My first thought when asked to write a blog about culture shock was: wait–culture shock? What culture shock?
I feel like I’ve always lived in Italy, and never had any trouble adjusting to the culture. Maybe it’s because I’ve been to Italy before, spent a month in the same region (Tuscany) before, but looking back at my first few weeks here, I realize that I did, in fact, experience a lot of culture shock in the beginning, and that it is still getting to me. The reason I may not have recognized it as culture shock in the beginning is probably because I was still “honeymooning,” still amazed by and enjoying the cultural differences I could see. But even after four months and my second time around, things still come as a shock to me, taking me by surprise, and usually not in a good way. Take the bus strikes, for instance, the constant, unannounced, unavoidable bus strikes. Every few weeks or so there’s a new one, unannounced as usual, and they tend to throw my entire day out of whack. And whereas in DC I wouldn’t think twice about a bus strike because, hey, there’s always the metro (and, lets be honest, how many of us actually take the bus in DC anyway?), in Florence bus strikes are just a pain in the butt, not to mention a headache or too. And let’s not forget that in addition to the cost of the not one but two taxi rides you need to get between Fiesole and Florence, you also have to contend with the crazy tassiste, taxi drivers, who speed like no one’s business, pass with motorcycles bearing down on them, and stop to chat with each other in the middle of the street. Yes, this actually has happened to me. I could go on, but I think you get the drift.
It’s not just the craziness of transportation that you have to deal with in Italy, though. The differences lie everywhere, just lurking around corners to jump out at you when you least expect them. We were told, for instance, to bring a four-months supply of our favorite hair products and toiletries because there’s no way to find them here. This is not completely true, but buying them here definitely costs un occhio della testa (literally, an eye from one’s head, the Italian version of “an arm and a leg,” and my new favorite expression). Additionally, as a friend of mine was grumbling the other day, there are no comfy Safeways or Whole Foods, and tabacchi and farmacie (drugstores etc) are rarely open even the normal continuous hours, much less the full 24 hours a day, seven days a week that we’re used to. Italians may not tell people they’re taking a siesta, but really, what else are you supposed to call this whole business of things not being open between the hours of 2:30-7pm? A long lunch, apparently. And trying to find anything other than museums, churches and tourist attractions open on a Sunday? Forget it.
It’s funny (in an ironic kind of way), but just the other day I was defending my wish to stay indefinitely in Italy against friends who argued that they were tired of all of the above cultural differences, and then some (up to and including the lack of greasy hamburgers). I contended that the transportation issues, food differences, excessive laundry costs (3 Euros a load!), etc, etc, didn’t bother me. And on a normal day, they don’t. But if I’ve learned nothing else about studying abroad, I’ve learned that you have to take everything just one day at a time. Today, all these differences and annoyances I mentioned don’t bother me at all. The next time there’s a bus strike, or I can’t find a tabbachi that’s open when I need it, or I realize that I’m homesick for a Gugs burger, however, I might not feel so generous about it. But the one thing I can always remind myself of? Life is good when I get to sit in the sun on a terrace and enjoy the still-and-always-breathtaking view of Florence. The end is approaching way too quickly, and I’ll probably never get this chance again. So my advice for you, with all of my heaps and bundles of accumulated wisdom? Be flexible. Remember everything you love about being abroad. Don’t skype too much. Non preoccuparti–don’t worry about things too much. Really though, enjoy the time you have abroad, because it will end all to soon. Oh, and don’t forget–wear sunscreen!
