Italy & USA

Welcome back to my blog! I’ve been thinking a lot about what to discuss this week, and I finally came up with an idea that is pretty simple but represents a big part of most people’s daily routines in both countries: coffee shops. Starting with Italy, what we call a “bar” is more similar to an American coffee shop. These bars offer a wide variety of sweets, pastries, sandwiches, and snacks, ranging from ice cream to chips and more. Coffee is the main reason people go to bars, especially in the morning, where they read the newspaper, particularly the Gazzetta dello Sport , the national sports newspaper, where of course most pages are dedicated to soccer! Unlike in the U.S., we don’t have drive-thrus, so people visit bars to sit down, relax, and chat with friends. Many bars also offer the opportunity to have an aperitivo , which takes place later in the evening before dinner. People gather around a table, listen to music, and enjoy a selection of shared snacks along with an alcoholic ...

WINTERTIME OUT Welcome back to another blog! This week, I will talk about what going out in wintertime looks like. Dinner at home with friends (long time ago) For this topic, you might think things are actually different or completely disagree with me. The reason is that I will base my opinion on my personal experience at home, which is truthful and relatable, and on what I have experienced in college in the U.S., which may be biased because I am sure it depends on what state or city you live in and what your circle of friends looks like.   Here in America, when my friends tell me they are going out, it means they are going to a party. In Italy, when we say we are going out, it usually means we are going somewhere that is not necessarily a bar ; it can mean many different things. Let me explain. Here, when you go out, you typically go to a bar with friends to dance, maybe drink , and have fun until late at night. Meanwhile, at home, we have a different concept of “going out.” When...

Welcome back to another discussion on the differences between the United States and Italy. This week, I will talk about how our peers dress daily.   When I came to the U.S., I could not believe my eyes. People would go to the cafeteria, gym, or class in pajamas, wearing flip-flops, and even wearing accessories on their heads that I thought people only used at home. The second thing I noticed was that no one was as shocked as I was. No one really cared or looked at people who dressed a certain way, and the reason is that, in Italy, people would have stared at that person (and not in a positive way). Back home, no one wears Crocs; in fact, they are usually worn only by kids younger than 10 years old. Therefore, when I saw the number of people wearing them in the U.S., even to work out, play basketball, and go to class, it was unbelievable to me.   However, what’s even funnier is that even though I could not believe my eyes, it did not take me long to adapt to the new environmen...

This week, the difference between the United States and Italy that I will talk about is relationships. I might be a little biased because I spend a lot of time with my teammates, which means that most of my source's information comes from guys. So, feel free to argue and let me know what you think. I have been to multiple colleges, but Bradley is the biggest one among them and also the one with more opportunities for on- and off-campus activities. Therefore, this is a much more active school than the other ones I have attended before, where I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with many students.   Starting off with the United States, according to my sources (and what I have heard around), people in the U.S., especially in college, tend to get intimate in a really short period of time, which then may eventually lead to the beginning of a relationship. Most of the time, if they do not feel a good connection in the beginning in that sense, there are high chances that the...