STUDY ABROAD

A few days ago a friend of mine shared a link on Facebook about how people are changed by studying abroad. I read through them and could not help but laugh because they are all so true! Though most of these examples are more light-hearted and funny, they definitely do apply to how I feel I have been changed by my time abroad. The one I feel is the most accurate, however, is the one that states:

"Then: You heard from older friends that study abroad was amazing because of the travel, partying, easy classes, etc.

Now: You know that what you have experienced in MUCH deeper than those superficial things but it's hard to articulate to someone who hasn't experienced it yet."

Before coming to Italy, I always heard about what a great experience studying abroad is and how the vast majority of people are changed by their time abroad. I was told the classes would be easy, the social life/partying scene would be amazing, and best of all, the travel would be endless. Now do not get me wrong, I have experienced these incredible things while being abroad, but those are not all that make the study abroad experience so phenomenal. And although the blog does say how difficult it can be to describe to someone how much deeper the experience is than that, here is my attempt to do so.

For those that know me well, they know that I can be a very shy and reserved person. I like to remain in my comfort zone, and I do not like to have a lot of change in my life. So naturally, deciding to study abroad was a pretty bold step for me. I not only decided to come study somewhere half way across the world, but I decided to do so in a country in which I don't know the language, and I came here not knowing anyone else in my program. I knew before coming that this would be an incredible challenge for me, but I embraced the challenge whole-heartedly, and I am incredibly glad I did.
Throughout my time here, I feel as though I have truly stepped outside my comfort zone and developed an increased sense of self-confidence. Since I did come here not knowing anyone, I knew that I must put myself out there and do my best to meet others, which is definitely not the easiest thing for me to do. But I did it. Although I did feel a bit uncomfortable at first as is natural to feel around people you don't know well, I got over those initial feelings and I have truly developed new friendships here that I am excited about continuing once we return back home. I have realized that it is not as scary as I thought it was to meet new people and make friends, and I do feel as though I have developed more confidence through this experience.
Now this increase in confidence is not just limited to situations in which I meet new people, but I am now also not as afraid to try new things and I am more accepting of change. I have found that I am comfortable enough with myself that I know that whatever situation I am put in, I know I can adapt. I realize that I no longer need to be so afraid of new situations and the unknown that lies ahead of me. Rather, I now find myself throwing myself into situations and going places completely out of my comfort zone...and loving it.

So, as great as the easy classes, party scene, and travels are, there really is much more to the study abroad experience than just those things. And although I only mentioned my increased sense of confidence in myself, there are many other things as well that contribute to how incredible this semester has been. I know I will be devastated when it comes time to leave all these new experiences behind, but I know it does not all end here. I am excited to go back home, to bring these memories with me, and to see where these changes take me in the future.

THE NEW YORK POST

As interesting, intriguing, and clearly very important I consider politics to be, I generally cannot stand talking about it. I have found that people tend to get too defensive (and in all honesty, offensive as well), and that those on both sides of the political spectrum can be quite extremist. It frustrates me when people are unwilling to listen to one another's points of view, because in my opinion, often times the best solution lies in the middle. Moderation is key.

Now this is why this New York Post article frustrates me. The New York Post is known for being sensationalist and overly biased, and this post is no different. The author, Michael Goodwin, speaks about how Obama has allegedly "become a lone wolf, a stranger to his own government." He criticizes Obama and what he has done in office, which yes, I think is completely okay to do; everyone is entitled to their own opinions. However, in my opinion, the way in which he criticizes is completely disrespectful. At one point Goodwin says, "Even as desperate Pander-crats, including the president, continue to baby-talk the Wall Street hooligans, some of whom have violently attacked police, Mayor Bloomberg gets the point and tone just right."

I just found that throughout this post, Goodwin was incredibly biased and disrespectful, and because of this I cannot consider him to be a credible source of information. Although I will admit to leaning more towards the conservative side of the political spectrum, I do consider myself to be much more moderate in general and I appreciate hearing all facts and points of view before taking a stand on an issue. However, reading sensationalist and biased stories such as Goodwin's upset me because I would rather learn the facts about a situation or issue, not about the author's clear disdain for it. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that this can be a very difficult task to undergo when reading about politics, because as fact-based and bias-free I would like things to be, that is just not in the nature of politics.

CULTURE SHOCK

I don’t know about all of you, but before coming to Italy, I heard numerous stories of how amazing the study abroad experience is. I heard about how we would be able to form countless new friendships, experience a new culture and way of life, and, most importantly, we would be able to come away from our time abroad as truly new people who have grown and matured. I thought this all sounded great and everything, but I had no idea what that growth and maturity would actually entail. I mean, I kind of figured I may grow in size a bit from all the pizza, gelato, and nutella I would be eating, but I didn’t know exactly what this other kind of growth would include.

Now that we are about a month into our study abroad experience, I think I am finally starting to understand what everyone meant by personal growth. There are several  benefits to studying abroad, increased personal growth and maturity included. I have found that even in this short time, I have experienced some of what they define as personal and intercultural development.

Prior to coming abroad, I thought I was well aware of the cultural differences that exist around the world, and I actually did not think I would have a hard time adjusting to this new environment. Upon arriving, however, I soon realized how wrong I was. Though there are some similarities, I did not realize just how different life in Florence would be from home.  There have been several things that have taken some getting used to while being here in Italy. The language barrier, the limited to no access to free wifi, and the lack of Target stores are just a few examples, but I think one of the differences that has struck me the most is gender relations.  I guess I have just always taken for granted the relationships we have between men and women back home. I am not saying that the men in America are perfect (because they most definitely are not) or that the men here in Italy are horrible people (because they are not, either), but I feel as though compared to the American men I have grown up around, I sometimes consider some of the Italian men I come in contact with to be less respectful. I don’t know if any of you have experienced this, but they are just much more forward and aggressive (not in the violent sense, though) with women, and I feel as though women are objectified much more.

At first I was quite upset about this and I did not feel comfortable, but I have come to realize that this is just the culture these men grew up in. Many Italian men are so focused on getting foreign women to notice them and they think that persistence is the key to success—but this is not true. For me, and most American women I presume, over-persistent men can be seen as creepy and sometimes disrespectful.  I have come to realize while being here in Italy, however, that these men probably do not consider such forward comments and gestures to be disrespectful, despite the fact that they are often perceived as such. I now know that I should just ignore the comments and gestures from these men, and no harm is likely to come my way.

I guess the essence of what I am trying to say, though, is that since being here in Italy, I have learned to be more open to new cultures and ways of life. The study abroad experience helps many people develop and better understand their own values and beliefs, and I feel as though I have started to do this. In particular, I now have a greater appreciation for the gender relations we have in the United States. I am also more aware of the fact that all cultures are not the same, and do not have the same standards in regards to gender relations as we do in America. I now understand that there are differences among cultures greater than I previously realized, and I feel as though I am learning to become even more tolerant of others through this experience. 

DAYS WITH MY FATHER

Although those of us in our Social Media class have varying backgrounds and interests, something we all have in common has brought us together, granting us this unique opportunity to learn from and influence one another. Our most unifying similarity is clearly our interest in social media. We have come together in this classroom environment with the hopes of discussing, sharing, debating, and ultimately learning from each other's different thoughts and ideas on the subject. In doing so, we will hopefully be able to further broaden our own perspectives on social media and its increasing effects on today's society. This unique feature of being able to respond to and influence one another is what makes our classroom community an active "public".

Our similarities, however, are not simply limited to a common interest in social media. We are all also living here in Florence, away from our dearest family and friends. We have left our comfort zones, only to immerse ourselves in an entirely new culture and way of life. As these first weeks in Florence have passed, we have seen and experienced so many incredible new things. Now although I am thoroughly enjoying myself here and cannot wait to see what else this adventure has in store for me, I cannot help but miss those I left behind at home..and I can only imagine that you have all felt the same way. This is why I have decided to share with you all this blog, Days with my Father. It is about a man, Phillip Toledano, who documented the last few years he had with his father. No matter how many times I come across this, I cannot help but be moved by it--especially now that I am away from all those who I love the most. This blog is just such a great reminder to me, and will hopefully be to you as well, that it is always important to let those you love know how much they mean to you. We never know what the future holds, and I have come to realize that we must not take our loved ones for granted; we should always let them know that we do truly care for them.