First Blog Post: Bienvinuti Ragazzi al Mio Blog!

Hey guys-

So I have finally gotten my access to my blog site, which means that now I will begin posting!  Again, I will be posting every two weeks (perhaps once every week), so keep up with everything as I take you along for my incredible journey through Italy, Europe, and beyond! Anyway, I thought for this first post that I would reflect on my initial impressions of Rome, as well as how they compare to the rest of Italy that I have seen thus far.

When I first arrived to Rome back in late August, I was filled with a number of emotions: fear of the unknown, excitement for my new endeavours, and the realization that yes, I actually left home behind to live 4000 miles away in a new country. Upon my arrival, there were several differences between American culture and Italian culture that were very prominent to me.  For one, it amazed me just how the architecture of Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, and Modern Italy all are in complete harmony and co-existence.  When I visited the Roman Forum, I was in awe that there were monuments and structures from thousands of years ago that one could still go up to and admire.  As for me, this experience was incredibly personal; since I have been to Rome twice before studying abroad, it was not only a journey where I was stepping back into Ancient Rome for an afternoon, but it was also an afternoon of personal reflection, as well as an afternoon where I could retrace my steps and say “oh yeah, I’ve been there before” or “oh, that palace looked a lot different since I was here in the fall and not the summer.”  Contrast this to the United States, you are not able to see structures from thousands of years ago; in fact, I believe there are only a handful of buildings in the United States that one could see on a daily basis that are more than 400 years old.  So unlike the United States, you not only read about history, but you can actually go to Ancient Roman sites and feel the historical significance.

Something else that I noticed about Rome was the fact that unlike any city that I have been to in the United States, there is a huge presence of graffiti, even on buildings in the more affluent neighborhoods.  In fact, the second I step out of JFRC onto Via Massimi, the first thing I will see is a trashcan and a wall with graffiti written all over them.  Even in neighborhoods that some might consider unsafe in Chicago, I have yet to see anything like this.  When I asked my professors about the presence of graffiti in Rome, many of their responses echoed the following idea: in many cases, graffiti use is a response to the presence and history surrounding (1) Facism in Italy and (2) the divide between several key regions in Italy in regards to culture, development, and other differences.  So in Italy, graffiti is more political, while in the United States, the use of graffiti symbolizes vandalism, disrespect of property, and the claim over territory in the case of gang-related activity.

In addition to differences between the United States and Italy, I’ve also noticed differences between the regions of Italy of Umbria, Rome, and Amalfi that I have visited thus far.  Because one of my minors is Italian, and because I am looking for a more authentic Italian experience, I am trying to practice my Italian as much as possible.  I found that particularly in the tourist traps of Rome and the region of Amalfi, it was very difficult for me to do so; when I practiced my Italian, locals would speak to me in English, and if I continued to speak in Italian, they would become visibly frustrated.  Contrast this to the region of Umbria, however, as in this region, not only was my knowledge of Italian welcome, but it was also encouraged, as the locals here had little to no experience with speaking English.  In addition, I found my experiences in Amalfi and Umbria to be much more laid back; in Rome, however, there is a bit more pressure to always be on the move, to always be doing something, to always have some sort of destination to get to.  In Umbria and Amalfi, one does not have to be at a set place at a set time, since the people there enjoy their time and really take the time to enjoy the people they are with.  While this is true throughout Italy, it is especially true in more remote regions.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my first post!  I know it does not describe every single fact and experience of Italian life, but I hope that it at least gives a brief snapshot, if anything.  I’ll try to post more often now that I have my site up and running, so stay tuned!  Also comment below if you enjoyed reading this, would like to hear more about a certain aspect, etc.  I am open to suggestions and am looking to constantly improve my commentary!

Ciao per allora,

-I