In what seemed like the blink of an eye, my six-week study abroad adventure has come and gone. Although it flew by, living in Florence has been one of the most profound and eye-opening experiences I’ve ever had. When I think back on what I’ve learned, the greatest lessons I take home are not about Italian art, wine or architecture. On the contrary, the most valuable things I learned are about the people and culture of Italy, the United States and the world in general. Allow me to impart some of this newfound knowledge in list form.
1. When compared to other civilizations, the United States is in its infancy.
Living and traveling in Italy has made me realize the long, complex history on which its culture is based. In Italy and many other places in Europe, people take pride in thousands of years of rich history. The United States has much less — only about 250 years since the independence was claimed from Great Britain. It's certainly impressive that we've come so far in so little time, but it also makes me realize that the modern world began long before America even existed.
2. When compared to Italian culture, Americans move very fast.
This was a pet peeve of mine before I ever visited Italy, but living there for six weeks really put it into perspective. Italians move at a more leisurely pace than Americans. Sometimes this pace comes at the expense of efficiency and reliability, but what they lose in professionalism they make up in quality time and conversation. For example, any shop owner may dip out of his post for two or three hours to enjoy lunch with family or friends. For most Italians, the people in their lives are more important. In the States, I sometimes feel like we’ve lost that outlook and replaced it with a more corporate one. As one tour guide said, Italians work to live. Americans live to work.
3. Cultural and lingual differences are what separate us as humans.
One reason Europe is such an amazing place is because it encompasses so many diverse cultures. Aside from speaking different languages, I’ve discovered that culture is what truly differentiates us. For argument’s sake, let’s say I looked European and spoke fluent Italian (not the case). The locals would still be able to pick me out because I’ve not had time to adapt to their way of living. Showing up at a restaurant expecting to eat dinner at six o’clock, for example, is normal in the States. The same behavior in Italy makes it obvious that you’re not from there.
4. That being said, we really are not that different.
Language, culture and lifestyle do divide us, but I’ve come to realize that we are far more similar than different. This was probably my most profound and beautiful discovery from the trip. No matter where or how we live, we are all people united by human nature. Certain things cross all boundaries and serve as universal languages. Music, emotion, art and tragedy are just a few of the things that unite us. They are powerful enough to bring people from all corners of the globe together and strong enough to open my eyes to how alike we really are.
