How are things different from my culture?

This is a standard selfie pic of me and my friend Trevor waiting to get our tickets for the Italian national game. The grouping of people for these tickets was insane!

1. I have read about Florence in quite a few books, but man is experiencing it first hand a whole other experience. One of the largest differences that I have noticed between American and Italian culture is that Americans are (or at least they try to be) obsessed with order. Italians seem to be more about going with the flow. For example, I got the opportunity to watch the Italian National team play Moltov at Stadio Artemio Franchi. The game was amazing, on the other hand, buying the tickets at the box office was a whole new animal! Instead of ticket lines, there was a ticket horde! All the fans were so excited to get their ticket that no one took the time to make a line. When in Italy, getting cut in line doesn’t exist because there is no line.

Being used to my American customs, I initially found this slightly irritating, but then I also came to realize that this is no longer my country, and that I have to adapt to local customs, besides it was cool being in a crowd of excited calcio fans! It also helps that Italy won 1-0… Viva I’italia.

2. Another large difference that I have noticed is the driving. In the United States, all the laws are obsessed with safety. Drivers are forced to follow a strict set of driving codes, ironically you see people crash all the time. I’m sure that the driving laws here in Italy are fairly stern, however, the driving is way more intense….there are scooters everywhere!

Be sure to buckle your seatbelt because asking a taxi cab driver to get you somewhere quick in Florence is like buying a ticket in a time warp machine that accelerates at least an hour into the future. The most ironic thing about it all is that for all the “willy nilly” driving, Italians seem to be a lot more safer on the roads! I think having a looser driving style actually promotes driver safety because each driver has a better understanding of what their vehicle can and cannot do. In the United States we are constantly drained by the strictness of our rules, when we drive, we are more likely to want to break them.

Are there any similarities?

One of the largest similarities that I see between the United States and Italy, is the diversity of the people that live in Florence. Whether it is students, tourists, merchants, shop owners etc. there are people here from all over the world. In my hometown, between the Denver and Aurora metro area in Colorado, the diversity is also similar. There I interact with people from Pakistan, Morocco, Gambia, Ethopia… the world was a melting pot and I loved it. Finding a culture across the ocean that is similar to mine in diversity is definitely cool.

What would future students find helpful?

1. Know that it’s not all going to be rainbows and sunshines. One of the largest things that I have had to overcome in my time here is cultural and lifestyle adjustment. For the first couple days I really felt like I had no idea what I got myself into. I don’t understand the language, I am going away from my country for more than a few weeks, I know nobody who goes to school here etc. On top of that, worrying about school, traveling and getting my life together in general is overwhelming.

However, the solution is simple: breath, breath slowly. Make sure to take everything that you do one step at a time, remind yourself that cultural adjustment is part of the process and reassure yourself that this is only a temporary stage of study abroad. Chances are that there are many students just like you, going through the same thing. Keep reminding yourself what your greater purpose for coming here is and enjoy the ride. This is a time in your life to experience and dare I say it, smell the flowers, or the pasta in this case.

2. Be proactive in searching for opportunities and unique experiences. This is probably the greatest advice that I can give any future study abroad student. Make sure you take the initiative to do the things that you want to do, don’t just follow the crowd. I know this thought may seem a little scary, but I believe that taking the first step in looking for adventure is crucial in the character development that happens when you go to study abroad. Be the one to plan a trip with friends, be the first one to start a conversation with a random stranger, be that guy (in my case) or that girl. Most of the time your friends will be just as excited as you to hear a new idea for something that you can do so don’t be afraid to use that hole in the center of your face to make noise and have your voice heard!

3. Never expect anything to go as planned. Every time me and my friends plan something it never goes accordingly. However, that’s okay. Part of what makes studying abroad so amazing is that the majority of fun things that happen when everyone least expects them. Maybe plan one or two things loosely, but after that let life take its course! Besides planning is stressful, having fun is not.

What have I found frustrating? 

1. One of the largest things that I have found frustrating is the language barrier between me and all of Italian society! I don’t know any Italian so accomplishing some of the most basic tasks, like going grocery shopping can become difficult, awkward or annoying. I’ve made it my goal to add three new italian phrases to my vocabulary per week. Once I have a better grasp on the language I know that these daily practices will get easier.

2. Another frustrating dynamic is balancing the interest of your friends that you make abroad. Some of your friends might just want to go out, other friends don’t want to go out, some friends don’t really seem to care for travel and others seem to only care about travel. All these different interest makes it hard when it comes to decision making of what the group should do for activities. What has been keeping me sane is me continually asking myself, “am I doing what I want to be doing, and am I okay with what the group wants to do”. As long as I stay true to these questions I know I will be good.

What have I loved?

This a picture of me and my friend Ben after we hiked around the hills in Cinque Terre, the small town pictured here was amazing to be at.

1. Cinque Terre! Hiking the beautiful hills of these sea-side towns has to be one of the top ten most beautiful things that I have done. The towns in the area were beautiful, quaint and as colorful as a pack of crayons. The seafood was also amazing! I had some local mussels (caught that day) and Cinque Terre famous white wine, I was in food junky heaven to say the least. 

This is me after a hike in Terre…I felt like my legs were going to fall off at this point.

This is my view of Cinque Terre, I can not believe that a place as beautiful as this exists.

I also can’t describe how peaceful it felt to see the ocean. I am land locked in Colorado so getting the chance to see the beautiful clear waters of Terre made my semester. I can still feel the breeze and smell of wet sand and sea salt… if I close my eyes long enough I can feel the rays of the sun warming my body as I lay on the shore…take me back!

This a my view of the beach in Terre…. #breathtaking

2. Specifically, one of the things that I have enjoyed the most since being in Florence is the pizza.  Having the chance to taste its cheesy greatness is a real blessing. Aside from just the food, being able to see the whole city from Piazza Michelangelo was amazing and made me realize how beautiful it is to travel and to get to see the world. Not everyone gets this opportunity in their lifetime, and being here in Florence makes me realize how important it is to make every moment count.  It is a true blessing to be here, and I am thankful for everyone who has supported me through this journey.

This is me and the expression on my face after I had eaten one personal size pizza and was on the verge of eating another.

Fino alla prossima volta! Ciao!

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Alvaro is a current student at Colorado State University studying at Florence University of the Arts in Italy during the Fall 2015 term.