles and I still don’t know how we kept up at the pace we did for so long. I think we were fueled by adrenaline and curiosity. But adrenaline and curiosity are enough—they are plenty, to have a successful study abroad.
