Monday will mark two weeks since I left for Italy and quite frankly I'm not sure how that happened! There's a part of me that knows more culture shock awaits me - that the honeymoon phase doesn't last forever - but it's also hard to believe I haven't adjusted to life here. I'm finally buying groceries regularly, I've survived my first week of classes, and found more or less a routine here in Florence. With that said, there are so many things I wish I could tell myself two weeks ago. As much as research was helpful in helping me understand the experience I was about to have, it also led to a lot of expectations I shouldn't have had! So many of the things I was scared of were not a concern and I think that's such a lesson for myself.
Clothing For one thing, I think I placed way too much pressure on how to dress like a local Italian and fit into the culture of Florence. Don't get me wrong, respecting Italian culture is very important to me and I want to ensure I'm living like a local as opposed to a tourist. The thing about Florence is that 20 years ago it was primarily local Italians living here. Today, however, there are many people from around the world - you hear English around every corner. There's certainly still Italian culture here however there isn't much "dressing like a local Italian" anymore - there's just dressing so you're comfortable! I read many blogs that said Italian women do not wear shorts when, in fact, plenty of people in Florence do (outside of churches where knees and shoulders have to be covered). I read blogs that said bright colors would make you stand out and to avoid them. This may be slightly true - as there are a great deal of neutral colors in the clothing they wear here - but it's not enough to avoid wearing whatever makes you happy! While I'm glad I knew not to bring sweatpants and University gear to Italy, I think it's really wonderful to know that it's perfectly alright to wear whatever makes me most comfortable.
Food
One of the things I was also incredibly nervous about was finding groceries while I was here. There was a lot of advice about surviving the markets and which kinds of meats were best to eat in Italy but, in all reality, there's also plenty of food that's familiar. For my roommates and I the experience of cooking our own meals has been really fun and far less intimidating than I expected! I'll certainly expand on this later but we've been able to cook things like tacos, homemade mac & cheese, lots of salads and wraps, and other really wonderful meals. There's such a wild fascination and obsession with Italian food over in the United States that it's very strange to not only be here and experience it first hand but also for these fresher foods to be available to me on a daily basis. Eating Italian food is what I imagine befriending a celebrity is like - at first it's so exciting and wonderful but over time it becomes something you're accustomed to. I'm starting to realize they're just more thoughtful about food preparation - but not in ways that make it overwhelmingly complex to cook or enjoy their food.
My main photos from this week were taken for my Color Photography course in which I've been taking photos of the view out my window and watching how the colors and change throughout the day! Next week I have assignments due and stress might start building but I'm so excited for it. I keep thinking I've already adjusted to abroad and realizing there's another thing I need to work towards feeling comfortable with. Nonetheless, I love the process of getting to know myself in entirely new surroundings despite knowing there's a lot more to learn.