Volunteering at the community urban garden, I was surrounded by some 20 women in a thick green “Orto”, or vegetable garden. I was told an orto is not to be mistaken for the “giardino” (garden) which simply refers to something ornamental in Italy. Still learning to speak Italian, I did a lot of listening as the women hollered to each other across the little piece of land. They were clearly dedicated to the orto, but as per usual in Italy, they were also dedicated to the cuisine, seeing as the garden workday doubled as a potluck. Each woman brought a dish, and after an hour of pulling weeds and planting fagiolini seeds, there was a table waiting for us, filled with various plates, from casseroles to cous cous (pictured). We shared a bottle of wine with a toast to health and then sampled each of the dishes. Just-harvested fava beans with pecorino cheese was an especially rewarding treat (pictured). Before calling it a night, they taught me a few dances to traditional Italian songs as the air crisped up. That’s a memory I’ll hold close.
From this I can tell you that communication barriers are only as limiting as you make them. If you tell yourself it’s too hard to make a connection with someone from a different culture, then you are limiting yourself. You have to step out of that limiting mindset! Intercultural communication is rooted in curiosity and kindness. The biggest highlight studying in Perugia has been meeting people from various backgrounds and interests. There is no such thing as a language barrier when you have the language of food! And dance and music for that matter too.
Venturing out of the country on your own without having any close friends or family with you… It can be nerve wrecking. But the relationships cultivated along the way will carry you through!