After a jam-packed week of exploring the royals of London, and the ancient city of Rome I have finally arrived in Florence! The past several days have been full of meeting new people, exploring new places, and learning/adapting to a new culture. It has been so busy I feel like I am just now having a spare moment to rest and catch up! I was in London for two days before our five-day orientation in Rome and it was the perfect adjustment period transitioning from the States to now being in a completely foreign country. When we arrived in Rome for the week, each morning started out with a 2-3 hour long meeting about our stay here in Italy. It was very informative and eye opening. We discussed our safety, dealing with culture shock, and other logistics for the trip. There are so many things that differ between Italy and America, it will take some time getting use to, but as we were reminded, all of us students are here in this country as guests. We chose to come abroad and to learn about a new culture and adapt rather than solely stay in our own American ways. There are many things we do and think that are perfectly “normal” that possibly would offend an Italian. For example, while out to eat it is considered rude to ask for a to-go box. Eating out is an event, not meant to be fast paced. If the table wants water they have to ask for it (and pay), while also having to ask your waiter for the check. A difference that has been emphasized between Italians and Americans (specifically students), is drinking. Italians drink, yes, but solely for the pleasure of taste. It has been explained that Italians always want to be at their best, so it is extremely looked down upon to be drunk. Taxis will refuse to take someone home if it’s clear they’re intoxicated. To my knowledge, self defensive it not exactly recognized here. Using pepper spray can lead to being charged with a criminal offense. I’ve noticed the laws to be very black and white here, but again, it’s important for me to realize that I am a guest so I will have to adapt to this new culture. After our meetings we would have free time to eat at a lunch place of our choosing before we had to be back for the afternoon tours. I’ve discovered a lot of changes already between the food in Italy verse the food back home. Here are the rules I have found: 1. Italians don’t mix their food. They eat it all separate and in multiple courses (typically dinner). 2. Bread is to be enjoyed plain, with no olive oil or butter, throughout the entire meal. 3. Spiraling off of #2, they only use olive oil and vinegar as dressing for salads. 4. Spaghetti and meatballs is not something to ask for at restaurants! Contrary to popular beliefs, that is not actually an Italian meal. They make spaghetti, and they make meatballs, but they do not combine the two! 5. Caffe lattes and cappuccinos are to be enjoyed only before a meal for digestion reasons because they contain milk. And they are not suppose to be drank past late morning. 6. And finally, as we all know, Italy is known for their gelato, and this IS acceptable before, during, and after, all meals!! No rules apply here. Our afternoons consisted of many tours of this amazing city. Throughout the week we visited the following: The Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Vatican Museums, The Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Patheon, Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori, S. Maria del Puopolo, Campidoglio, Vittoriano Monument, Fori Imperiali ruins, and the Colosseum, which was less than a 5 minutes walk from our hotel. This is an indescribable city and no pictures or any explanations I could give you could do it justice. The only way to understand Rome is to experience it. Rome has so much history to it, being here walking 8 miles a day for 5 days straight, we still barely even scratched the surface. But out of all the places, the Vatican City is my favorite. It is the smallest country in the world yet has an endless amount of history and art to explore. This past week has been amazing, but I have to admit I’m happy to finally be settled into Florence and experience all it has to offer. Me and my three roommates live in a beautiful apartment on one of the oldest streets in Florence and we are loving every minute! Tomorrow, Monday the 28th, we start our first day of classes! I’m so thankful for this trip and so very excited I made the decision to come abroad. I can’t wait to see what the next three and a half months have in store! Ciao!
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