GL 350 Final Blog

Before coming on the Rome trip, I had never really been anywhere that is very far away let alone a place that isn’t even in the United States. I grew up in a small town called Ashland which is in Ohio. There is about 20,000 people in the city. It is made mostly of farmland with the exception of a few housing developments. So I was used to the small town feel that the city gave off. Upon arrival to Rome, I felt way out of my comfort zone. There was chaos everywhere, cars fighting each other for position on the crazy roads, and people pushing to get a good spot on the metro. Now, at the end of the trip I have learned to appreciate some things that I have learned here which has helped me to become a “global citizen”.

                First of all, I think its important to discuss what it means to be a global citizen. I believe that being a global citizen means that someone identifies with being part of an emerging world community and whose actions contribute to building this community's values and practices. There are many ways in which I believe me, and others in the group have contributed to the society in Italy. We contributed to the economy of Italy and other countries we have visited by making purchases, some of which may have been pretty expensive. Another aspect of being a global citizen is observing and appreciating the lifestyles of different cultures.

                One example that I observed about Italians is that they obtain more natural exercise than Americans. In rome, transportation is fairly difficult. Many people do not own a car because it is simply too much of a hassle to drive in the chaotic city as well as that most things are within walking distance. In America, we just hop in the car and drive to our destination even if its only a few minutes away. We don’t even really think to walk there because driving is so convenient. This causes Italians to be thinner than Americans due to this natural exercise. I believe that I have learned to take this practice back to America with me.

                Another example is simply appreciating the unique culture that Italians possess. In Barzini throughout the whole book, he talks about certain aspects of Italian culture that viewers should look out for. By reading this book, it has made me more aware of the little things about the Italian culture that make it unique. For example, their attitude towards life and work is totally opposite that americans. We always put work first but Italians put the joys of life first while work is on the back burner. Siesta is when Italians take a 3 hour break from work to just enjoy their day. America doesn’t have anything like that.

                This trip has overall transformed me to be a global citizen by appreciating and understanding a different way of life. It has broadened my horizon on what life looks like by showing me the diverse cultures of different cities, and groups of people. Learning about lifestyles, practices, routines, etc has taught me to bring some of those things back with me to the United States. I am so glad to have come on this trip due to this reason.