Submitted by Isabella Bonelli on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Finance and the Department of English…
After arriving in Italy on Monday, I truly had no idea what to expect. This is the first time I have ever been out of the United States so I was pretty nervous about it. Our program has been residing in Volterra so far and it is more than beautiful. It is exactly what someone would picture when thinking about Italy; perfectly green mountains, vast amounts of land, beautiful scenery. I am loving every minute of it.
Although, there are not many extreme differences between Italy and the United States, I think the one thing that has caused a lot of culture shock to me is when you eat in Italy. Since we are staying in a smaller city right now, there are specific times for meals and for when stores/restaurants are open. I am so used to eating at whatever time I want, whenever I want, that being in a city where I can only eat at certain times is definitely super weird for me! Restaurants and stores are only open for lunch around noon and then close for a few hours during the day for what they call “nap time”. (How cool is that? They just nap during the day!). And then the stores reopen again for dinner, but close around 10:30-11pm. There are no small stores that stay open with snacks, and no late-night pizza. To some, this would not be a big deal, but to others, it is huge! In America, you can always find something that is open or that will deliver to you at anytime of the day, but not in Volterra. It is something I am getting used to, but was definitely not expecting when I arrived.
I am very fortunate to be able to be on this program and see Italy and I cannot wait to continue to explore more.
