Living abroad has changed me in tons of ways- through my friendships, traveling tendencies and lifestyle. But the change that has affected my everyday life most intensely is my diet. Since I am living in Florence, the Italian food culture is a central aspect of everyday life, so I have come to understand the ins and outs of Italian food customs. I have had to learn how food is related to regions, how you only eat certain foods at certain times of the day and how people take great pride in having extensive food knowledge. Here are seven ways living abroad has changed my eating habits:
- I am now completely addicted to coffee.
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I am incredibly regretful to say that the day has finally come that I can definitively call myself a coffee addict. I’m upset and disappointed, but I cannot say that I am surprised. At home, I drink coffee pretty much once a day, but sometimes not at all. I enjoy the occasional cup, but I do not rely on caffeine to get me through my day. In Florence, however, I cannot survive the day without at LEAST two cups. It is terrible, I know, but coffee here in Italy is completely integrated into the fabric of society, as it facilitates social interaction. For example, it is tradition that on our walk to school every morning, we stop and get cappuccinos from our favorite barista. He knows our orders and we love chatting with him. But this is at 8am… I always inevitably end up getting more when I sit at a café to do work later in the afternoon after school, so this is a dangerous game I am playing. I should probably ween myself off, but Italian coffee is so good, I think I am going to wait until winter break to do a much needed detox.
- I eat more vegetables.
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I wish I could take credit for this adjustment in my diet, but sadly, I cannot. This change is strictly due to one person and one person only: my roommate. My roommate, and best friend from school, is vegetarian. She is actually vegan, but she’s allowing herself to eat dairy while we are abroad. Anyway, since she is both a vegetarian and a fantastic chef, she automatically trumps me in cooking, as I am a meat lover yet a hopeless mess in the kitchen. The kitchen is her kingdom; therefore, she dictates our dinners and I am placed strictly on table setting duty. Because of this, I eat so many more vegetables, which has actually been amazing. Our weekly menus consist of roasted brussel sprouts, broccoli, sweet potato, sautéed kale, roasted chickpeas, soup, quinoa beans. I am actually really thankful for this much needed addition to my diet, because it really balances out all of the (amazing) Italian carbs.
- I drink less water.
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Ok, I am working on this one, but it is hard. Water is not free in many places in Europe, and so it is just not as cheap here. I still carry around my water bottle, but it is not as easily accessible here than in the States. Plus, coffee seems to have become my main drink of choice.
- I eat less meat.
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This fact has been crazy shocking to me. The people who know me know that I love meat. And Italy is known for their meat! I feel like I am slacking, but the thing is that I am just so in love with pasta. Whenever I go out to a restaurant, I want to order pasta instead of the meat entrees. Plus, meat is so much more expensive. When you are ballin’ on a budget like I am, the decrease in meat diet seems a little more understandable.
- I probably eat sandwiches five times a week.
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I am not and never have been a huge sandwich girl. Lunch meat? No thank you. The only sandwich I have ever really loved is PB&J (yes, I ate like I was 10). But here in Florence? I am a whole new woman. Prosciutto? Love her. Pesto? More please. Sun dried tomatoes? Keep ’em coming. Paninis are everywhere here, so if you are hungry, they are pretty much the fastest and cheapest option available to you. Our favorite sandwich shop, Pino’s, is our go-to post Italian class dig, where Pino personally hooks us up with some of the best paninis in the city for only 4 euro.
- I can actually now get sick of my favorite food: pasta.
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A huge reason why I decided to study abroad in Italy was because of the food. I know that may sound weird, but I was a pretty picky eater before, and pasta was my absolute favorite food in the world. Don’t get me wrong, it still is, but boy, does it get tiring. Everyone told me this would happen, and I swore that it never would, but I would like to officially announce that I am tired of pasta and may need a week or two to reset. Don’t worry, I will be back in no time.
- I am a much more adventurous eater.
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This is my favorite change. I am so proud of this! Living abroad has reduced my food fears to nearly zero, and I am game to try pretty much anything. Here, I have tried cow stomach, raw cacao, unprocessed and raw olives, tons of different types of wines and cheeses and so much more. I have gone to restaurants that do not even have menus (they strictly bring you what they have fresh that day) and loved them. My appreciation for food has grown exponentially, and I cannot wait to bring this new passion back to school with me. Life is more fun when you love food.
I am so excited about all of the ways my life here abroad has irreversibly changed me for the better. I have found so many interests, gained so many passions and overcome so many fears. I am happy I have gained a greater appreciation for food too, because having struggled with the subject in the past, I now feel more complete both physically and emotionally.