Hello again!

I’ve been in Florence for about a week now, and for the most part my adjustment has been smooth. My apartment is in a great location, and I have already met so many great people in my classes. One of my first “aha” moments occurred pretty quickly though.

Upon moving into my apartment, my program director told us to turn off the air conditioner every time we leave the apartment. While this task seems simple, it has been very hard to implement- especially when we leave for class early in the morning.

After returning from class around 4PM this week, I was constantly greeted with a burst of cool air. Time and time again, I asked myself, how do I keep forgetting to turn it off? That’s when it really hit me- I need to put effort into adapting my lifestyle. This was the first moment when I conceptualized what it means to only use what you need.

I’ll admit, while I try to live sustainably at home, I could do a better job. For starters, I never thought to turn the air conditioner off when leaving the house. Here in Florence, I am realizing how much energy I waste back home without thinking.

A similar “aha” moment also happened the other day. I stopped in Condad- Italy’s supermarket chain- and bought a pack of strawberries. Within two days, they became moldy, and I had to throw them away. This was when I realized that the lack of preservatives food not only makes taste better, but it also makes food go bad faster. I was very frustrated by this at first, but later my professor reframed the situation. In my class called Food Culture in Italy, my professor explained that Italians shop for food as they need it. Rather than buying their groceries for the entire week, Italians will purchase groceries based on what they need and when they need it.

Both forgetting to turn off my AC and my strawberries going bad taught me very valuable lessons. Italians try to minimize waste for themselves, and for the environment. Sustainability is a practice deeply rooted and implemented in their culture.  

Living here for just a short time has already showed me how I can reduce my own carbon footprint at home. I don’t have to make drastic changes to my lifestyle, but rather, I can minimize my waste through small habits.

I’m excited to take these lessons home, and to learn more about the Italian lifestyle!