I could talk for days about all the wonderful things about Rome, and my study abroad experience. But sometimes I need to complain, because as wonderful as Rome is, there are a few aspects of life in Rome that I wasn’t quite prepared for. No one ever told me back when I was picking where to study abroad that Italians don’t eat sushi, or that the leaves in Rome never change colors. And no one mentioned that there isn’t a single Starbucks in Italy, and that I would therefore have to withstand an entire fall semester without a single Pumpkin spice latte. The following is a list of things about Rome that as an America tourist, I find highly problematic.
1.) Italians don’t believe in American Coffee
There is a whole culture around coffee drinking in Italy. Italians have certain cultural codes over how coffee is prepared and what types of coffee one should have at certain times of the day. Italians stand and drink their coffee (which are actually espresso) at coffee “bars” in the morning, talking to one another and to the barista. When I first arrived in Rome, I was excited to take part in this morning ritual. I decided I would become a regular at the bar across the street from my apartment, and imagined that in no time the baristas would know my order. I pictured myself practicing my Italian with the other customers, and becoming friends with the locals. Unfortunately, my vision didn’t exactly work out as I had expected. I learned after a couple of weeks that I don’t actually like straight espresso, so I started ordering “Cafe Americano”, or American coffee, thereby marking myself as an uncultured tourist, and ruining any potential friendship with the barista or other customers. I also realized that moving to Italy didn’t suddenly make me a person capable of waking up early enough to have time to linger over a cup of coffee. And since coffee “to-go” doesn’t seem to exist in Italy, I’ve had way too many sad, caffeine-less mornings.
2.) Asian Food is Impossible to Find
Despite the recent slug incident at Panda Express, I still can’t shake my craving for Asian food. Italians seem to only eat Italian food, and although the Italian food in Rome is the best I’ve ever had, it doesn’t quite hit the spot when I’m in the mood for sushi or Pad Thai. I’ve always taken for granted all the different types of food available in America (or at least at Duke), and lately I’ve been sorely missing this variety.
3.) Fall doesn’t seem to Happen
I really have no ground to stand on criticizing the weather in Rome. Since I got here in the beginning of September, it’s been nothing but blue skies and 75-degree weather. But after a trip to Paris and London, both of which were appropriately autumnal, I’ve started to get a bit angry at the consistently perfect Roman weather. Now that it’s November, I’m more than ready to make the switch to scarves, jeans and boots, and finally put away my shorts and tank tops.
4.) Italians do not Dress for the Weather
Romans dress for the season, not the temperature. Despite the fact that the temperature in Rome remains in the mid-seventies, Italians have started to wear jackets and scarves. There is no clearer marker of an American tourist than shorts and flip-flops, even in 80-degree weather. Italians almost never wear shorts or sandals, regardless of the temperature. When I put on a summery outfit to avoid showing up red-faced and sweaty to class, I get a lot of stares and unwanted attention.
My complaints have to be taken with a grain of salt, because I’m sure that I will be even more homesick for Rome (Rome-sick?) when I get back to America. I’m sure that in no time I’ll wish I could replace my Starbucks with a gelato, and my sushi with an authentic piece of Roman pizza.