Rome via Brooklyn

Words – 1264

Time to read – 5 min

It’s been five days since I arrived in Rome and, surprisingly, I’ve found myself thinking about my first day quite a bit. I’m sure everyone is a little overwhelmed when they first arrive, but when I think back, I realize how drastically wrong my expectations were. We started our day traveling on the high-speed train from the airport to Rome. We got to know each other and met our orientation leaders. As far as orientation days go, I was excited but also jittery. Like most people who travel, I had been on planes and to foreign places before coming to Italy. However, something felt different about Rome. I knew I would be here for weeks, not just on vacation. Small things stood out to me that morning. Traveling by train into the city gave me this surreal feeling. In a sense, I felt like I was transitioning into a new version of my life. I remember looking out the window and realizing this wasn’t going to be a fleeting experience where I could sit back and people-watch. I was going to have to live here and understand how to function day-to-day in a place I had never been before. Even meeting my orientation leaders and fellow group members gave me this feeling. 

I love the European architecture in Rome, but I was a little surprised by how narrow the streets were for both the people and cars. I was especially impressed by all the beautiful art around the city, including these steps near our apartment with a face painted on them. 

After touring our house, we went out for dinner that night. Before leaving for my trip to Italy, I imagined my first meal would be something I would recognize immediately and remember. I grew up in New York, eating at Italian restaurants my whole life. Because of this, I felt like I at least had an idea of what Italian food would taste like. I knew there would be differences, but overall I expected some sort of familiarity. I assumed I already knew what Italian food was because I ate it all the time… just less authentic. One thing I noticed right away was the difference in time. Meals took significantly longer than what I am used to in America. I did not expect so many appetizers and small plates before the actual entrée. The way that meals are structured immediately told me that eating in Rome is not about getting in and getting out. Everything takes longer, like it’s almost under your control. In the city, we eat meals to eat. Meals are something you do between activities, not the activity itself.

In Italy, it seems like you take your time and enjoy every bite. You do not feel rushed to finish eating and leave. That was the biggest take away for me. Instead of trying to eat quickly like I usually do, eating here has made me realize how much time I spend talking with the people around me. At first, I thought it was just a difference between American and Italian meal styles, but now that I’ve experienced it, I know it changes how they interact. Whether it’s conversation or simply taking a pause to enjoy the company, there is less of a need to rush to the next activity. To be honest, my first dinner in Rome wasn’t everything I thought it would be. The food was delicious, but tasted completely different from what I’m used to back home in NY. I absolutely loved the meats and cheeses, as well as the fried zucchini (which tasted like funnel cake). Something as simple as fried zucchini stuck with me because I did not expect it. 

The pasta was definitely the biggest adjustment for me. Everything here is a lot simpler, which made me catch myself comparing it to the pasta back home. The first pasta dish I had in Rome was less flavorful than what I’m used to, so I immediately felt like something was missing. I think I was really comparing the American version of pasta to the authentic one. Now that I have been here for a few days I have come to understand that it’s simply a different style of cooking. Instead of heavy sauces and seasonings, Italian food seems to highlight fresh ingredients. Food here is a lot more intentional than back home. There are fewer ingredients, and simple dishes taste better because of it. I think that has made me start to look at meals differently as well. Rather than expecting every bite to be overloaded with flavor, I now pay more attention to subtle differences. It is a small change, but one that reflects my experience here in general.

Day one made me realize I had way more expectations going into my trip than I thought. I felt I had an understanding of what everyday life in Rome would be like. But something as simple as dinner made me realize that culture is more than just the obvious landmarks or vacation spots. It’s present in the way people eat, talk, and exist together. I didn’t realize how much daily life would vary from mine simply because of the pace at which people live. Having more time in Rome, I have come to see that meal in a different light. The more I travel around the city and explore different types of food, the more I understand how authentic Italian food differs from American Italian food. A lot of the food I thought was Italian is actually made in America. Since arriving, that has really stuck with me. It is crazy how much a cultural idea can change when transported to another place. 

It’s been five days since that dinner, and I’m starting to see how much my first day meant. It was the first time I was challenged to adapt to my new surroundings in a practical sense. It was also the start of forming friendships with people I would spend the next few weeks with. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my first dinner was less about how the food differed and more about how my expectations were American. What I find most fascinating is that my whole perspective has already started to change. Things that used to feel foreign are now beginning to feel normal. I have started to recognize patterns in how meals are served, how Italians interact in public, and how time is perceived on a day-to-day basis. I was not aware of this adjustment on Day 1, but now that I’m farther along, I can see it started on that very first day with dinner.

Something from the reading that I found interesting was that Italians drink some of the highest quantities of alcohol in Europe, “but the idea of drinking to get drunk is foreign to Italians.” I found this idea fascinating because back home, drinking is almost always associated with getting drunk. In college, we are constantly glorifying the act of drinking through social media and other outlets. While here, drinking is seen as something you do with food and companionship. It is not the main focus of the night’s activity. Drinking became more of an enhancer than the reason you’re together. That really made me think about how cultural context changes an action. Even though drinking is something almost everyone does, it means something very different in Italy than it does in the US. What I thought was universal is now one of the many things I realize is culturally constructed and varies by where you are.