How I See USA after 3 Months Living in Italy
Life in Sicily changes you
This is what instantly leaps to mind:
I can affordably buy farm fresh eggs in Europe.
How did the criminal in chief explode our democracy so fast?
The speedy pace of life in USA looks more exhausting from slower Sicily.
I’m going to miss passagiato, the Italian word for strolling outside after dinner, bumping into friends, and drinking in cafes oblivious to winter weather.
I like seeing elegantly dressed people in Italy strolling along, talking, laughing maybe drinking a beer or wine in the open but not being drunk.
Why can’t we drink wine outside without getting arrested in the USA?
95% less stressful in Italy and France because I don’t drive or hunt for parking.
I’m walking 99% of the time. 3-min walk to the Mediterranean sea, 15-min to the grocery store, or I can wait for the produce man to drive around the neighborhoods in his truck and you can flag him down.
Driving my car in California is fun when I go to the beach.
But the price of doing so?
Because of gas ($4.90 per gallon) and traffic on 5-lane roads you pause to consider, should I go?
And pedestrians walking across the street expecting you, the driver, to notice they’re melting into their phone screens. Anxiety alert!
But maybe the bureaucracy would get to me if I lived in Italy.
If you want anything legal, it will take a while.
Shops are closed midday. 12 noon to 4PM.
Sunday and Monday, shops are shut all day so you have to wait for things.
There is no such thing as a 24-hour store. No drive-up window to get your coffee.
But!
The food in Italy will console you.
Food is a religion. And it’s a religion everyone agrees on.
I’ve not eaten any processed food for 3 months.
Yes fresh pasta, Prosecco, veggies, strawberries, and fresh chicken, olives, cheese, the best figs in the world and the juiciest red oranges which will ruin you for any oranges you eat in another country.
And this exquisite produce is 50% less than I pay in California.
Yes I may have gained a few pounds but won’t be weighing myself unless required by a medical professional.
But fresh sushi in most grocery stores in California is delicious, however I don’t often buy it.
Reading about school shootings and innocent people being detained at borders or being taken to El Salvador is deeply disturbing.
This hits hard from across the Atlantic Ocean. What happened to due process?
And why is our USA healthcare system insanely broken?
I ran out of a prescribed eye drop medicine for my glaucoma in Italy and I took the empty bottle to the pharmacy and within seconds a new bottle was whisked onto the counter and it was less than 6 Euros.
No prescription needed or inflated price.
I’m wondering about the isolation and loneliness we’re reading about in the USA.
Maybe we should close the shops midday like in Italy to give residents time with their families or friends.
So I’m not dreaming in Italian yet but this is the longest amount of time I’ve been here in Italy and now I’m noticing more words I understand.
I don’t always pronounce them perfectly but I try and the friendly residents mostly allow me to murder their language.
They kindly don’t correct me but I’ve lately been asking them to correct me so I can get the hang of this language.
And this keeps me young as it’s firing new neural pathways in my head.
It doesn’t feel like it’s time to go back to the USA even though my plane ticket says I’m going in less than 1 week.
But the longer I stay here the more I want to stay.
USA needs to have fountains and piazzas so we can have beauty all around us.
And I made a new friend, Paula from Ireland. She came to Italy to escape her dreary winters. And we found each other at an expats group and hit it off.
One thing I learned is this: I put myself out there in Italy and I can do this in any country. Even the USA.
But it’s different in the USA. People are working to afford this country and don’t have much time for friendships.
One thing is this: I see the sunset everyday in Italy and will take this back to California where the nature is stunning.
I won’t get bogged down by work and to do lists.
Hot tip: housing is affordable in Italy so if you’re staying long term you can get a discounted price in a Mediterranean winter. January to March.
I’m not saying Italy is perfect but I’ve loved being here and calming down from life in California.
Getting my quality of life to a place where I sleep better at night.
Why?
I’m more relaxed. And healthy.
One day after a few weeks of being here, I noticed my fingernails. The natural white tips were long and strong, I was shocked, I hadn’t seen them like this for never.
This is a direct reflection of the food here.
And I can eat pastry in Sicily; I walked for 8 miles today so why not?
Maybe because I prioritize eating and sleeping well, which is underrated in the USA, life becomes far better.
We’re supposed to go go go and do so many things in one day you feel overwhelmed.
Now I’m seeing I can do less and enjoy my moments more.
I’m going to bring this peaceful spirit back with me when I return.
Wish me luck, hey maybe there is luck involved because I know I must keep my mind in a positive place.
I refuse to be knocked off my inner core of strength and gratefulness.
Because no matter where I am in the world I must follow my true north, remain calm, and enjoy the moments of my life without yelling. :)
