Author: ccarpene

Reflecting on my time studying abroad, I take immense pride in what I achieved, especially in conquering my long-standing struggle with anxiety.

In the days leading up to my departure for Siena, a wave of intense anxious thoughts had washed over me. These anxieties predominantly stemmed from knowing that I would be such a far distance from home. I am very close to my family, and I find an unparalleled sense of comfort when in their company. As a result, once I arrived in Siena, the separation between my family and I was deeply concerning for me. I could not immediately rely on my family during that exciting, but sometimes overwhelming, period. Furthermore, this anxiety was compounded by concerns regarding my Italian proficiency. To use my Italian skills in real-life situations was particularly nerve-wracking to me. I was feeling intimidated to speak Italian in the presence of native speakers. My communication skills have always presented a challenge, so I was apprehensive to speak Italian to those who have spoken Italian all of their lives. Because of these anxieties, the time leading up to my program was particularly challenging for my mental health.

However, to my relief, many of these anxieties and worries were swept away rather quickly. This was, in large part, due to the amazing group of Notre Dame friends I encountered in Italy. I quickly formed tight connections with many of my peers. These newfound friendships proved to be very beneficial, as they had provided me a source of comfort during my time away from my home and family. In addition, this group of friends had also encouraged me to break out of my comfort zone and engage in Italian conversations with others. We were able to support and assist each other when navigating situations where communication was necessary, such as ordering at restaurants, using transportation, and shopping at grocery stores.

My study abroad experience has now become a turning point in my life. It was proof that anxiety did not control me, and it could not prevent me from embracing this opportunity fully. Despite the initial struggles I faced, I adapted quickly to my new environment and found incredible support through my newfound friends. Their presence and encouragement helped me flourish, and I am immensely proud of how I managed to overcome my anxiety and make the most of this enriching experience abroad.

After spending five weeks in Siena, the strong sense of unity that exists within the city is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Utilizing Hofstede’s D6 model for national culture, I would characterize Siena as embodying a stronger sense of “collectivism” rather than “individualism.” Their collectivist mentality is vividly demonstrated in Siena’s contrada system. The territory of Siena is divided into 17 contradas. Each contrada is a tight-knit community possessing its own unique identity, including having its own representative colors, mascot, and shared values. Moreover, members of their respective community exhibit unwavering loyalty and support their own contrada with much pride. Siena’s strong sense of “collectivism” wildly contrasts my personal preference toward “individualism”. Unlike the Senese people, I would not say that I feel that same sense of hometown pride. While I undoubtedly love my hometown, I find myself differing in values and personality traits from those in my hometown. Consequently, having nurtured my own distinct personality and values, I have never felt a strong sense of devotion to my hometown nor an inherent desire to remain there indefinitely.

Nonetheless, despite the differences between my sense of “individualism” and a Senese’s sense of “collectivism”, I wholeheartedly appreciated witnessing Siena’s profound sense of unity firsthand. From this moment onward, Siena will forever serve as a vivid example of a tightly bonded and unified community. My aspiration is to one day discover a community where I can demonstrate the same level of loyalty and commitment as the Senese people demonstrate toward Siena.

In addition, I also believe that Senese people align more closely with the “nurturance” aspect, as opposed to “achievement,” of Hofstede’s D6 national cultural model. Meaning, from my observations over the course of these five weeks, Senese people prioritize the quality of what life brings, rather than the quantity of what life brings. One simple, yet meaningful, example of this value can be seen in their approach to dining. Many Italians, including the Senese, devote an extensive time at the dinner table, even after they finish their meal, in order to savor moments with family and friends. My fellow Notre Dame peers, who resided with host families during the program, would spend three or more hours each night enjoying dinner and socializing with their host families. Italians truly savor not only the meal, but the time they have together with loved ones. However, this emphasis of “nurturance” that I observed in Siena heavily contrasts the  “achievement” mindset that I am used to in the United States, especially at Notre Dame. It is clear that I, have been primarily prioritizing the “achievement” aspect and have not adequately prioritized my own quality of life. As a college student, having to juggle academics, extracurriculars, a job, and all other commitments, I am always go-go-go. My schedule is constantly overflowing, and because of this, whenever I do have free time, it is hard for me to sit down and truly appreciate those free moments. Rather, I am almost always buzzing to do something else. Regrettably, I tend to prioritize the quantity of events in my life rather than the overall quality, aligning myself more with the “achievement” side of the cultural model.

However, I am aware that this go-go-go schedule leaves me little room for relaxation and prioritizing the quality of life, and it has often resulted in burnout, feelings of loneliness, and overall discontentment. As a result, over these past five weeks, removing myself from that busy environment and immersing myself into Italy’s “La Dolce Vita” was an enlightening experience. Focusing more on the quality of my life, rather than the sheer quantity of activities, has contributed significantly to my overall enjoyment and happiness during this program. Moving forward, I aspire to utilize this transformative five-week experience as a springboard to align myself less with the “achievement” side and embrace more of the “nurturance” aspect, particularly throughout the upcoming fall semester. I truly believe that placing greater importance on the quality of my life will aid in avoiding those negative feelings that come with constantly having a busy schedule.

I have been thoroughly enjoying every moment of my stay in Siena, and it fills me with sadness to be leaving in such a short time. I have only been studying in Siena for a month, and I feel like I have not only gained so much knowledge about the Italian language and culture, but also have embarked on a journey of self-discovery. Because of the numerous benefits I have been able to reap from this study abroad program, I have had very few incidents that I would consider to be “critical.” Nonetheless, I would like to provide a D.I.V.E. reflection on a particular critical incident that occurred to me at the onset of our program.

Upon my arrival in Siena at the beginning of these five weeks, the language school I am attending had graciously welcomed all incoming students to Siena with an amazingly delicious four-course dinner. While sitting at the dinner table, eagerly waiting to dive into this delicious meal, I noticed that bottles of wine were placed on the table as a drink option.

The presence of wine initially caught me off guard. As a 20-year-old in the United States, I am still under the legal drinking age. As a result, in the United States, I would never be offered alcohol in a professional setting, such as this distinguished dinner with my Italian professors and other staff members. Even if I were of legal drinking age, the addition of alcohol in a formal setting would still strike me as odd, considering the potential complications that arise from its excessive consumption. Thus, I interpreted the school to be offering me something that I should not have, since I am not used to this type of situation in the United States.

In addition, after discussing with my Notre Dame peers, it became apparent that they too experienced a sense of unease and discomfort when being served alcohol in the presence of our superiors. However, as days went by and I begun to settle into my routine here in Siena, I quickly learned that wine and other alcohol drinks are an integral part of Italian meals. In fact, having wine with dinner is just as common as having water with dinner. While many may perceive wine solely as an intoxicating beverage, Italians regard wine as an essential taste profile to the dinner, overall enhancing the other flavors of their meal.

Although I initially had a negative response to the inclusion of wine at our welcoming dinner, it was only a reflection of my unfamiliarity with this aspect of Italian culture. However, over time, as I immersed myself further into Italian culture, I came to appreciate wine as an essential and cherished element of the Italian dinner table.

As part of this blog post, I had the opportunity to interview my university’s residential advisor and ask him, a native Italian, about his insights into one heterostereotype he has observed about Americans. My residential advisor has extensive experience guiding American college students through this study abroad program, and I believe that from his conversations with past and present students, he would provide me with a valuable and well-articulated stereotype.

During our conversation, my advisor presented a thought-provoking stereotype that American people are not family oriented. My residential advisor explained that his stereotype stems from his observed contrasts between American and Italian lifestyles. For example, he explained how Italians tend to prioritize more quality social time with their families, such as nightly family meals and frequent family outings, compared to their American counterparts. Additionally, the close-knit nature of Italian families, spanning across generations, fosters a strong sense of community and support, further contrasting with the experiences he has witnessed among American families.

 I truly appreciated this valuable conversation with a staff member at my university and discovering more about how Americans are viewed by non-Americans. In fact, despite hearing this perceptibly negative stereotype about Americans, I was not at all offended by his judgement. In fact, I do not completely disagree with the presented stereotype that Americans are not family oriented. From growing up in the United States, it is common, and even expected, for children to eventually become independent from their families by an early age. Most children will move out of their parents’ house and become independent by their late teens or early 20s. This starkly contrasts my advisor’s own experiences and observations within his Italian family, where the importance of familial connections is deeply ingrained.