Have you ever moved to another city? In a way, that is what I did. I left my home back in California and traveled 6,000 miles to live in Florence, Italy. Whether it is the language barrier, the lifestyle or the food, adapting to this community for the past month has brought many challenges. However, through it all, I can easily say that it has been one of the best months of my life.
First, the language barrier has been a daily struggle for me. I came to Italy not knowing any Italian, so it was hard for me to get around. Even though I am learning Italian in school, it is still hard to understand when people speak to me unless they talk really slow. I'm trying to speak it as much as I can to practice, but I am scared that I will mess up. However, everyone here is very patient with me. I haven't met anyone who was rude to me because I did not speak Italian or got mad when I pulled out Google Translate for some extra help.
Next, the Italian lifestyle is very different compared to the American lifestyle. People here are more relaxed and take their time with everything. For example, Italians take their time eating their meals. My professor explained it as "slow eating." Not only do Italians eat three-course meals, but they also cherish every bite of food along with the people they are sharing their meal with.
