Integrating Into the Italian Culture

Location:
Rome, Italy
Latitude/Longitude:
41.902783500000, 12.496365500000
Journal Entry:

I loved the process of becoming a part of the community when I was living in Rome. Even before I left the United States, I felt determined to try to absorb the local culture. I chose to study abroad in Italy because I have an Italian background but didn’t grow up around the Italian culture. Even though my father was Italian, I never met other Italian people while growing up in San Antonio, Texas. For this reason, I was interested in seeing the culture in action.

When I got to college, I took Italian language classes to brush up on the few Italian skills I had and to learn the correct grammar. I expanded my vocabulary, conversation skills, cultural knowledge and eventually, after a few years, I became fluent. I also took Italian Studies classes where I learned about the country’s geography and history. I read famous books by Italian authors, studied art produced by Italian artists, and learned about the current political climate. I found that there were similar concerns in my state (Texas) and Italy with regard to political issues such as increased migration. After taking these courses in college, I decided to major in Italian Studies.

With this background, I chose to study abroad in Italy because I felt that integrating into the culture, in person, would be especially rewarding!

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