After living in Florence for almost a month, I’ve come to find that it has more similarities with UNC than I thought. There is a bell tower near my apartment that is always ringing, gelato shops that are substitute for YoPo, and many loud, drunken Americans. This is, of course, expected and accepted at UNC, but how do Florentines feel?
During orientation, the thirty-or-so students also traveling from UNC to the Lorenzo de’ Medici School in Florence had been briefed about being on our best behavior. Despite being a fun-loving culture, restrictions in Florence allow neighbors to call the police with noise complaints after 11:00 p.m., and any overnight guests are illegal.
Nobody was expecting students to stay in and play board games for our four-month stay, but with the increased number of college students studying in Florence and the influence of Jersey Shore, the decorum of Americans has gone downhill.
Frankly, I can’t blame locals for being annoyed; Florence is a small city with some nightlife, but it would not be a serious partygoer’s first choice of Europe. For me, this is nothing to complain about. Getting lost and exploring an old city has been a great change of perspective for myself and other students I have talked to, but I cannot speak for the whole study abroad population.
My advice to Americans traveling abroad? Don’t let any stereotype affect your stay. By being polite, you may be able to change one person’s perceptions of Americans, despite any language barrier.
Sources:
Drunken Americans (photo): selfishindulgence.com; http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N-OTm8nV5Uk/TxhIqUDLCvI/AAAAAAAAA6s/W-xhC_k5a3s/s400/images_ktown_italy_ktown_italy103.jpg
italianvisits.com; http://www.italianvisits.com/tuscany/florence/index.htm