Submitted by Melissa Jerome on the 2016 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
It’s my second week in Rome and I am starting to get adjusted to life in this beautiful city. I’m also becoming more aware of the differences between Italy and the United States. I met an Italian friend here and we chatted about these differences over pizza, of course. He told me that if you don’t study math or science here, there is limited opportunity. I’ve also heard this from other Italians who have told me they still see the United States as the land of opportunity. We also talked about the Italians’ tolerance of people with different races, sexual orientation, etc. The older generations are the most hesitant to change, as can be expected, but acceptance of these differences is also not very common among younger Italians either. This is just one person’s view of course, and there are also cultural differences between the north and south of Italy.
This past week, I visited the Vatican and climbed all the way to the top of Saint Peter’s for the most amazing view of Rome.