Italy vs. USA

After nearly a week in Italy, I have come to a conclusion about the overall level of hospitality in Italy is far superior to that if the states. Every time we got lost, needed help, or just had a question, there was always someone there to lend a hand, even fighting through the sometimes awkward language barrier. It was actually quite amazing how willing the people were to help in any way that they could. Thinking about the states, we are not well known for our hospitality. We are often viewed as closed minded, and 

I can count myself as guilty of being somewhat hesitant to help foreign people. I work in downtown Pittsburgh, and I am approached at least 3 times per day by someone speaking broken English asking for directions or something of that nature. I always try to help when I can, but I am almost never happy about it and i definitely am not overly helpful. This trip will make  me think twice about how I deal with these situations in the future, since I know what it's like to be lost in a foreign country with limited knowledge of the language. 

--Charles Hartz