The Doyle Engaging Difference Program - Georgetown University

Before I went to Bologna, productivity and purpose delineated my days. Like the stereotypical American college student, I packed my schedule with class work, studying, and club work. I scheduled my exercise, my meals, and even my faith with Sunday masses at Dahlgren. Once the bells struck 6:59, the congregation and I filed out, all heading back to our desks at Lauinger Library. Every hour was maximized to its fullest potential, motivated by the instilled cultural desire for productivity.

On the other hand, Italy represents the culture known for the slow life: hours-long Sunday lunches after mass, closing shop early for time with friends and family, and a cornetto and caffè in the morning. In Italy, slow moments seemingly restructure into the daily routine.

My productivity-fueled mindset left me perplexed and curious about this lifestyle, this cultural difference. Is it a mere stereotype? If not, does this lifestyle permeate those of Italian university students? As a student at an American university preparing to enroll in an Italian one, I yearned to try the slow life. What values lead a culture to adopt this life? How does a 59 minute American mass turn into a three hour family lunch? Would experiencing this alternate culture make my own faith more meaningful?

Between hours-long guided tours, a couple hours conversing with my language partner, attending classes, and moving in, my first day in Bologna left me feeling lost, both figuratively and literally. I had taken all of Georgetown’s intensive Italian language courses in preparation for my immersive semester abroad through Brown University’s direct enrollment program, Brown in Bologna. Yet, at 9:00pm, my Italian dwindled, every ounce already used up and doled out in each Italian interaction my first day had demanded of me. With a phone and daily Italian battery at 5%, I stood outside of the Bologna train station. Tired, homesick, and lost, I eventually made my way back to my apartment, secretly hoping no one would speak to me in Italian the rest of the walk.

I came to Bologna hoping for a semester of the Italian slow life, but immediately felt thrown into the fastest version of life I had experienced yet. The culture shock and immersion hit me. I felt like an outsider, ever conscious of my American accent and developing vocabulary. So, I sought familiarity with Catholicism in Italian culture. I chose to remember the slow life that called me to Bologna and explore the city.

I meandered down Bolognese streets and popped into churches along the way, listening to daytime services and attending Sunday masses with my Italian roommates. I took a trip to Ravenna and visited churches hailing from the fifth and sixth centuries, containing stunningly preserved ancient Roman and Byzantine mosaics. After a week of trying to acclimate to Bologna life, exhausted from 24/7 language immersion, seeing the mosaics reminded me of why I chose to study here: ancient experiences of the modern, Americanized Catholicism I grew up with. Despite growing secularization—and the fact that less than a fourth of Catholic Italians practice—I still saw Catholic values as interwoven with Italian culture.

I continued exploring the city, my assumptions about the Italian slow life and culture leading me to attempt the slow life: cooking meals with my roommates, walks with friends, and weekend explorations. My dedication towards exploring the city also led me to see multiple instances of migrants bringing their religious identity to Bologna's complex religious tapestry. For instance, Pilastro, a neighborhood outside Bologna, has a long history of migrant intolerance against those outside their ideas of typical Christian ‘Italians.’ From harmful rhetoric against those who did not practice the dominant faith to assumptions about stranieri (foreigners) who look or speak differently. 

I witnessed firsthand underlying hostility towards unfamiliar “threats” to the Italian identity. One night while taking out the trash, I was shouted at with offensive language as a woman told me to leave her country. Despite this, most Bolognese have welcomed me and my American-accented Italian with curiosity and acceptance. 

In fact, one of the friends I met there invited me to her home to spend the day cooking with her and her family. Together we made polenta e funghi, a typical northern Italian dish. I only left her house after the sun went down—part of my education about the slow life. I realized that every activity will end up taking double the amount of time you think because Italians prioritize connection over the American notion of efficiency.

Even in my classes at the University of Bologna I found myself in back-to-back two hour lectures that met twice as often as Georgetown ones but with much less day-to-day work. I had freedom throughout the semester to choose how to spend my time up until finals. This emphasis on enjoying life over constant productivity led me to conduct a more balanced life. In the end, I did spend my fair share of time in Bologna’s Lau equivalent (Salaborsa)—between the unfamiliar oral examination format and the wide breadth of required content.

However, I took the attitude of the slow life (and a proficiency in Italian) back to America with me. In engaging with differences, whether it’s cultural, political, or religious—like I experienced abroad—I will remember the Italian emphasis on connection, on time spent together, over efficiency. While I did notice some tensions towards outsiders, most Italians were curious about my differences, and I theirs. Through conversations, cooking, walks, and adventures, I grew in understanding about their nuanced Italian culture and attitude towards outsiders. Similarly, to engage with domestic differences back at Georgetown, I plan to prioritize intentional time spent in exploration. While I don’t know if I can ever give up my Google Calendar planning, I do know that I will be having many more hours-long pasta nights.