Everyday, I deal with a language barrier. This makes even the simplest of tasks very challenging. Take going to the grocery store for example. You think you know what you're buying and most of the time you do, but sometimes, you make the rookie mistake of buying body wash, thinking that it's lotion, and you end up rubbing soap all over your legs. While this is something that is very humorous, after an extended time of constantly questioning yourself and feeling like there is no one you can ask, it gets very frustrating just to get your items, talk to the person at the register, and get rushed out of the store. Now imagine if there is a mess up with a bus ticket. Maybe you bought a ticket for a Saturday, but the person working thought you meant Friday and you can't read the sign that says: "You are responsible for checking the dates for your ticket," so you end up having to purchase a whole new ticket (this is a true story). This is where things begin to make life's everyday difficulties much more challenging.
I made a goal my junior year of high school that I was going to be a positive person. I was going to have positive thoughts, see the good or the lesson in every situation, and try to make people's lives better because I remembered to notice when they got their hair done or they dressed up for that specific day or I wished them good luck on their test/interview coming up. I have learned that it is the little things in life that really matter and that can make a difference in the lives of others, as well as my own life. This mindset has proven to make a positive impact on my life and has made me a happier person. However, this attitude was challenged more than ever when I had my wallet stolen at a train station in Cinque Terre. I tend to have a trust in people; I want to believe that people wouldn't intentionally do bad things. When I felt the violation of having my entire wallet stolen right under my nose, I felt very betrayed and frustrated for up to three days afterward. To be honest, I was pissed off at the world and that was the first time during my travels that I have questioned myself and my faith in humanity. This was my first taste of culture shock. I was frustrated that people here would do that, I suddenly hated the transportation system, I resented the fact that I couldn't just call my mom on the phone, and finally, I was upset that no one else around me had the slightest idea why I was upset because most of them couldn't understand my language.
Realizing that I had no money and no way to contact my mom to cancel my credit card other than finding wi-fi, I found myself crying to a local deli owner in Corniglia. Tears filled her eyes as she gave me the password to her wi-fi and continued to give Katie and I free bread and water. This goes to show that even though there are people out there who do bad things, there are still two more good people that make up for that.
This experience helped remind me that material things aren't what matters in life. These things can be replaced; however, the friendships and memories made are the things that last. It reminded me that I am so blessed to have such a good travel partner and friend in Katie, who was there for me when I was cursing about my wallet, as well as there to laugh with me when I rubbed the body wash all over my legs. It's about remembering how beautiful the Colosseum was at night and how well we learned the metro system when we were lost in Barcelona. It's about learning that cultural differences can really change a person's outlook on life and that it's important to keep an open mind about things that we see.
As I begin week eight of my program here in Siena, I know that my time left is going to go flying by. I think culture shock is an inevitable experience in one form or another when you spend extended times in a different country. It is how you bounce back from culture shock and what you learn from the experience that matters.
I guess my big take away from this is that traveling isn't all puppy dogs and rainbows, it is still life. And in life, to be blunt, shit happens and by keeping faith in God and confidence in yourself, we can take whatever life has to throw at us while we are traveling.
Before I left for my trip to Cinque Terre, I read this article Wanderlust and when I returned from my trip, it rang even more true then before.
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