Our first few days in Italy were spent walking around Florence and seeing sights such as the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. The Duomo is gorgeous and very intricate while the Ponte Vecchio had the best view of the river and many cool jewelers. Then, my roommates and I took a weekend trip by train to Nice, France. Instead of sand, Nice had a beautiful stone beach! We were only 20 minutes by train from Monaco, so we decided to go and walk around Monte Carlo and the F1 race track. We saw many cool supercar brands such as Lamborghini and Ferrari.
So far, my experience in Italy has been wonderful, and I’ve been able to quickly notice some key cultural differences from the United States. Firstly, dinner, which is usually around 6 pm-8 pm in the US, usually starts no earlier than 8 pm. Most of the time, restaurants don’t even open their doors until then! Another difference is how much people stare. Unlike in the US, it isn’t rude to stare, and it is out of curiosity. With this, I’ve approached my first week with an open mind, and it is easy to see how exposure to different cultures can make someone more well-rounded and better prepared for future cross-cultural interactions!
