Last fall, University of Idaho seniors Bernadette Beeman and Ashley Buzzini, both studying interior design and architecture, became two of the roughly 350 University of Idaho students who study abroad each year.
The two said they experienced varying levels of culture shock when over seas— encountering a world much different than that of the U.S. Though they said they appreciated the slower pace of life, the cultural contrasts became even more stark back home.
Travelling to Italy was easier, Buzzini said, because most people were curious about America and American culture. When coming back to the U.S., however, she said people were uninterested in Italian food, culture and what they had learned.
“People are going to ask you how your trip was, but they don’t really care that much, not enough to listen,” Beeman said. “There, everyone listens and wants to know you and really engage in who you are as a person and what you love. And so it was so refreshing to be there, and then coming back it was like ‘oh hey, how are you?’”
Beeman and Buzzini said in Italy, students would show up to class 20 minutes late and professors wouldn’t assign due dates — and that it was normal.
Olivia Heersink | Argonaut
Ashley Buzzini and Bernadette Beeman look at photos from abroad.
“Here everyone is so stressed all the time,” Beeman said. “People are timely, prompt and they get stuff done. Life is just so fast, and you know what you’re doing five years from now. (In Italy) you just had space to breath. Life was so slow and beautiful, and they appreciate what is there, and they appreciate what’s around them.”
Buzzini said some of her other friends who have studied abroad elsewhere also noticed a slower pace in the cultures they visited.
Buzzini said she also noticed a difference in the friendliness of people. She said whenever they would walk into a room they would be greeted, even every morning when they went to school.
“In America, we’re not as nice to each other, and we don’t really pay attention to each other’s daily activities,” Buzzini said. “We’re all just stuck to our phones, and that wasn’t as prominent there.”
Other cultural differences the two noticed were the portion sizes of food, the style of dress and the mode of travel. People ate much less because the food was so rich, they consistently dressed much nicer and they walked almost everywhere, Beeman said.
While studying in Italy, Beeman and Buzzini traveled most weekends and went to nine other countries including Spain, France, Hungary, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Czech Republic, they said.
Beeman said her favorite trip was to Interlaken, Switzerland, where the two kayaked on Lake Brienz. She said it was quiet — a blissful retreat from the bustle and noise in Florence.
“I wanted to sit in the silence and take it in,” Beeman said. “It was so breathtaking, and after travelling so much and being so busy, it was such an amazing and completely different experience that we had, and I loved it.”
Buzzini said it is hard for her to pick a favorite time during their trip, but Budapest, Hungary, and Prague, Czech Republic, impacted her.
She said these places had old Jewish quarters and displayed heartbreaking history.
“You could go up to the buildings and still see the bullet holes,” Buzzini said.
Colton Oliphant, UI Education Abroad adviser, said students have the opportunity to travel to over 70 countries, and every major on campus has some sort of international opportunity available.
Oliphant said study abroad experiences range in duration from a couple weeks to a year.
Different trips to different countries cost varying amounts of money, but some trips are less expensive than if a student were to stay and study at UI in Moscow.
Oliphant said if cost is a major factor, students just have to remember to bring it up.
Buzzini said UI provided assistance where she and Beeman need it.
“The abroad office was more than happy to help find ways to get us there and help us figure out ways we were going to pay for it,” Buzzini said. “They wanted to help us get there.”
After studying abroad, Beeman and Buzzini said they will definitely return to Italy and travel to other countries, particularly to places that not a lot of people know about.
The two also advocate for all students to study abroad, if they can.
Olivia Heersink | Argonaut
Ashley Buzzini and Bernadette Beeman look at a world map, pointing out Italy, where they studied last fall.
“We encourage everyone to go because it’s such a huge, amazing growing experience and cultural experience,” Beeman said. “A lot of people live here, grow up here and then they just stay here, and there’s so much more to this world.
Beeman said the two found it refreshing to live in a place where people held different values than those commonly treasured in the U.S.
Although short, the pair won’t soon forget their time traveling in Europe.
“We learned so much more about life and people and culture,” Beeman said.
Jordan Willson can be reached at [email protected]