BY AIR. BY LAND. BY SEA.
I don’t think there’s anything I would change about this trip other than that I wish I talked to more locals. My first night in Rome showed me that despite being from different places and different cultures, people are people. People want to be understood and people have a curiosity to learn about others. Even though my friend’s family never knew I existed previous to meeting that night in Rome, they were all willing to talk to me. Even though there was a language barrier, both they and I tried our hardest to express our thoughts and ideas in a way that the other would understand. We adapted to each other. I had never put myself in a situation where there was a language barrier before going on this trip and I think I learned a lot from being in this somewhat vulnerable state. Thankfully almost everyone in Europe speaks English, so our independent ventures weren’t that stressful, but there were times when the language barrier was more like a cinder block wall. For example, some of my friends made the walk up to Volterra one night and on their journey back down, they got a little lost. They ended up at a gas station and were stopped by the police. Although I wasn’t with them, I could see the fear in their eyes when they told the rest of us what happened that night. The police officer didn’t speak English, so when my friends attempted to tell the guy that they were just walking around, the police officer didn’t know what they were saying. My friends thought they were going to get arrested that night. Thankfully they didn’t, but that situation showed them how difficult it can be to communicate clearly when there’s a language barrier.
After having done this study abroad, I feel my cultural intelligence has improved. Although I already knew some cultural stereotypes, as a result of taking this class, I now feel confident recognizing these characteristics and adapting to them. For example, when my group went to Castello Banfi, our tour guide was from Switzerland. Even without knowing where she was from, I could tell that there was something different about the way she spoke English. Although she spoke it perfectly, there was no fluctuation in her tone and she never smiled, which at first made her seem angry. Once I realized this, however, she no longer came off as being mean; she was simply different. I accepted her differences and as a result, I found her tour quite enjoyable. At first, I thought cultural intelligence was about becoming like other people and changing myself to fit their culture, but I know now that that’s not what this class was about. This class taught me to notice how other people act, accept their differences, and understand their behavior in order to prevent miscommunications. This class also showed me that it’s good to keep stereotypes in mind, but that individual personalities are what we as leaders need to adapt to because if I treat every Italian or every Chinese person the same, I’d be the opposite of a leader. I’d be following what other people have told me and therefore I wouldn’t be making my own decisions as far as how to interact with others. Finally, this class has taught me what it means to be a leader in general. My professor explained to us that as a leader it is your job to be both “the most important person and the least important person in the room”. Leaders need to be able to communicate with a wide variety of people in order to come to a consensus. For me, the “least important person” aspect comes naturally to me. I find it easy to take in other people’s ideas and put them before mine. After having gone on this trip, however, I’ve realized the importance of sometimes having one person take charge. When it came time for us to board a train to Rome. We were all nervous. We had no adult telling us what to do and we had to find the platform ourselves. While waiting for a few stragglers, our group began to argue about whether we should leave without them. Those of us that liked being early found ourselves stressing about the train leaving without us and those of us that were willing to wait for the others kept telling us to calm down. Our voices quickly got louder until one of us finally said, “Everyone calm down. Let’s wait five more minutes and if they don’t show up we’ll board the train.” We looked at each other and realized that that person was right. The stragglers showed up soon after and everyone boarded the train safely. I, being someone that likes being early and not living so much on the edge, found waiting to be difficult. Stressful situations, like this one, happened a few more times throughout the trip, but instead of letting them poorly define my abroad experience, they became learning experiences. My professor also said during class that life experiences are “cumulative and not comparative”. Although I could have mopped about cutting things so closely with the train, I decided to let it go. Not everything that happens in life will go the way you plan, and you just have to learn to be flexible. These moments are the ones that teach you the most, even if they seem like the end of the world. I have learned a lot from this trip, including how to be a better traveler and how to adapt to people of different cultures, but the most important thing that I learned was to have more confidence in myself. There were times when my friends looked to me for help and I stepped up to help them. Before this trip, I didn’t really consider myself a leader because I wasn’t loud, but now I know that I can lead without being loud. I can lead by example, I can be compassionate and take care of others when they need me, and I can communicate with people from other cultures because I can adapt to their behaviors. I AM A LEADER. 1. Nice / Monaco / Monte Carlo / EzeFrom what I had heard about France, I expected the locals to be rude and not want to interact with my friend and I. I was wrong about the French, however. This experience taught me that it's important to be culturally intelligent, but that I must also be able to adapt to people depending on their individual personalities. Once my friend and I were able to break off from the group in Nice, we decided to get some crepes and walk around the antique market. The woman who served us at the cafe was extremely welcoming and the people that were working at the antique market were open to talking with us. When at the cafe, I decided to get a crepe with Nutella and my friend got one with sugar; both were fantastic. The excursion that I went on included a walking tour and some free time in each town. Nice was my favorite of the places that we visited because despite being one of the most populous cities in France, it felt like a small town. The narrow streets, colorful buildings, and ornate architecture left me speechless. The town just made me happy. Monaco was another place we visited and I loved its Moroccan styled architecture. Monte Carlo was a bit too fancy for me and Eze, although a cute town, had too many people in it. Overall, I had a great experience in France and that's why it's number one on my list of cruise excursions. 2. Barcelona The tour guides we had on this trip were amazing. Our first tour guide walked us through Las Ramblas, through a nearby market, and to Park Guell where the famous monumental precinct is. At the entrance of the park, we met another tour guide and she was definitely the best we had had the entire trip. She was energetic and made the history interesting for everyone. She kept our spirits up despite us being tired and was willing to answer all our questions. During our walk through the park, we learned about the rain water collection system and the reason why the park was originally created. It actually started out as a place for commercial housing during the time when garden cities were popular, but the idea never caught on. After walking through the park, we got some tapas. They were fantastic. We didn't get anything exotic but they hit the spot. After tapas, we had free time to walk around and a small group of us went to la Sagrada Familia. Once we stepped out of the subway, my eyes were met with the most incredible building I have ever seen. The style of architecture was something that I've never been exposed to before. I couldn't even describe it if I had to. The construction of this church began in the late 1800s and continues to this day. It will hopefully be done in the year 2026. As you can see in the video below, there is still plenty yet to add to this already monstrous structure. Overall, my trip to Barcelona was fun and I'm sure that if I had a little more time to explore the city on my own it would have been number one on my list. 3. Palma de Mallorca (Valldemossa) My class decided to go on an excursion to Valldemossa, and on our walking tour, we got to see the main church and the surrounding buildings. I loved the style of these buildings. They weren't as ornate as the buildings in Rome, but the hand-painted tiles that were used throughout were incredible. While we were walking through these buildings, the old books and medicine jars in the pharmacy caught my eye. I love how everything was preserved. I find it hard to believe that despite these places being so old, they seem to have preserved much more than what America has. If I had more time to explore this town, I probably would have fallen in love with Valldemossa like I fell in love with Volterra. 4. Ibiza When the ship arrived in Ibiza, a small group of us hopped on a bus and made our way to the center of town. Once we got into town, we weren't sure what beach to go to, so we went to an information booth. The lady told us about two different beaches. She said that one was within walking distance but that it wasn't very nice and the other despite being far away was her favorite. We decided to take the chance and walked to the closer of the two beaches. It was one of the nicest beaches I have ever been to, which made me wonder what the other beach looks like. We spent the day splashing in the water, jumping off the rocks, and bathing in the sun. For lunch, we went to a nearby restaurant and we all ordered cheeseburgers. After having so much pasta in Italy, we all were craving a good burger. (Just being some quintessential Americans) When our waitress finally brought out our meals, we realized that she had forgotten mine. A few minutes later, she brought me a veggie burger, but I didn't complain. We had a couple miscommunications already and I didn't feel like making a big deal about it. I was just hungry. After lunch, we went back to the beach and some of us went kayaking before heading back to the ship to get ready for dinner. That night, we went back into town and I watched my friends gulp down a couple drinks before we made our way back to the ship. I had a relaxing day at the beach, but the bar and nightlife of Ibiza, in general, wasn't my thing, which is why Ibiza is ranked so low on my list. 5. Livorno Livorno was the first port stop on our cruise. We had just spent two weeks in Volterra and had already visited the surrounding cities; therefore, we didn't book any excursions for this stop. We simply walked around Livorno as a group and admired the water views. My favorite part about Livorno was the checkerboard boardwalk. The pattern reminded me of diner flooring. As someone who regularly eats in diners, the pattern made Livorno feel like home. I rank Livorno last on my list because we didn't do much here. The most exciting thing that happened was that we found sea glass on the rocky beach. Although this trip wasn't very eventful, it made for a relaxing walk and it provided me a way to unwind from all that I had done in the weeks before.
Whenever my friends and I told other people on the cruise that we were there for a class, they felt bad for us. I, on the other hand, think being on a cruise ship for a class comes with some pretty nice perks. For example, we got to speak with the highest ranking and most important employees on the ship, we got to take a behind the scenes tour of the ship, and we created relationships with the officers that we met. I kind of felt like a celebrity at times because when I walked around with my friends the people that we met recognized us, which caused other passengers to look at us like we were royalty. On the first fancy dining night, my group along with the officers lined up to take a group photo on the steps of the main lobby like any other group would. When we stood there, however, other passengers started taking photos of us as well because I guess they thought we were important. Although it was cool to feel like a celebrity for those ten minutes while we took the photo, my favorite experience on board has been the behind the scenes tour. Although I was supposed to be focusing on how the crew defined leadership and how they interacted with one another, I found myself geeking-out over the technology that this ship is equipped with.
On the tour, we got to see the kitchen, the waste management center, the laundry room, the engine control room, and the bridge (navigation platform). Of these places, the engine room was my favorite. It seems pretty obvious that I would like this room so much, as I am studying to become a chemical engineer. When we walked into the control room, I found myself surrounded by computers, each of which had charts on them. At first, I didn’t bother to fully look at what the charts were depicting, but once I got closer, I realized that the charts made sense to me. They were the same types of diagrams that I had been dealing with in my chemical engineering classes. It made me happy to know that I could understand, on a basic level, what was happening in each one. It also made me wonder if I would ever want to work on a cruise ship. I never knew it was an option for me before going on this tour. Another thing that I loved while on this tour was the folding machine. Within seconds of inserting a dry sheet, this machine could perfectly flatten and fold it. I wish I had one of these to fold my clothes. Finally, I loved learning about how clean water was created on the ship. In short, they either use reverse osmosis or a water filtration process to create clean drinking water for the people onboard the ship. Besides loving the technology being used on the ship, I enjoyed learning about how the crew interacts with one another. Despite being such a diverse group of people, the members of the crew have become a family. Everyone has great communication skills and they all adapt to each other’s cultures. Another thing that I found interesting was that a majority of the employees are from Indonesia, the Philippines, and India, and yet most of them speak very good English. This made me want to learn more languages. I hate that everyone has to cater to me by speaking English. I wish I was the leader in those situations and was able to speak their language. Overall, this tour and being on this cruise in general, has taught me to find a way to work with others even when it’s challenging and has showed me that diverse groups are the most effective. I had never been on a cruise before, so I didn’t really know what to expect from it. After exploring the ship with my friends, I can say that I’m guaranteed to get lost at some point. There are mirrors in every room and hall in an attempt to make things appear larger, but to be honest, I think these mirrors were placed here just to mess with my head. Another thing I noticed was that the ship rocked a lot. I didn’t expect such a large boat to sway as much as this one does. Although I haven’t felt nauseous from the rocking, it makes me feel dizzy. I didn’t like being on the boat at first because of these things, but after seeing a show and dancing with my friends at the silent disco, I’ve changed my mind.
The magic show was interesting. It wasn’t the dramatic show that I was expecting. Instead, it was a relaxed show where one guy was doing card tricks and his wife danced with silks. They were both really good at what they did, but it didn’t satisfy my expectations. The silent disco on the other hand, was something that I didn’t want to do at first. I had only ever observed one before and I can tell you that it’s the funniest thing you’ll ever see. It usually consists of a bunch of people wearing headphones and dancing to whatever music they want. I thought it was going to be extremely awkward, but I actually had a great time. It felt as if I was in my own world, which made it easier to let loose. Now that I’ve gotten used to the rocking of the ship and I’ve determined which activities I want to do, I think I’ll have a great time this week. As I work on my group project this week, I will make it a goal of mine to study whether people’s cultures effect which activities they participate in, like why I as an American might have chosen to go to the magic show and the silent disco. In doing so, I will learn about other cultures and incorporate this information into my knowledge of cultural intelligence. In the future I could use this information to my advantage in things like job interviews and the relationships I create in the workplace. Overall, I will try to learn about other cultures on this cruise while also having the time of my life with my newly formed friend group. 1. Volterra This small town felt like home. There weren’t many tourists and because of that, my friends and I felt like locals. Everyone was welcoming and willing to communicate with us using whatever English they knew. We even made friends with some of the bar and restaurant owners. Although Volterra isn’t as well known as say Rome or Florence, I would definitely recommend it to those traveling to Italy looking for cute streets, friendly people, medieval architecture, and local spots. 2. Rome I love everything about Rome. It would have been number one, if it was safer at night. After one of the members of our group got into an altercation with one of the locals, we all felt on edge and were happy to leave after a few days. Despite these feelings, the major landmarks in Rome, like the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, were by far my favorite things to see in Italy. They were the main places I knew about and it had been a dream of mine to see those things. I also got to experience some of the local hangouts because my roommate has family in Italy. The experience I had with the locals, which I talk about in my blog about Rome (Rome-ing Around), was something that I’ll never forget. They were all so nice and they all knew a fair amount of English, so we could have a conversation. I felt bad that they were the ones having to translate, but they seemed exited to do so. 3. Pisa Although Pisa is mostly known for the leaning tower, cathedral, and baptistry, my group also decided to walk to the older part of town where the University of Pisa is. This trip wasn’t the most exciting, but I couldn’t help but put it so high on the list because of my love for the leaning tower. I just couldn’t get over how much it actually leans. I attempted to think about the physics behind how it could still be standing, but just ended up admiring its beauty. My friends and I also went into the graveyard that was behind the cathedral. Within the walls surrounding the graves, two women with very small paint brushes were carefully removing the layers of dirt that were covering years-old murals. I enjoyed seeing the preservation process and thinking about Italian preservation in general. My group project last week focused on Italian architecture and its relationship with cultural intelligence, and my group noticed that unlike in America, the people in Italy preserve their old monuments and buildings in order to preserve their culture and history. In America, we tend to knock down old buildings in order to make ones that are bigger and better because that’s the America way. We always like to improve and become the best. This idea can also be seen in the fact that whenever we asked business owners here in Italy if they wanted to expand, they all responded that they were content with how they were running things and that they didn’t want to get any larger. Overall, Pisa wasn’t that exciting, but I would have been upset if I hadn’t gotten to see the leaning tower in person. 4. Sienna Siena is like a slightly larger Volterra. There were more people, but not enough to make me uncomfortable. There was a main square where a horse race is done and a beautiful duomo. I enjoyed exploring the different roads and seeing what new architectural features popped out at me. Siena is a relaxed place that has more to offer than Volterra, but less than Florence or Rome. 5. Florence There were far too many people in Florence. If you want leather bags, to see yet another beautiful duomo, or to visit some museums, come here. These sights are amazing and some of the best things to do in Italy, but the amount of people here deterred me from ever wanting to go back to Florence. It was difficult for me to appreciate the beauty of the town when I constantly had to hold onto my bag while walking through large crowds. I wish I had time to visit some of the museums, however, because my professor raved about them. Although I didn’t have the greatest time in Florence, it is definitely a place that everyone should visit while in Italy.
Although I'm not a huge fan of wine, I had an amazing experience at Castello Banfi, a vineyard and winery in Montalcino. When I arrived on their land, I was greeted with the sight of an old castle and a view of the surrounding grape vines, plum trees, and olive trees. They also had some of the best landscaping I've ever seen. Everything, including the rosemary hedges, were trimmed perfectly and in great health. Since they decided to use such aromatic plants, Castello Banfi had a wonderful scent. After learning about the history of the Mariani family (owners of Castello Banfi), we did a wine tasting and had the best lunch I've ever had.
The lunch was four courses, and when eating it, I felt like royalty. Large comfy chairs, two waitresses per table, white and red wines to go with each main course, and gourmet food. The menu consisted of amuse bouche, ricotta cheese and spinach tortelli on peas cream, La Pettegola, beef tagliata with grilled vegetables, rocket salad with cherry tomatoes, Cumn Laude, and castello cookies with coffee. I greatly enjoyed the beef tagliata. It was cooked to my liking even though they didn't ask how I wanted it cooked. As a leader, if I were to have an interview for a job at a nicer restaurant, such as the one at Castello Banfi, I would know not to ask for my meat to be cooked medium. I would expect the meat to be more on the rare side and not complain about it when placed in front of me. In doing so, I would create a better relationship with the interviewer and ultimately get the job. I would also study wine well enough to know which wine to order with what meal. Overall, my knowledge of fine dining would allow me to get the job. Although this isn't really cultural intelligence, it is a form of leadership to appeal to others who aren't in the same social class. Another thing I thought was interesting about this company, is that it's a family business and yet it is one of the largest wineries in Italy. When I think of family businesses, I usually imagine small street stores that sell domestically. Family businesses are very common in Italy and represent the strong relationships Italians have with each other. Even the workers that aren't technically part of the family are considered family. I love this about Italy. In the US, workers are seen as things that allow owners to make more money. In Italy, they are appreciated, loved, and respected. My trip to Castello Banfi taught me about the wine and fine dining communities, and showed me that family businesses don't have to be small. The food here in Italy is amazing; better than anything I ever expected. The food is always fresh and of the highest quality. The first meal I had here was served at the dining hall in the school I'm staying in. It consisted of some pasta, meat, vegetables, salad, bread, and of course dessert. That night, I was nervous about gaining weight from all the food I was going to be eating, but within the next few days, I realized that anything I ate was going to be burned off from all the walking I did. So far, my favorite food has been the rabbit. It was something that I never thought I would try, but it ended up being better than the chicken that night because it was more tender.
Below, are some of the foods and drinks that I've tried while staying in Italy:
This past weekend, my friends and I decided to spend some time in Rome. When we found out that we wouldn't be traveling there as a group, we knew we had to spend our free weekend there. We started off in Florence and then took an afternoon train to Rome, where we got an Airbnb near the center. The first night we were there, I went with my roommate, who has family in Italy to watch her cousin's boyfriend's band play at a local bar. It was so much fun. Her friends and family accepted me into their group and I had an awesome time. Most of them were able to speak English, which made it even easier to talk with them. Although the night life isn't really my thing, in Rome it was something all the natives participated in and therefore I felt like a local that night. At the end of the night, I even got to learn the Italian way to say goodbye. You know, the fancy double cheek kiss thing. (Make sure you remember to kiss on the right and then on the left and you'll be golden.) I'm going to miss the people I met that night. They were all so nice and it was cool how much I was able to learn about them in such a short amount of time. I also liked the fact that, despite being at a bar, none of them were getting drunk. Yeah, everyone had a few drinks, but they didn't abuse alcohol like a lot of people my age in America do. As someone who doesn't really drink, I liked that about them. Also, if I went to a bar like this in America, the positive social environment wouldn't exist.
The next day, my friends and I went on a tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, and then my roommate and I split from the group again to meet her family for dinner. That night I had an Italian hamburger and it was good, but I will definitely stick to my Jersey diner burgers. The burger itself was a lot denser and the roll was just too much. The fresh potato chips that came with it, however, were amazing. Afterwards, we caught up with the rest of our friends, but soon headed back to the apartment. The next morning, I got up early to see the Trevy fountain. It was by far my favorite thing to see. Although it wasn't the biggest or most lavish thing I've seen so far, it was something that I had dreamed of seeing. I've seen thousands of pictures of it, but there's nothing like seeing it in person. I threw a coin in, took lot of photos, and left about twenty minutes later so I could pack for my trip back to Volterra. I'm glad to be back in Volterra after having had such a busy weekend. Despite loving Rome, it was sometimes scary, but here in Volterra, there is very little danger if any at all and I just feel at home here. I'm also happy that my friends and I were able to see and experience so much in such little time. I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE! Indeed, it's true. I had the opportunity to take a tour of a maximum security prison while staying in Volterra. Although we weren't able to interact with the inmates, we got to walk on the roof, which allowed us to experience one of the most incredible views of the town, and we learned about what makes the Medici Fortress different from other prisons. (Other than that it used to be a castle before being used for protection from the Florentine)
Although the inmates are kept in cells most of the time and have scheduled outdoor time like at other prisons, the director of this prison allows them to perform in plays and run their own restaurant. Also, the prison is in the center of the town and therefore plays a large part in the community. There is a small public garden and a dog therapy section where school tours are done and people can be lead on a tour of the towers by select inmates. Such rehabilitation programs have been highly praised and allow the prisoners to stay up to date with what's happening in the world and learn new skills that cold help them once they are released. I think the United States should follow in Volterra's footsteps. The goal of the Medici Fortress is to help people who might have gone down the wrong path. The staff working here do their best to train these inmates in different fields so that when it comes time for their release, they're prepared to start over and hopefully not find themselves in prison again. The staff create a positive atmosphere for the prisoners, which allows them to heal and move forward. When I walked outside the airport, I was greeted with the smell of cigarette smoke and a view of many large buses. Honestly, it wasn't what I was expecting. I thought for some reason that once I walked outside, I would be greeted with a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains and the smell of fresh air. I was slightly disappointed, but I kept an open mind and continued to let my happiness flow through me. We boarded a bus after playing Tetris with our luggage and started our long journey to Volterra. The drive consisted of gorgeous views and a stop at a gas station that had a small bakery and deli attached. (That was the best smelling gas station store I have ever been in.) The panini and cornettos (sweet Italian croissants) lined the shelves and the smell of espresso filled the room.
The views, as I mentioned previously, were breathtaking. Rolling hills, large rolls of hay, sheep, small towns perched on mountains, and a baby blue sky. One thing that I found interesting, was how narrow the roads were. My bus was always within inches of either falling off a cliff or hitting the car coming towards us. I guess that's just how Italians like it. There is no sense of personal space and therefore most are comfortable driving on these narrow roads. The class that I'm taking is about cultural intelligence and so far we have learned about the importance of knowing how to interact with people from different cultures. Because many Italians don't have the same sense of personal space as me, I always try to stay clam when the locals get close. When my friends and I went into a grocery store, a local woman walked in between us and at first I was a little annoyed, but then I remembered the difference in personal space and remained calm. I guess this class has taught me to acknowledge the differences between cultures and use my knowledge to adapt, hence using leadership. Once we had settled into to our rooms, we took a trip to the main town of Volterra, which is about a fifteen minute walk up a steep hill from where were staying. It was exactly what I imagined a small town in Italy to be like. Cobblestone streets, small shops, gelato and bars at every corner... Everyone knew each other and everyone was always so friendly. Somehow this place that I had never been in before felt like home. Some of the streets reminded me of downtown Freehold, which is where I'm from. I knew from the moment I arrived that this trip was going to be the best experience of my life. It wasn't until my family and I started driving to the airport that I finally felt nervous. Before that point, excitement and adrenaline traveled through my body blocking the nerves. This was going to be the first time I was ever boarding a plane without my travel expert of a father by my side. As we drove to the airport, all I could think about was somehow getting lost in the airport or somehow not making my way through security. Needless to say, I was going a little crazy on the inside.
Once I got into the airport, however, those nerves seemed to dissipate. There was something calming about the airport. I never realized until that point how much I actually knew about traveling. I knew exactly what to do when going through security and honestly, I think that was the fastest I had ever gone through security. At the gate, I found a crowd of people around my age and walked over to them knowing they would be my family for the next three weeks. On the airplane, I kept myself busy with games, movies, music, and meals. I attempted to sleep, but epicly failed. Although, I didn't get much sleep, my excitement allowed me to beat jet-lag once I arrived in Italy. It even got me through the hour long wait to get our passports stamped at immigration. I found enjoyment in watching the guy violently open and stamp each passport. After getting through immigration, getting our luggage was a piece of cake and we boarded a bus which would take us to Volterra, our new home. |