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	Service Abroad: Read about Maritza's interesting experience volunteering while she studied abroad in Florence, Italy. American to Italian: “Smoking is bad”. Italian to American: “ Well so is overeating." -- By Maritza Seda I was stuck without my first choice. After not getting my choice of helping out at a church for my community service placement, I was placed in an Italian high school teaching English to students my age through interactive activities. As a person who feared speaking in front of people more than death, three years ago, intimidation and pessimism soon arose within me concerning my competence as an efficient and relatable teacher. I didn’t let that stop me. Over time, I sensed the students’ warmth to me which made me feel more comfortable. Duty became curiosity as I grew more interested in finding out more about who they really were. I even started speaking some Italian in class as my skills with the language improved. I was better able to engage them in dialogue that revealed interesting cultural differences concerning a multitude of different topics such as alcohol/cigarette consumption. It is easy as an American to contend that smoking is bad when we as Americans are bombarded by “Truth” advertisements. However, as we walk by these ads on walls or bus stops on our way to our local McDonalds where we eat 1,500 calories worth of “food” in one sitting, can we really say that we’re any healthier? Sure Americans may breathe better but what’s the use of breathing when your heart stops beating? This rebuttal that inspired the title of this essay, made by an Italian student after my rambling on American views on cigarette smoking, is just one of many occurrences that made me realize the importance of accepting differences as merely differences; nothing worse, nothing better. The placement I was stuck with, allowed me to be free. Free to think outside of the box I built around myself. Free to let go of my inhibitions. I discovered the ability to block my own fears. I discovered how to enjoy stressful situations. And in this, I discovered what made me relax, what I found interesting, what I found rewarding. This semester abroad more than any other period in my life, I have discovered: me.

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