Week 8 Class 325

My visit to Italy make me appreciate the conveniences of the US more. While here, the desire to drive in Italy seemed to become stronger. The use of public transportation makes me rethink my use of our cars and continuing the walking that started here is also a desired result.

I am able to appreciate the rudeness discussed in Smiles "Converstation." During the Papal Audience, I found myself employing this in a heated discussion with the Spanish women that kept coming up from the back and blocking our view. All the time in my head I'm thinking: I'm at the Papal Audience having a heated discussion with this lady. What kind of Christian/Catholic am I.

As a result of our trip to Italy, I feel that I’ve come to appreciate art, and the need to research the pieces before viewing them. I hope to participate in more art appreciation activities. I would also like to travel a little more in the U.S. and see more of our architectural heritages. Much of the history in the US is similar to that of Rome. As stated in Smiles, “It is human culture” because it is made up of the history of people coming into the country for better lives and their contributions to our society. It is a culture that we need to appreciate more without being isolated at the same time. I truely want to be more culturally diverse and also build on the cultural diversity that the grandchildren are learning in school.

I feel that the trip to Italy expanded my horizons in art and knowledge of how other cultures live. While I’ve always tried to be helpful to people that don’t speak the same language, I hope that I am even more sensitive to their needs after being here.