Last night I happened upon my day planner, buried underneath my school books. I opened it up and saw that Jan. 19 was the last date crossed off, the day that I left for Rome. It took me a minute to get over the initial shock of realizing that I haven't even thought about time management since I've been in Rome.
The fact that I haven't been checking off days on a calendar may not seem too important at first, but let me explain. Back at AU, my life is ruled by calendars, to-do lists and any other form of organization that pertains to time. Each morning I meticulously plan out my day, even down to the times that I allow myself a quick snack in between errands and homework.
This may sound sick, and yes, it probably is, but for the first two and a half years of college, it worked perfectly for me.
Lately, though, I just haven't thought about time as much. It seems that most things in Rome run by loose schedules - everything from when the bus picks you up to when classes start. At AU, I'm used to disapproving glares by professors when I walk in a classroom even 30 seconds after class has began, but here, professors are very lackadaisical about such issues.
I knew coming over here that time isn't as much of an issue as it is in America - in fact, some people warned me that I may not be able to handle such a drastic change in my life - but I was up for the challenge.
I must say it hasn't been as hard of an adjustment as I thought. I actually enjoy not knowing what time I'm going to start my homework or what time I'll fall asleep at night. And although my time management skills may be a bit more extreme than most people's, the relaxed atmosphere around me has shown my how Americans really do live up to the "on the go" mentality that we seem so known for.
Perhaps Americans can take away something from this part of Italian culture. I know that I, the girl with more of a time budget than anyone else, has been able to. As small an event as it may sound, it's actually very liberating to toss a day planner far down into a heap of school books.
I think that I've pretty much mastered the no-set-schedule routine, but I haven't slipped into the siesta ritual yet. At least I still have another three months to get used to it.
