Final Reflections from Italy – Noah Petersen

For any Aggie who is excited by this but feels anxious about staying in another country for four weeks then please know that I felt the same way, and I cannot be happier that I did it. Italy’s ancient settings will invite you to think about how different life was for people who walked the same streets thousands of years ago. For example, walking through the tight streets of Florence along uneven cobblestones beside gelato shops and grocery stores, I was amazed to see the integration of modernity and antiquity. These same streets that lead to ancient statues and bridges were never meant to accommodate cars, crosswalks, and bus stops, but they do anyway, which is something you have to see for yourself. If you do decide to make the journey, I highly recommend venturing out at night and visiting the sites that are the most crowded during the day, because you are better able to appreciate the architecture and get everything out of the experience (or just take better pictures). I also recommend that you take at least one or two thirty-minute to an-hour walks outside of the city so that you simultaneously avoid tourist traps and get a more honest depiction of Italian culture. For example, one of my favorite restaurants we went to took us almost an hour to walk to. There was much less English accommodation, which made it exciting to test the little Italian we knew, the small staff was incredibly welcoming and the food was exceptional. Because of this program, I am bringing back a greater understanding of things that perplexed me when I first arrived. For example, tipping at restaurants essentially does not exist and it is replaced by a service charge, or ‘coperto,’ so do not be surprised like I was when you see it on your bill. My first thought was that this disincentivized good service, however, I could not have been more wrong, as every server I encountered was excellent. I will also take back a more environmentally conscious perspective thanks to my time in Italy, which was enforced by the trash bins that distinguish plastic, paper, and organic waste, or the charge for plastic bags at grocery stores. I will also admit that there were many things I missed about back home, such as free water at restaurants and getting to drive again, so be aware that you will eventually feel homesick but it is undeniably worth it. Since this trip has come to its conclusion, I believe I am better able to look at other cultures more objectively and less through the perspective of my own, but I have also become more aware that this is a continuous process that I am still working on.

The main way I have enhanced my perspective is through the experiences I had in Italy that surprised and informed me, which taught me to hold onto my assumptions loosely, be willing to be wrong, and never stop asking questions. For example, we learned from a guest speaker in the first week of the trip that nearly half of all Italian businesses have less than ten employees! At the moment, it was an interesting fact, but I did not appreciate its significance until I started venturing around Italy, such as when I saw a team of three or four Italians serving lines of tourists that were several dozens of people long. I also saw numerous families taking care of their respective restaurants with nothing less than a welcoming smile and inviting attitude. I sat in numerous packed cafés served by a single waiter who was always kind and never seemed to want me to leave so others could take my seat. At first, it looked like a lot of work and made me wonder why they did not move into larger buildings with more employees. From an objective perspective, it may be because of costs and a desire to be closer to tourist centers. However, I think there is a deeper reason that says family is the driving force between the small settings, the friendly employees, and even the restaurant names (ex. “Trattoria” or “Pizzeria” or “Osteria”) that are nearly indistinguishable from each other. Perhaps the cooperative aspect of Italian culture prefers creating a sense of family among a handful of employees through the effort it takes to run a restaurant, café, or trattoria over expansion and growth. Of course, this cannot be true everywhere in Italy as it is the birthplace of numerous mega-firms such as Gucci and Prada who are nothing short of the epitome of high profits and business expansion. Yet, I also think about a sandwich shop I visited in Florence run by two brothers where the meat was hung to dry right above your head. During that visit, I asked one of the brothers about the drying process, and the passion he expressed was something I felt was missing in many businesses back in America. Maybe it’s because he owns part of the business and I am a tourist whom he wished to entertain, but I think it contrasts many firms in America that have lost their sense of inner purpose in favor of focusing on extrinsic benefits (i.e. money). For instance, the main lesson taught in many business classes in America is increasing profits, which is important, but it cannot be the whole picture.

As such, I learned a valuable business lesson through my time in Italy: do not lose yourself in the rat race for cash and hold onto an inner purpose that drives your business venture, even if that means running your business with limited intent to grow. I know that this is not a unique conclusion and many of us, myself included, have heard variations of it before. Still, this time in Italy provided proof of concept and I am now a much stronger believer in it. Many of the pictures in this post depict me and some of the fantastic people I met on this trip, so as a last point of encouragement for Aggies considering a study abroad in Italy, if you are worried about making friends I guarantee that there will also be people on your trip who will enhance the experience and help you grow as a person.