Today marks over 3 weeks since I have been living in Venice, Italy! Before I arrived in Venice, I was filled with a lot of anxiety about how this trip would go, and how I would be able to adjust to a place that is so foreign to me and that I know nothing about! But let me tell you, ever since I have been here I have felt so comfortable and have felt so at home! From the second that I stepped foot onto this island, I fell in love with it. I find that the Italian culture is so welcoming, even to someone who doesn’t speak any italian like me! The language barrier can definitely be a problem sometimes, but I find that even just learning a few common phrases can help you go a long way here in Venice.
The biggest differences that I have noticed so far between here and the U.S. is in efficiency. I find that here in Italy, the Italians are not worried about being efficient with their time, with their food, or with their infrastructure. For example, Italians like to take their days very slow, and are usually not on time for anything like how we are in America! They show up 15-30 mins late to things, take hours to eat dinner(no kidding), and have a lot of down time to rest during the day. The way they prepare their food is also very different here than in America. Here, everything is made on the spot, fresh and from scratch, and is served in small quantities. In America, food is usually pre-made in large portions in order to serve the customer more quickly and efficiently! Also, the schooling system here is very different than America. Professors often do not provide a complete syllabus, expecting you to remember/keep up with the due dates for classwork. Also, here at Ca’ Foscari, usually around 80-100% of our overall course grade is based on the final exam in the class, which can be very stressful. But other than that, I have really enjoyed getting to sit in a classroom with people from all over the world, hearing their perspectives on things and how they differ from my perspective.
Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in Venice, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds!
Ciao!