Studying abroad in Italy has been so rewarding in the short amount of time I’ve been here. I landed two weeks ago, and already I’ve learned a great deal about the culture here and their way of life. I chose this country to travel to because I hope to work here one day, and already the locals have taught me a great deal about business practices. The company visits were a great hands-on experience that allowed me to see their practices firsthand, should I want to conduct business here one day. There is also a divide in Italy that I didn’t expect to see between the northern and southern cities, which has been very intriguing to learn. From the pace they work at, to their logic behind working (working to live versus living to work). Overall, the country is more relaxed and values comfort over competition as far as I’ve seen. For example, meals are dragged out for hours to converse better, even having long lunch breaks to enjoy a meal mid-day with a group. A restaurant won’t approach you about paying or give a receipt to you because it is normal for parties to stay three hours at a time. They also have a nap time here where business will close mid-day. As well as open late and not have early mornings. I’ve also learned that their love for Americans is strong; for every restaurant I’ve been to, our waiter has sat and talked with us, or the owner has come out, with everyone having many questions. Another amazing thing is the views and historical sites I see just walking to class. When in Rome, the casual driving past the Colosseum was amazing. It is mind-boggling to me how normalized one of the seven wonders of the world is to people here. Being able to see a historical building outside my window each night and learn more about its history during the day, is beyond rewarding.
