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<\/p>\nLast month, my parents came to visit me here in Rome. I was so excited because I definitely needed a little taste of home! This was their first time out of the states, so they were a little nervous but very excited. When they arrived, it felt surprisingly normal to see them, even in a place so far from home.<\/p>\n
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Navigating the city with them was fun because I got to be their tour guide, showing them my favorite places and sharing what I\u2019ve learned about the history of Rome\u2026 But it was also a little tricky because I felt like I needed to be the \u201cexpert,\u201d knowing where to go and speaking in broken Italian for them at restaurants and gelaterias. I became frustrated because I felt like I either had to do all the talking or, once people heard my parents speak in English, like I couldn\u2019t practice my Italian. I seemed to forget that my parents hadn\u2019t taken a semester of Italian 101 before coming here, like I had.<\/p>\n
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The weekend after they left, I traveled to Paris with some friends, and I finally understood how my parents felt in Rome. None of us spoke any French, so trying to order food and find our way around was daunting at times. Waiters sometimes seemed impatient with us for only speaking English. I felt self-conscious and wanted to hide in a bathroom sometimes, but after falling up the stairs from the bathroom at a restaurant and having a French man catch me (haha it was wild), I realized that I couldn\u2019t let this fear hold me back from enjoying this place. People travel all over the world without knowing the language or culture of the places they go. It\u2019s important to be sensitive to the culture you find yourself in, but it\u2019s something that you can figure out once you visit a place. Yes, it\u2019s scary and you\u2019re bound to make a fool of yourself once or twice, but the things you see and the things you learn are so worth it.<\/p>\n
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I spent spring break in three different countries and plan on visiting three more before the semester is over, and I will hold onto this idea through each of them. It\u2019s easy to let fear get in the way, but I don\u2019t know the next time I\u2019ll be back in these places\u2026 Or if I\u2019ll know any more about them when\/if I come back. So, right now, at the edge of my comfort zone, I am pushing myself to be a little scared. That\u2019s how I learn!<\/p>\n
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Also, big shoutout to my parents for coming to visit me. I enjoyed the week so, so much. Y’all rock!!!<\/p>\n
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Last month, my parents came to visit me here in Rome. I was so excited because I definitely needed a little taste of home! This was their first time out of the states, so they were a little nervous but very excited. When they arrived, it felt surprisingly normal to see them, even in a … <\/p>\n