Week 2: Adjustments

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So, by the end of my second week here I can already feel myself adjusting to the culture here. I now walk with a straight spine, can strollĀ into the street fearlessly, and now own a good couple pair of boyfriend jeans- so I’m already feeling a tad bit more European. Its interesting, the changes you thought were going to be challenging aren’t at all, but the small things, the ones that are so subtle that you would never think of them- those are the real challenges.

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about my homestay, in specific if its hard living with a new family or if the language barrier is a challenge. And honestly, I love my homestay. I like the fact that I get to experience what it means to be a person who lives and grows up in Italy. I love having Italian food home cooked for me, and I love watching my Italian improve as I talk more and more with the family. They’re particularly sweet; at the table, my roomate and I partake in an alphabet game where we all name words we know in Italian that start with the letter of the day- its a very smart game to play. It totally breaks the ice and I feel like I learn something every night. Overall, the “hard parts” like the language and the living is totally manageable.

The small things though, that’s where you have to consciously make changes. Because people eat dinner here at 8:00 and serve two courses a night, I find that I have to ration myself during the day, so my body’s metabolism has changed. I also find myself being hyper conscious of water use and dry cleaning. And you have to respect the routine the family asks you to follow. I also found that customs like not going back to your first course, pouring others drinks if you pour yourself one, or even using a piece of bread to wipe your plate clean are small things I never would have imagined, which is why I have to make such a conscious effort to follow through with them.

Other changes I’ve had to face include walking about 2 to 4 miles a day just to get to art class. And because its my first time living in the heart of a city, I’ve had to adjust to the congested streets and learn how to weave seamlessly through crowds. I already feel less like a tourist. Obviously I can’t shake off that American vibe I give, especially when I walk into a cafe with my broken Italian and ask for a cappuccino at 4:00 in the afternoon (PSA: don’t order a cappuccino past 12:00, its kind of odd). But overall, its fun to watch myself acclimate to my new home, and to see which parts of myself I maintain intact and which parts I have a little room to adjust. All in all, I really feel Europe is growing on me.

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