Submitted by Kaitlyn McConeghy on the 2018 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
One of the best ways to see Italy is by train, so on a rainy day this weekend, we decided to take the train to Napoli (Naples) for the day. What I expected was a peaceful day in a seaside town—pizza, scenic views, quiet beaches. What I got was a day that challenged me in so many ways.
Naples, in a sense, is pure Italy. Let me explain. Before you leave for a semester in Italy, everyone will tell you that they prefer cash, that you should speak Italian, etc. In Rome, we’re pretty lucky since quite a few places take credit cards and while they appreciate it if you speak Italian, most people speak at least a little bit of English. In Naples, however, all of these rules truly applied. Napoli was really cash-only. We couldn’t even use credit cards to purchase Metro tickets. My Italian skills were really put to the test. I had to try to figure out which set of trains and Metros would get us back to the Napoli Centrale station using only Italian (somehow we made it!). Naples was definitely not the easiest or most tourist-friendly city to visit, but it was definitely one that taught me the most. I left the day a LOT more confident in my Italian language skills and my ability to navigate a foreign city. In the end, we got a little bit of everything—the beautiful seaside views, the amazing pizza and also the sense of challenge.
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