Submitted by Hannah Wilson on the 2017 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies…
Italy is amazing. I have never traveled to Europe, never studied abroad or really immersed myself in another culture, until now. The first week of my experience has been exhausting, but absolutely amazing. Within six short days and almost 24 hours of traveling, I have fallen in love with Italy and have seen three amazing locations, with many more to come. We’ve been staying in Volterra, toured Pisa and shopped in Lucca. All while traveling across the gorgeous Tuscan countryside. As I sit on my windowsill on campus, I am looking out at the cold, but picturesque landscape of Tuscany. I’ve already begun planning my next visit!
While I haven’t necessarily experienced “culture shock”, there are some major (and minor) differences between Italy and the United States that have surprised me. Most of the time in Italy so far, I have either been eating or sightseeing! One of the main things that affected me quickly upon arrival was the timing of dinner. In the US, we eat dinner normally between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. with 8 p.m. being kind of a late meal. Well, in Italy this is vastly different. Dinner does not start until 7 p.m. here and most meals will last close to 10 p.m or later. Our second night in Italy, we went out to dinner to the small town of Volterra at 6 p.m. We walked around in the cold looking for restaurants, but none were open! We had no idea of this cultural difference. We got coffee at a small shop and waited around until the Italian dinner time. Speaking of coffee, there’s a cultural difference there, too. When you order a coffee here, it comes out in a tiny cup and is very strong. It’s an espresso! The regular coffee in Italy is espresso, it’s not diluted with hot water, milk, cream or even sugar. I wasn’t expecting this. They do have “Café Americano” that’s available for those who want a familiar cup of coffee, but I think it’s more fun to experiment.
There are plenty more cultural differences I could explain, but my favorite ones are about food! Here are some various interesting ones I’ve experienced. There is no such thing as alfredo sauce here, however they have a ‘pasta con panna’ which is made in a cream sauce, similar to the one we know and love. Italy does not have a dinner option of spaghetti and meatballs! Dinner is served in various courses, with an appetizer, first course, second course, side dish and then dessert. The pasta and meat dishes are usually separated, with pasta as your first course and meat being served as the second course. For this reason, spaghetti and meatballs don’t exist here, but you can get spaghetti first and meatballs second! One last thing, I realized quickly in Italy is that seltzer water is just as well-liked (and prominent) as regular water. Each time you go to buy a water bottle or when you ask for water at a restaurant, you get the options of: “naturale or frizzante.” This means natural, still water or fizzy, sparkling water. I really don’t know why this option is so prevalent here, but it is, and it’s basically seltzer water.
As you can tell, I have paid particular attention to the food here in Italy so far. Though things may be different, everything I have tried is absolutely delicious, and I can’t wait to explore more! Stay tuned.