Borders, or barriers, as we have also described them seem to come with movement. Whether it is crossing a physical border, encountering borders with travel, or experiencing increased barriers because of foreign territory. Movement sparks the unknown, and borders are unknown. In my experience, I have traveled to a foreign country, to the large and very unknown city of Rome. The borders are physical: customs, needing my visa, and crossing into a new country have been borders, but that is not where I have felt the borders. In my experience, I have especially felt the borders emotionally.
In coming to this foreign country I have felt borders in that I do not completely understand the culture, and I am not well versed in the ways of the Italians. I also feel borders in terms of language barriers, in that I cannot speak Italian and I have trouble communicating with people who do not speak English. Even though this is a small barrier, it has really affected my way of communicating, and also feeling welcome in this country. I feel like most Italians do not want to make an effort to help me learn their language, and therefore have raised this border in front of me, making it harder for me to adapt. Although this is true, I do not feel like this is the case 100 percent of the time. Some people do speak English in Italy, but in my experience, have regretted to do so. I will not say that I have been perfect in attempting to speak Italian when first greeting a stranger, however when my Italian communication with someone comes to a halt, most times they will be hesitant to switch to English. There are exceptions to everything, however, and I have definitely felt kindness and generosity from many people here in Rome.
Apart from the ability to communicate, which is the most obvious hurdle, I have crossed the barrier into where I feel like an outsider. I can handle feeling like an outsider. Sometimes I almost enjoy this; so I can experience another culture, and learn from this experience. In this regard, I am grateful that I have been immersed in this culture. This barrier has posed a challenge to me that I am willing to accept, and has been less challenging to me than my communication border because I feel like I can actually achieve an understanding of Italian and Roman culture, while learning the language and being able to communicate effectively seems like such a larger feat.
While looking at the borders I have encountered while coming to Rome, I do not want to simply focus on the differences between here and the United States. This would be an easy comparison and the differences could very well represent the barriers one would experience. For me, differences are not always barriers. Barriers are transitions or experiences that prevent me from immersing myself into a situation. The language barrier has contributed to this, as well as the attitudes of some Italians. Another border is fabricated in my own psyche. This border is the overwhelming feeling I get when thinking about learning about Italian culture and truly getting to know Italians. This is intimidating to me because of their rich history, but also that I am attending my own school, and American university. The fact that I am not technically “immersed” in an Italian school makes me feel less involved with the country, and almost as if I will not be able to fully understand the Italian way. Maybe this is just me being sensitive, or less adaptive, but I really do think that attending an American university in a foreign country is a barrier. Nothing against my wonderful teachers, because every stride is being made to immerse UW students into Italian culture, and I am learning new things every day!
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