During my time in Italy, I learned so much about the culture and how they conduct their business. It is very different than the way we do business in America, as the Italian culture is much slower and more relaxed. They pride themselves in having a very good work life balance, which is not very common in American culture. I think that some Americans think that conducting business like this is not as productive or efficient but during my time abroad I was able to gain a lot of perspective and discover that focusing more on having a positive work-life balance can actually be very beneficial to one’s overall quality of life. I found that Italians are much more patient and enjoy spending quality time connecting with the people that they are conducting business with. They want to make long-term connections and not just get their customers in and out. I really value this part of their culture and found that business feels a lot more personal when done that way.
Additionally, during my time in Italy, I discovered that a lot of my initial impressions changed. For example, when I first arrived I disliked the slower pace and found myself getting impatient from time to time. However, throughout my trip, I grew to love the relaxed lifestyle and realized that you are able to appreciate so much more of the world around you when you slow down and allow yourself to take it all in. I really enjoyed spending time learning from the Italians about a variety of things whether it was history or even how the family-owned restaurant I was eating at was founded. I found that they were always willing to have a meaningful conversation with you and were excited when I wanted to learn about their culture.
Overall, I feel like my time abroad was a life-changing experience and I am so grateful that I got to attend this trip. I cannot wait to go back to Italy someday, as it now feels like I have a little piece of home there!
