1. Water isn't free.
Supposedly humans are made up of 72 perent water. I would like to argue that Europeans are far less, perhaps 47 percent, or even 29 percent. Regardless of the exact percentage, I am confident that they drink far less water than we’re accustomed to in America. Many days pass by when I realize I am quite parched due to my refusal to purchase bottled water, which cannot be found anywhere for cheaper than one euro. Sitting down at a restaurant, do not order water unless you’re prepared to empty your bank account on this basic need.
2. Bathrooms are not free either.
Along with the whole not offering free water thing, the people in Europe, most especially in Italy, do not believe in free public restrooms. When you’re wandering down a foreign piazza and the only thing that can grant you relief is a nearby toilet, you had better pull out a coin or two in order to satisfy the owners of just about any restaurant or store.
3. Eye contact means more than you think.
Growing up in a large, friendly family, my parents stressed the importance of eye contact more than the importance of eating my vegetables. Unfortunately, on the streets of European countries, when eye contact is given by unknowing constantly happy individuals such as I, strange men get the wrong idea and think you are coming on to them, when all you wanted to do was to merely look around at all the pretty people. Luckily, having a blank stare in your eyes and looking at the cement ground is highly encouraged.
4. Smiling is basically out of the question.
I still haven’t decided if excessive smiling is a blessing or a curse, but while studying in Italy, the amount of smiling I am used to is out of the question. While eye contact can be construed as an invitation or a simple glance, 8 times out of 10, offering a simple smile to a man is taken as a signal to approach and engage. If you do not want random men to come up to you on a regular basis, I suggest that practice your mean mug.
5. Style is highly advanced.
Whoever said that Italy is the capital of fashion was correct. Let me be the one to tell you that these Italians really know how to dress well, every single day of their lives. I admit that wearing a gray skirt and polo every day at my all-girls high school may have impeded my fashion sense, but even the men have their outfits perfectly matched, from their socks all the way up to their hats. Shine up your shoes and purchase a new scarf and you will fit in much more than I did when I first arrived!
6. The drinking age is practically nonexistent.
In America, no one can drink before he or she turns 21. No ifs, and or buts about it. However, when you come to Italy, you are in for quite a treat if you do not have 21 years under your belt because alcohol can be consumed at the age of 16. Gone are the fears of being caught by police and parents. Sneaking around is no longer necessary because drinking is part of everyday life and encouraged by all.
While this may come as a shock for some, the biggest shock comes when you see youthful faces ordering drinks and dancing alongside those far older than them. While in a small town in southern Italy, my rambunctious classmates and I went to a local family-owned bar. Sitting on the front patio, we saw a group of boys pull up to the bar. They did not drive cars as normal drinkers do, but instead these boys rolled up on their bicycles, because in Italy, the legal drinking age comes before the legal driving age. Vincenzo, Carlo, and Andrea, the 12-year-old hoodlums who frequented the dive-bar, quickly became our friends, and they proved to be more informed about alcohol than the rest of us.
7. Public Transportation is the real enemy.
Before coming to Italy, I had never experienced the trials and tribulations that surround the use of public transportation. Getting into the city from my campus involves an excessive amount of this foreign entity, which has allowed me to become familiarized with the most inconvenient method of travel. While you may stand at the bus stop at the exact time the bus schedule says it will arrive, I promise you that your legs will grow tired long before the beloved bus actually arrives.
The grungy bus ride will be just long enough for you to prepare yourself mentally for the unavoidable metro ride ahead. Due to the convenient low prices surrounding this method of transportation, countless numbers of people pack into a train and gather closer together than cards in a playing deck. Metro stations are not for the faint of heart because you must dedicate your entire ride to staying alive and keeping your valuables from being taken by thieves!
8. "Gypsies" are not just from storybooks.
Begging is a profession, not just a means for survival. The Roman
"gypsies," more properly known as the Romani people, have perfected trying to scam you out of your money as easily as possible. While your generous American heart will want to give money to the less fortunate, do not be deceived. No matter how many times you hear the words, “Selfie, selfie?” please resist the temptation to purchase a selfie stick from one of the abundant vendors parading the streets. If a rose is pushed in your face, push it right back to the man who offered it, because the second you take the rose, thinking it’s free, he will come chasing after you demanding five Euro. Fight the man!
9. Italy is truly the Dolce Vita.
Although Italy is far different from America, I promise that it is far more beautiful than the postcards, the pasta is more delicious than your local Olive Garden, and the country is full of enough adventure and beauty to last for a lifetime.
