Le mie collegiettes!
For those of you who don’t know, I’m something of a “top lists” afficiendo over at HC Wake Forest, & so with midterms around the corner and me feeling reflective, I thought it the appropriate time to share my musings on my time abroad so far in the best way I know how…
A top 5 list!
So ta-da, my collegiettes…this week I am taking a short break from sharing my usual narration, and instead catching you guys up on what I’m missing most about being MIA from the USA. Of course, you are reading the blog of the girl who swears by optimism, so in true Ellie-form, I’ve also included the silver-lining of said “hurts”.
Come on, guys. I’m in Florence. The bad is never that bad… Enjoy!
1. The Hurt: Dove e’ blackberry?!
Okay, I would be lying if I said the lack of technology available to us over here has me a little bit stir-crazy. I’ve been so fighting this stupid “American stereo-type” of being a slave to our cell phones, but you know what, Europeans? You win. I love my blackberry, I love my lap top, I love my Kindle, I love my Ipod. Know what I don’t love? Having limited-to-no access to all of the above. As much fun as avoiding sparks everytime I use an adaptor is, switching my blackberry to “on” the moment I land in Jersey in December is something I dream about. Nightly.
The Perk: Yeah, I’ll text you later…oh wait.
Who knew how long conversations could get when you haven’t already learned someone’s life-story via text? Being unable to text my family, friends…okay, guys…has actually been a pretty cool experience. I mean, it’s not like the dark ages over here…I am still super-friendly with facebook chat…but actually conversing with people instead of with my keypad is a pretty big (and positive!) change.
Gone are the days of analyzing texts with my roommate for far, far too long. And the freedom that comes from not feeling the need to respond to every single email that comes in to my blackberry? Delightful.
2. The Hurt: Parle’ Inglese?!
This one is kind of a no-brainer, but as you all might expect, constantly trying to communicate in Italian can get pretty exhausting. Granted, in a metropolis like Florence, there are a ton of English-speakers. But honestly, you guys, I am missing the ease of using colloquial American phrases without worrying something is going to get lost in translation.
Not to mention my Italian is atrocious. Case in point: the other night at a bar, an Italian guy who barely spoke a word of English asked me to speak in English instead of Italian, because that would be easier for him to understand. That bad.
The Perk: Io Capisco!
As truly awful as my speaking-skills are, my comprehension of what people are saying around me is vastly improving! Gone are the days when asking for directions was useless, because no matter what I heard, I would simply go straight. Now, when a local Florentine tells me “sinistra”, I almost always go left! And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.
3. The Hurt: To-Go, per favore?
Little-known fact about Italians: they like to take their time.
Oh wait, you’re telling me you all knew that? Hm…I must have missed that chapter in my guide books…
Seriously, all jokes aside, collegiettes, when you hear that Europeans “carpe diem”, they really mean they “carpe every moment of every day”. Even if said moments are the five left before your class starts.
It is absolutely impossible to get any version of “to-go” comparable to what we are used to back in the US. And for a girl like me who is used to stomping across campus at a brisk power-walk, venti coffee in one hand and granola bar in another, getting used to the whole “leisurely pace of Italy” when I’m running late to a 3-hour class and am desperately craving a latte has been…interesting.
The Perk: 1, 2, 3…Breathe.
In case you guys haven’t gotten the picture yet, yeah…I am a little high-strung. But being forced to pause in my day and actually sip my coffee and savor my croissant is doing wonders for my type-A demeanor. I’m not saying I don’t usually occasionally get frustrated when my “to-go” latte is actually a baby shot of espresso with milk in a pint-sized Styrofoam cup, but I promise I am learning to embrace this whole “la dolce vita” lifestyle. And my inner zen.
4. The Hurt: Florence Fashionistas
They weren’t kidding when they called Italy one of the most stylish countries in the world. The women here are gorgeous, and their clothes are equally so. Every day I stare wordlessly at would-be models decked out in some impeccable mix of designer-coutoure and urban chicness. Bellissima. Of course, being surrounded by so much glam has me practically salivating passing window after window of high fashion. I find myself constantly repeating I am on a budget. I am on a budget. Not to mention the inaedequacy complex I swear I am developing. Standing next to some European superstar looking like she just stepped out of French Vogue sort of makes my Urban Outfitters peasant blouse feel…lack-luster. Know what I mean?
The Perk: J. Crew who?
Of course, on days like those, shortly after I’ve recovered from my moment of fashion-envy, I find I am super motivated to string together a brand-new, super-creative, entirely American ensemble. Oh hey, Euro-chick…I see your impossibly-chic day-scarf…and I raise you a leopard sperry! Take that!
Yeah I know…I need a new hobby.
But in all seriousness, the flip side of being surrounded by so much unbelievable Italian style is that my personal all-American look totally stands out! And we all know how I feel about standing out…
5. The Hurt: I miss my family & friends…duh.
How could I possibly conclude this list with anything else? I know, I know…I went the predictable route. But c’mon, collegiettes, not being able to speed-dial your Mom and skype with your sister at a moment’s notice is easier said than done! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss knowing that catching my Wake friends up on my latest botched conversation with the cute guy in class was just a single text away.
Not to mention that the time difference and lack of speedy technology makes communicating just a little bit difficult over here. It’s an eight-hour gap! As in, at lunch-time when I am just craving some girl-talk, my friends at school are still asleep. Kind of frustrating…you know?
Not that I don’t love writing novel-sized emails and facebook messages to upwards of ten people every week…but yeah. You guys get the idea.
The Perk: Visitors are arriving shortly!
I am absolutely counting down the days until the first wave of family members comes to see me in Florence. My fantastic grandparents, step-mom & Dad, Mom & step-Dad are all making individual trips over to bella Firenze. How lucky am I? During my off-time from competing with European fashionistas and gulping mini-coffees before class, I am constantly scribbling down potential itineraries for the weekends when my family members are here. So. freaking. excited.
So that is it, my collegiettes! A few mini-musings on my time spent in Florence so far. In case you aren’t getting the picture, my complaints about living over here in Europe are pretty trivial, overall, but come on. Did you really think I wasn’t going to have the time of my life over here?
Even if I do come back craving a Venti and a great bbm-sesh.
Until next week, collegiettes!