Submitted by Althea Suniga on the 2019 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
Being the new girl in a new place, has been something I have grown accustomed to. The idea of change, the guarantee of adaptation, and the promise of adventure is what drives me. Embarking on the 2019 spring semester program to Rome, Italy was in every sense like falling down the rabbit hole. In Rome, I was Alice, filled with curiosity and wonder, and the ancient city was Wonderland. Orientation warned us about culture shock, and I truly didn’t know it would be as stark as I thought it was going to be. Growing up and moving to America, culture shock was almost non-existent because I was so young, but now, as a young adult, I noticed more change than I expected to. After the rose lenses wore off, the reality of my new environment set in.
I’ve always enjoyed the metropolitan city that is New York, fast paced, independent, and commercial. Rome is almost the opposite. Having to say “scusi” to the person walking in front of you always, dinners last longer than the wait at Applebee’s, and most streets are filled with small businesses. The adjustment wasn’t difficult, but it wasn’t necessarily easy, either. As someone who is always impatient, I have learned to now take my time – for example savoring my homemade pasta dinner and learning that the check can wait. I also realize that while I’m adjusting to the new people, they are adjusting to me as well. That these people have lived in these neighborhoods way longer than I have and that I was on their turf. That since they learned a few English words so they can help us the best they can, the least I can do is learn a few of their Italian words as well – even if it means using Google Translate.
The people of Rome, especially in Trastevere, are as warm as the pizza that they take out of the oven. They are animated, open, and value the aspect of taking your time. Like the streets and the monuments, the people are also full of stories and history, that I don’t mind looking further down the rabbit hole for.