Italy!
All is well in Italy. Italian classes are going well, and I’m finding time to employ the language skills I am learning by cooking in a restaurant at night. Being surrounded by—and being a part of—a culture and community as unique as this one, as well as taking the time to reflect on my own culture in America, has taught me more than I could’ve imagined. More than anything, I’ve learned to appreciate the people: the butcher who I talk to in the market or the old women who sit in the park each afternoon. I am confident that upon my return to the United States, I will appreciate the people of my own community so much more. Mark A.