Submitted by Alejandra Salazar Soto on the 2019 summer session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition…
Before coming to the country of Italy, I have never studied abroad or done anything outside of my comfort zone. This was my first step. As much as people emphasize and always tell you to prepare yourself for culture shock to hit you, it hits you when you would least expect it. One thing that Italy is not a fan of (believe it or not), is ice. As I learned on the program, the Italian culture believes that being too cold can lead you to be sick, so you are likely to be roaming around with a warm water bottle and sweating profusely due to the lack of air conditioning.
Another thing that I noticed that greatly differed from back home in the United States was the pizza. Everyone who has already visited Italy tries to explain how“amazing” the pizza is in Europe. After having my first pizza here, I can confidently say that they are missing something that is really odd compared to pizza back at home, the Italians don’t cut their pizza into slices. When you order a pizza in Italy, it can be comparable to ordering a medium-sized pie in America, except for here where it is all for yourself. I think this also plays a part with the fact that Italians value their meals as downtime to relax and spend time with family or friends and enjoy their time. The Italian culture likes to take their time at dinner, enjoy their glass of wine, and leave whenever they decide to leave. When a pizza isn’t cut-up, it somehow seems to make it more“fancy”, since you would then have to use a fork and knife to eat it while someone across from you may be eating a pasta dish.
