Submitted by Kaitlyn McConeghy on the 2018 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
On the first day in Rome, when we stopped in a little coffee bar for our first cappuccino of the program, we all raved about how awesome it was and wondered if we’d even able to find another that would top it. Ironically, that cappuccino actually was the best one I’ve had on this program, and my friends and I (jokingly, at first) set out to become “”gli abituali” at this coffee place. While it’s real name is I Dolci di Checco e Carettiere, we affectionately call it Latteria (there’s a big sign that says “Latteria” (actually just the word for a place that sells milk) outside, and we were convinced that this was the name for the first few weeks of the program). We usually head there every Monday and Wednesday after class, and the baristas now know our orders by heart (Tre Cappuccini? Ok!!!), and inquire after us if we miss a day.
In a city that at first felt so foreign, becoming “”gli abituali” ” has really made us feel more like we belong. When you go abroad, your whole routine kind of gets flipped upside down and things that you used to take for granted suddenly are up in the air (where will you get coffee, where will you sit and study after class, etc.). It’s a small step, but knowing where we’re going to get coffee every day after class, and knowing that they appreciate us being there, takes away a level of that uncertainty. It’s really nice to walk into “Latteria” and see the baristas smiling at us, and have a space where we feel comfortable to sit and chat and unwind after class. Rome is slowly becoming a “Home Away from Home,” and our favorite coffee spot is a wonderful little part of that transformation.