DePauw 2017 May Term in Italy

Brad Leftwich First Two Reflections June 12, 2017 Reflection 1: Upon arrival in Grado, one of the most apparent cultural differences I noticed was the size of just about everything. It really showed me how Americans live lives of excess in just about every facet of life. Cars are bigger, meal portions are massive, and the largest quantity of beers that you could buy at one time is 3.      Although the majority of the meals we have had have been very large and massive, the individual portions of courses have been rather small compared to individual portion sizes in the US.  Often times in America, you will leave a single course meal feeling extremely bloated and full, while in Italy a single course meal will leave you feeling satisfied, yet not too full. I think this is one of the factor that contributes toward the overall healthier lifestyle lives by Europeans.       The other most obvious difference I saw in size of things here was from th...

Katie Ferriss June 12, 2017         The past two weeks have given me only a brief insight into the art history, culture, language, and views of northern Italy. I have come to understand the culture here is more casual and calming rather than upbeat, fast paced America. The people are gentle and kind with warm hearts, and they reserve and respect their history and faith. I have come to love and care for the people and culture here in Grado and everyone I have met on this trip. Our last excursion made me feel the most immersed on this trip. We went to the Dolomites and took a tram up into the mountains. As we stood a top the mountain looking over endless lands and views, I felt all of Italy just absorbed within me. It was amazing seeing the amounts of people climbing all of the mountain ranges, going down different trails and pathways just to find more views and beautiful sights of Italy. Throughout the excursions I also have come to appreciate how much of Italy has...

Betsy MacNeille 3d Reflection June 12, 2017 Going on this trip, I’ve learned so much about Italian culture. One thing that stood out to me on this trip was how kind the employees are. For starters, in America I have had my fair share of crabby and rushed waiters. However, in Italy they are all very personable and nice. I initially thought it would be the other way around considering that they don’t have the tips to work for. Thus, rather you’re nice or mean you can still make the same amount of money. However, I then discovered that their kindness is due to the fact that this is their full-time career unlike in America. I’ve also seen this recurring with employees at stores, the hotels, and bars. I’ve also generally discovered how much Italy appreciates their environment. I briefly touched upon this point in my past reflection, but I also saw this occurring in the Dolomites. My family and I went hiking the week before I left for Italy, and we were disgusted by the amount of tras...

Carli Maddock June 12, 2017 Part 1:             My initial impression of Italy was not the most positive, but that quickly changed. I was overwhelmed by the lines to get through customs at the airport, my attempts to buy a train ticket, and the hustle to catch the bus to Venezia Mestre. When I missed the earliest train, I had to settle in and realize that I had two hours to spend at the station. I was hungry, which meant I needed to try to order from the café. No one spoke English, so I took out my handy Italian phrasebook to prepare to order. It was obvious that I was struggling, because I ended up with a random assortment of foods. The train ride was my first true interaction with Italian culture. Kids were hopping on and off the train at each stop, and would look at me strangely. It was obvious that I was not from the area. The style and mannerisms of those around me was so foreign to me. The smiles that I extended were t...

Selma Muratovic Reflection 3 June 12, 2017 Italy has been what I expected it to be in some ways and different in other ways. Just in the town of Grado I’ve noticed how active the people are in town. They walk everywhere or take a short bike ride and I really wish we had a similar system in the United States so that people would be healthier in their lifestyles. Reilly made a good observation to me the other day that we haven’t really seen any gyms or workout areas in the cities we’ve been to. I par that up to the fact that people do not need to go to the gym to exercise since their daily lives are active and healthy. Not just their daily movement but also the food they consume is healthier since it all seems to be grown from local sources and they follow the seasons for their fruit and vegetables choices. We also have only seen traditional fast food places in the big cities such as Verona and Venice but in the United States even the smallest of towns, such as Greencastle, have...

Sarah Roth June 11, 2017 Thanks for everything, I had the time of my life. Over the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to experience a culture that is nothing like my own.  Having spent a majority of our time in the small town of Grado, I was able to better understand and immerse myself fully into their culture.  One of the hardest adjustments was the difference in timeliness.  In the States, going out to lunch typically takes me 20 minutes but even a simple one-course meal in Grado usually took over an hour.  This has taught me to appreciate the small things in life; having more quality time with those around me and being able have the time to just enjoy the beauty of my surroundings.  I know when I go home it will be a huge shock having to be timely and rush through life, but this trip has taught me the importance of taking time for myself.  As soon as I get home I will be moving to a new city for 7 months and because of this trip, I hope ...

       As our trip comes to its conclusion, I’ve reflected a lot on how different societies can shape natural resources and land. While in the Dolomites, we saw extremely beautiful places and small towns nestled between large mountain ranges. As we hiked, I noticed how clean a lot of these beautiful natural sites were. The mountain tops were free of litter or heavy graffiti and the crystal clear lakes seemed to have barely any trash floating around, even though they were right next to docks and beaches where people were swimming, fishing and eating. I am not sure if littering is less common in these areas or if cleaning protocol is different, but it was great to see such beautiful spaces so well preserved.         I also admire the energy conservation here as well. The way the hotel rooms function on a key system to start up certain electrical appliances such as air conditioning and outlets seems to be a very smart system. In the United St...