I think one of the most honest things I can say about my time in Italy is that I discovered two different sides of one coin. On the one side it was, in fact, a dream come true and so much more than what I had hoped for. However, I also came to learn that Italy, despite its many wonders, is still a city that faces the issues of modern-day. I think that social media has a way of convincing an individual that going abroad and traveling is a magical experience all the time, and most of the time it is. Even so, there is still the reality that you can run into similar problems abroad as you could in your home country. And of course this isn’t the standard or the rule that one is bound to find trouble, but in the short experience I had, I still ran into a couple of predicaments I would have rather avoided.
One of the people who I met during my time in Siena was a part of my class (who for purposes of this blog I will call Remy). I’m not sure how the topic came to be discussed in the midst of our class break, but after telling me where he came from, Remy explained how since in Italy, he has been faced with a variety of unfortunate incidents. Remy came from a small country in the middle east – the name of which I cannot for the life of me remember – and according to him it is not an incredibly well-known place. We got to talking after class and Remy explained that in Italy, due to his appearance, there would be times in which he would be treated unfairly. Remy said he was used to that kind of treatment and that being from the Middle East, he was used to receiving that kind of treatment. After this conversation, I tried to figure out why I was so astounded. Being from the United States and knowing my fair share of certain issues today, I wondered why the reality had struck me so hard. I came to the conclusion that in my mind Italy was romanticized; it was a place full of amazing things to do and sights to see without any of the typical anxieties.
Unfortunately, I myself shortly after faced a couple of uncomfortable situations too. While talking to a classmate about my culture, I was faced with mockery and painful jokes. About a week later, I had run-ins with a couple of men who acted quite inappropriately asI walked home. It was interesting to learn that specific lesson that way, but it opened my eyes to the truth. Remy faced many instances of bias, racism, etc and after listening to his story, I learned that being aware of these issues isn’t limited to my home country. The videos I had seen online of living carefree summers were only videos curated to show the best aspects of certain places, while the truth was that caution and awareness are always necessary.
I will say as well though, that learning these lessons and taking the time to reflect on my expectations and their place in reality was essentially a positive experience. It taught me not only to consider the issues I face everywhere both as a woman and a Latina but to also consider the struggles of the people around me even when I don’t perceive there to be any issues at all. The reality is that in many places most of the time, there is someone like Remy who could be dealing with important problems in a place that others would consider paradise.