Submitted by Shams Ibrahim on the 2023 summer program in Rome, Italy…
This week has been quite eventful during my study abroad journey. One of the highlights was our day trip to Siena, Italy, which turned out to be an unexpected adventure. As we arrived in the city, the rain started pouring down heavily, forcing us to look for shelter. With our clothes drenched, we rushingly searched for a coffee shop to dry off and regroup.
At that moment, I realized the importance of adapting to unfamiliar situations. Feeling awkward communicating in English, I decided to practice basic Italian instead. Greeting locals in their language and ordering coffee in Italian was challenging but rewarding because It allowed me to establish a connection. It made me realize that effective communication is essential for cultural intelligence.
During this week, we also engaged in a significant project presentation within our class. What struck me the most was all of the teamwork. Each group had to adapt to the flexibility of the project guidelines and find their own unique approach. My team decided to compare Italy and the United States. However, we also wanted to make it a learning experience by contrasting our own countries and cultures, including Egypt, Sierra Leone, and the Cayman Islands.
This experience taught me that leadership doesn’t necessarily mean one person leading many; it can also be a collaborative effort to achieve a desired result. As we navigated through our diverse perspectives and approaches, we discovered that Egypt shared more similarities with Italy than the United States, despite my upbringing in the United States. It was a fascinating realization.
In addition, our team faced the challenge of different scheduling orientations. Some had a flexible approach, while I and a couple of others leaned towards linear time. To find a compromise, we decided to be flexible with the days we worked on the project but more structured with the specific times we set aside to complete our work. This experience highlighted the importance of understanding and respecting different cultural perspectives, especially regarding scheduling and decision-making. (Submitted during Week 2)