Writing Assignments # 10 - Italian Tendencies!

My memories from Rome are still vivid. My memory from my travels in Italy and around Europe is still vivid as well. I know this doesn’t have to do with the pictures I took, but how much I truly enjoyed and soaked in just about everything I saw. Looking back on my time abroad, I would say that after the first few weeks of adjusting I realized that I wanted to live as much as possible like an Italian would live. Encouraged by both of my teachers, of course, I began to curb some of my American tendencies like moving too fast, rushing, and also eating American food, and began to pickup on Italian tendencies. I wanted to savor my (short) time abroad, and I felt like a very important way of doing this would to embrace the Italian lifestyle. This Italian way of life, and certain tendencies that these people had are what I remember most about my time abroad, and what is still the most vivid in my mind.

Italian culture varies quite a bit from American culture. Some key things that I noticed are their zest for life, and how they appear to enjoy everything, whether it be daily activities or having a glass of wine on a sunny day, just a little bit more. They also seem to spend just a little more time on everything, compared to Americans, and are definitely slower in a lot of aspects, especially walking.

Pertaining to Italian’s zest for life, I have a few examples. One of these has to do with the market in Campo dei Fiori, which is a very vivid picture in my mind. Both the Italian workers and patrons were both so enthusiastic about the market, rain or shine, early morning, or afternoon. It seemed that this was such a huge part of Italian culture, that the workers weren’t in fact working, but having a good time. One other aspect of the market that is still stuck in my mind is how every Italian treated each other with kindness and there were seemingly no differences between the vendors and customers. As well, when observing Italians at lunch, dinner, or just walking down the street, they were enjoying life just a little bit more than I remember back home in Seattle. This might sound a little weird to say, but I did notice it there, and also noticed a difference when I came home to Seattle. Laughing, cheering glasses, and hugs are what I vividly remember about groups of Italians sharing a meal. This is my idea of enjoying time with friends or family, however it is different from what I see and experience back home.

Italians definitely operate at a different speed or pace than Americans do. This is, of course, up for debate when talking about how Italians drive, or certain Americans’ athletic lifestyles, but the image of “strolling” is one I will not soon forget. When Italians are on walks, whether it be a post-meal stroll, morning commute, or even a trip to the market, they seem to always walk without a mission, or without a care in the world. As an outside observer, I noticed that this is completely different from how Americans in big cities walk, but also because I would pass nearly everyone on the street when I was walking at what I think is a completely normal pace. As I said, their pace of life also seems to be a little bit slower. When waiting for food at restaurants, it takes noticeably longer than back home. I will also never forget how long it took a group of girls in our group to purchase their necklaces in Naples. The language barrier could have gotten in the way, but the lady behind the counter was definitely not in a hurry to make some money, which is the exact opposite of the American way.

My time in Italy, as proven by my many memories and vivid observations, was definitely a time to compare Italian ways of life with my own practices, but also was a time where I learned about a culture that was so different from what I have experienced my entire life. I am so thankful that I paid attention to these Italian ways of life, and that I remember many so well because while I embraced some of the Italian enthusiasm for life, I also learned why I love the American “work work work” lifestyle. Maybe it’s just my observations, but our cultures are just a little bit different.