Arriving in Italy was massive culture shock. The sight seeing and the streets were a major difference from Michigan.
The people in Italy are very different from Americans. The people are much more diverse. They are also much more passionate about their art, homes, and lifestyle than we see in America. Designer clothes are a huge staple here for many Italians, and they love their cars too; even if they are the slightest bit crazy with them. The dinners are much more family oriented and they like to take their time with it. They start with the appetizer, then the main dish, then the dessert and each meal is made to be loved. They love their four- or five-course meals here, and meals can take two hours or more.
The sights and architecture here is so different from America, but it has its own beauty and identity to each and every inch of Rome. The city itself never seems to sleep, and the people here seem to love their lives here.
The people of Italy get around a lot more by bus and train than cars, which is because people like to use the transit and walk. There is a lot of people, so staying together is impossible.
The way the people love to stick together is reiterated, even within the ancient times, as when we saw the Baths of Caracalla; baths that the old Ancient Romans seemed to love to share together, next to one another, and even the rich would join in at times.
Each building and place has its own identity and history in Italy, and each has a different meaning to the country and people.
The weather is warm and dry, and is extremely humid here. The sun is a lot warmer, and the entire city of Rome is a walkable city, which is a major difference from the pothole-filled state of Michigan.
The people and the language are much more direct and fast. There are a lot of different people from different cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities.
It was nice to visit the Colosseum and see how it was created and designed from our tour guides, and how much still remains of the Colosseum to this day. It was one of the most beautiful sights to see, with all the columns and being able to see the bottom floor of it, where thousands of gladiators fought. It was amazing to be able to stand on something so historically significant. The Colosseum is very old so looking at all the historical rocks and architecture. Limestones and stone were used to build the Colosseum, along with brick, and you can see the wear on each part of it, but it’s incredible to see such a massive part of history, along with the entire city of Rome.
Italian is very common but English is spoken here too, probably because of the amount of American tourists that love to see this city, along with the entirety of Italy. In Italy the food is mostly pasta, pizza, and bread. They love their carbs in Italy.
The Italian people and the country itself is a world of a difference compared to back home, but it's easy to fall in love with Italy.
Tags: Study Abroad