Italy Realized Assignment: Returning Home

Finishing a three-week journey in Italy has been a transformative experience that has not only broadened my travel record but has also reshaped my perception of travel and myself. This final assignment calls for us to deeply reflect on this study abroad. We are prompted to revisit and expand on our original expectations, outlined in our introduction blog post, examining how our time in Italy has altered our mindsets and personal growth. Moreover, I will explore the cultural shocks I encountered and how these experiences have changed me. Lastly, I will reflect on my new understanding of the post-modern present. 

Was Italy as you imagined it (you might look again at your first blog post)? 

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I once imagined Italy as the perfect place: Venice with its rich history and architecture, a walkable city filled with warmth and color; Milan with its evolving life, bringing the post-modern world to the forefront; Le Cinque Terre with mountains reaching for the sun and a reflective, blue sea below; and Tuscany with its rolling hills. Throughout the trip, I was not disappointed. Italy was beautiful in all aspects - its history, culture, people, and experiences. However, like everywhere else, it was far from perfect. We encountered delays in travel, odd interactions with locals, and even some disappointing architecture. Despite all, the three weeks together were worthwhile, educational, and fun. In my original blog post, I mentioned three key interests: learning more about Leonardo da Vinci and his various talents, exploring ancient architecture, and visiting art museums. 

I will begin with Leonardo da Vinci. Throughout the trip, I learned about his multiple disciplines through class time, classmate presentations, and various guided tours. The most influential experience was my own research and presentation on da Vinci and his "Annunciation." This assignment allowed me to truly immerse in the world of art, an area in which I initially knew nearly nothing. I appreciated learning about the Renaissance techniques and how Leonardo implemented his style. This foundation was valuable when touring the Renaissance art museums, where I could identify the different styles and techniques I learned during my research. Although deterred at first, I was proud of choosing a topic I knew little about and conquering it through diligent research and pure curiosity. 

The second goal was to explore ancient architecture. Growing up in Chicago, a young city compared to Europe, there is not much ancient architecture. I have always been fascinated by architectural techniques, particularly in the Roman period. Here, learning about Venetian, Gothic, Roman, and other architecture types in the Campo Assignment, I felt more appreciative of the types of buildings surrounding us throughout our tours. Buildings I strictly appreciated were the churches. They stood grand and mighty and their insides were filled with incredible Renaissance art. They were one of my favorite aspects of the trip. 

As I mentioned in my introduction post, I had never visited an art museum before this trip. During the three-week period, we visited a multitude of Renaissance art museums, the Biennale exhibition (a post-modern art show), and encountered various Renaissance artworks in churches and on buildings. I was not disappointed. Seeing the original works by da Vinci and discovering rising artists in the post-modern era was incredible. I especially appreciated witnessing the progression from Byzantine art to Renaissance art to Post-Modern art. It helped highlight the paradigm shifts we studied in class, giving a deeper understanding of how art evolved throughout history. Among all the galleries we visited, my favorite 'game' was locating the different versions of the "Annunciation." Having familiarized myself with the story and piece through my Leonardo da Vinci presentation, it was fascinating to find the various depictions of the painting, whether it be Byzantine or Renaissance.

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Have your ideas changed in any way? Have you?

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Before the trip began, I had an idealized vision of Italy: a perfect place for adventure and history, where every road led to new discoveries, and the atmosphere was filled with kindness and contentment. However, I soon learned that no country is perfect and should not be idealized as a "Heaven on Earth." Everywhere we went, there was an abundance of tourists, annoyed Italians, misplaced directions, and chaos. This experience fundamentally changed my perspective on Italy and traveling in general. I realized that no matter where I go, including my home, a certain level of chaos is inevitable. Foucault, in "Of Other Spaces," highlights this juxtaposition of chaos and calm places: "There were places where things had been put because they had been violently displaced, and then on the contrary places where things found their natural ground and stability" (Foucault 22). Returning home, I want to find a place filled with "natural ground and stability" to decompress and escape the chaos of Chicago. This trip has changed me. I've learned that being content does not come naturally; you must work towards putting yourself in that environment. It is crucial to have that sense of contentment not only when traveling but also in your own home and everyday life. 

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What have you learned about cultural differences or about what you used to take for granted as “true”? 

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A large cultural difference, one which I expected, was the difference in timely appreciation. The American world is shifting from modernism to post-modernism, where time is quick and efficiency is praised above all. This results in fast transportation, quick meals, and a strong, almost detrimental, sense of individualism. In Italy, notably Venice and the Tuscany day trips, time seemed to be the last of people's worries. Dinner was enjoyed for hours and walking miles a day was expected. Going into this trip, I mentioned how I wanted to relearn how to "live slowly," to appreciate every second and every beautiful thing around me. During the trip, I thought something beautiful would be the compelling art, mind-boggling architecture, or quiet nature. Now, sitting at home in my pajamas, I recognize the most beautiful part of the trip was the time. The time I spend with friends, with locals, at the supper table, and during my aimless walks in unknown cities. De Botton, in "On Possessing Beauty," showcases this idea of beauty: "But beauty is fugitive, being frequently found in places to which we may never return or else resulting from rare conjunction of season, light and weather" (de Botton 214). As de Botton covers, this trip is beautiful because of its circumstances. I will never be in Italy again with the same people, setting, or time. Because it is rare it is special, it is beauty.  Now, I have learned to appreciate the time I spent with friends, the time I spent learning, and the idea of living slowly. The modern world praises efficiency, but that does not mean I need to comply and praise it as well. 

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Overall, this trip has been an amazing experience. I truly did love every moment of it: the tours, the people, the friends, the sights, everything. It was fun and engaging. I particularly liked studying the paradigm shift from the Medieval Age to the Renaissance Era to Modern times to Post-Modern growth. Before this trip, I didn't have a true comprehension of what "post-modern" meant. Now, I can describe it in art, culture, architecture, and people's mindsets and ideals. My high school dream was to study abroad in Italy, and now I have accomplished that goal and more. This experience lived up to my expectations, and I can not wait for the next adventure.