so i’m in rome (now what?) #HogsAbroad in Italy

i’ve been in rome for almost a week now and it’s taken about this long to get adjusted to living here. now that i’ve had the chance to explore the area and get comfortable, i feel extremely confident about the next couple of weeks. however, the moment the plane touched down at the airport, i had this sinking feeling in my gut.

i’m stuck in a foreign country for a month and i have no idea how to speak the language. i don’t know the bus system. i don’t know how to order coffee. i’m completely and utterly unprepared for this.

i thought it would only be fitting my first blog post would be the six ways i felt were most effective and healthy in helping me get oriented in a new country.

1. i wandered. our class schedule was very sparse the first week and so we had ample time to explore the area around us. this might seem very obvious, but the key here is to roam around without a map. not alone, of course, and not if you’re trying to get somewhere specific. but in a group, take as many streets as you can, even if you walk in circles, to get a sense for what stores, restaurants, and landmarks are near. not only will you quickly become more comfortable navigating, but you’ll also find tons of hidden gems and photo opps.
2. i learned major streets first. the road system in rome is not like america. there’s no gridlock system and the smaller roads don’t always have names. my apartment is two streets down from a large and important road and so if i ever get uncertain about how to get home, all i have to do is find gulio cesare or germanico and i can get back home with familiarity. it’s also helpful to know the names of the major streets in case you need to ask for directions.
3. i spoke bad italian. it’s true that the majority of people you interact with in italy speak good english. it was a major relief to realize that i could come to understandings quite easily with the locals through body language, motion, and speaking slowly. however, i’m not in america anymore. i’m on someone else’s turf and it’s a sign of respect to try to adapt to the culture here. i guarantee you that every barista i speak to knows i’m american just by looking at my shoes, but they all love the effort and humorously award my terrible italian grammar and pronunciation with a kind smile or a laugh. it actually seems to make the locals like you more and it also helped me feel more comfortable being immersed in a new country.
4. i made mistakes. tons of them. certain things work so much differently here and there’s no way to figure out which ones or how until you try. sure, a local might notice that you ordered your coffee a little funny or tried to buy something cheap with a big bill (pro tip: don’t do it). but no one besides you is going to care. i ordered my coffee wrong the first time, listened to how the barista repeated my order after we came to an understanding, and now that’s how i order it everywhere. instead of shying away from things because i’m afraid of looking ridiculously american, i let these experiences teach me how to have a more authentic experience. when you travel, there’s no time for fear. mistakes help you acclimate.
5. i broke down formal barriers. to emphasize, the only italian i know are the very, very basic phrases. and even my knowledge of those are laughable. knowing that i sound stupid has the potential to discourage me from interacting with italians in the same way i would interact with americans. let me say it another way: when i order pasta, i make the first joke about my american-ness with the waiter and it automatically opens both of us up to friendly banter and creating natural relationships with one another. this is hugely important in becoming oriented in italy because of tip number six.
6. i frequented the same spots. not what you expected to read in a travel blog, right? the local culture of italy is to return to the same places often, sometimes multiple times in a day. it’s not about getting in and out quickly but forming personal relationships with bartenders and baristas and waiters. communication is such a huge value here, refreshingly so compared to the hustle and bustle of american cities. in between branching out and trying new places, try to make your face known in the places nearest to where you are staying. it feels good to be a regular in the usa, but it feels even better when the barista at the cafe across the street remembers your order. it’s also comforting to have familiar italian faces to boost your morale if you have a negative experience at a random gelato place across town.

of course, there are many other things i’ve been doing to help myself have the most authentic, fulfilling experience while i’m in this incredible place. there’s almost no way to truly prepare yourself for the culture shock. the best way is to throw yourself into the culture and lose your fear of embarrassment. the southern hospitality we all know and love is so real here, and most everyone here wants to help you and have a relationship with you in some form. open yourself up to these experiences because way too soon, you’ll be back in texas or arkansas or whatever state you’re from and you might wish you’d been a little bit more willing.

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Junior English/Creative Writing major Rylie Frederick is spending the summer 2019 term at the University of Arkansas Rome Center.

Read more from Rylie at https://rylieinrome.home.blog/

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