On paper, it would seem that assimilating to Italian culture would not be too difficult as Italy is a rather westernized country. Nowadays, English is widely spoken among both locals and otherwise, especially in tourist hotspots like Florence. With that said, I find that assimilating to Italian culture has definitely still proven to be an adjustment, especially when faced with its values of reasonable working hours, prolonged meals, and an overall more deliberate pace.

Growing up, productivity and how often I should be striving for it has always been a concern of mine because it’s very easy for me to attach my value and self-worth to it. One might initially attribute this anxiety to my generally nervous nature, but it’s just as likely that the work-culture of America has contributed to it as well. These days, especially with technology keeping us constantly connected, there is a noticeably prominent hunger for being active and one of the only things that seems to satisfy this hunger is working, yielding a product of some kind that can contribute to the world. Slowly, I am working to become comfortable with not viewing every assignment as urgent, not haphazardly eating while I vigorously type on my laptop, and enjoying my commute rather than speed walking to my next destination. However, I wasn’t too successful in any of these regards during my first attempts and found myself falling back into my normal practices quite often. By continuing my normal practices I have, granted, managed to get by and survive, but as I’m abroad for a month and want to make the most of it, I would prefer to thrive. I can do this by challenging myself with real experiences in real time.

Most cafes in Florence have disposable takeaway cups these days if you want a cappuccino to-go, but standing at the bar and drinking a cappuccino out of a real cup is more traditional and favored by most locals for good reason. Being at the bar during the morning rush, watching other tourists come by and seeing regulars assume their usual spots at their favorite tables, is a necessary part of the experience. So, some mornings before class, I’ve opted out of the takeaway option. When some of my friends and I were on the opposite side of the Arno River deliberating where to eat dinner as it was starting to rain, I found what looked like a quaint and authentic family-style restaurant. That restaurant, Al Tranvai, ended up being one of my favorite dinners in Florence and cemented its place in my mind of having the best tiramisu of the trip. Finally, although I initially raced to the top along with my entire class when we climbed Brunelleschi’s famous dome in Piazza del Duomo, I gave myself time to breathe at the top and really took in the scenery of the city. Then, I paced myself on the way down.