I got to Venice the day before my orientation with Ca’ Foscari, so my first real day in the city was the next day at orientation. We had buddies that we could reach out to and connect with that went to the University, but most of the friends I made were other international students. That day we had our main orientation, a tour of the business campus, and a welcome party at the University later in the evening. There were many opportunities to meet people, especially in the first two months, which was helpful for me because I went on my exchange without knowing anybody. The business school was all on its own campus, so I didn’t have to worry about figuring out my way around the island and the canals in order to get to class everyday. Most international students, myself included, lived in Mestre which was on the mainland of Italy and about a 20 minute bus or tram ride to Venice. From there, the business campus is about a 15-20 minute walk. There are not many means of transport in Venice, except water taxis because the city is mainly canals and narrow streets. There is a transportation card that you can get for 25 euros a month and have access to most means of transport in Mestre and Venice.
My initial impressions of Venice was that it was a beautiful city, and it is so unique from other cities in Italy and around the world because it is isolated on its own island and there are endless amounts of canals and bridges to wander and discover. I spoke very little Italian, just enough to greet and ask simple questions, and I found that most residents of the island spoke some English and didn’t mind much if you had to spend some extra time trying to overcome that language barrier. The main differences I noticed from the culture there and here in the US was that most people are minding their business and don’t care to make small talk or smile at strangers. Those things might just be me when I interact with service workers or random strangers, but I had to get used to that. Very small things like that were the initial differences in culture to me, but most interactions with people went very well and they appreciate when you try to speak the language and respect their way of life.
