Cultural Adjustment

Starting week 4 I've realized the cultural differences are starting to get to me. I wouldn't say I'm homesick, but the little things like smokers, crowds, city air, and lack of English are all adding up. In orientation they called this the "anger stage" of cultural adjustment. I'm moving past the honeymoon phase and starting to adjust to being here for 3 months. On the brightside, at this point I don't need my gps to get around, and I can confidentally order a coffee without sounding 100% American. Don't get me wrong I love this city, but starting last week I realized I needed a breath of fresh air.

We decided the best way to get out of town was to do a day trip to Cinque Terre. We did a 2 hour hike that went straight up into the hills, and I have never been happier to be surrounded by trees and plants. The views were amazing and well worth the exhausting walk. After going the wrong way on the trail and ending up in a different town, we hopped the train to Monterosso for the beach and buckets of pina coladas. We ended the day in Riomaggiore with a cup of sea food and gelato. It was one of those days that so much could've gone wrong with our lack of planning, yet nothing did. I would highly recommend visiting this scenic coastal town of Italy. We may have only had one day, but I could've stayed there all weekend.

Fresh air was needed, and now I'm ready to get back to school and rest up for Oktoberfest this weekend. Next stop: Munich.