Things I Miss as an American Expat in Italy

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Every trip I’ve made back to the US from Italy, since August 2021, has been surprisingly enlightening, and one thing is absolutely clear.

Italy will never be home. America is the parent I long had the “rebellious, teen phase” with, who I now realize has been there for me all along, waiting for me to come to my senses 😂.

I semi-kid, but in reality, I have had yet another epiphany.

Life has an interesting way of working. I look back on all the steps I’ve taken so far and do not regret a single event, although if I had the chance to go back in time with the knowledge I’ve gained, boy, I’d use it to my advantage.

I am grateful that my current job is a stepping stone for something greater in my career. True, the pay is less than what I’d like (I’m not exactly eager to transition to an Italian contract for that reason…), but my current role offers a lot of flexibility. There are still opportunities for me to stay connected stateside and I can only hope what I do now will build up to that future I envision.

I must admit that every time I am in the US though, it feels like a HUGE sigh of relief. It’s like I can finally remove a mask that was suctioned to my face for the longest time and I can breathe once again!

And I will also admit that, I probably wouldn’t feel so grateful for “America the beautiful” if it hadn’t been for my experience living abroad!

When I make my trips back to the US, I am so much more appreciative of…

Working in a coffee shop & Starbucks coffee

The idea of parking yourself in a coffee shop and working for hours is purely American. It’s rare to get away with that in Italy, except for maybe one or two shops that cater to the working tourist/digital nomad.

Even then, they play the game real well—pricey entry fees and still expensive coffee.

Starbucks ain’t cheap, but a $5 signature drink for unlimited hours of workspace and wifi? How can anyone complain.

I spent a recent Saturday morning parked at a Starbucks in North Houston to work on an important project for my job. It was the perfect occasion to try the new Chocolate Cold Brew (thanks to Allie for bringing it to my attention on her blog!).

I wasn’t a super fan of the drink, but the fact that I could order something “crazy” like that off a menu with 20+ other off-the-wall concoctions? That is American freedom at its finest.

Also, I now crave American Starbucks whenever I am back on US soil. Who even am I? 😅

Stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods

This goes along with the above—innovation when it comes to food products is pleasantly insane in the US. I have always loved Sprouts and Whole Foods because of the plethora of items they have in the vegetarian and vegan space. Sure, the price tag can be on the hefty side for WF especially, but food has always been my treat.

If I had to pick between access to all the “authentic” Italian gelati, pizza, and pasta or Sprouts/WF visits, I’d be crazy to give up the latter!

Anything but the metric system

Yes, I am a scientist, but Imperial is my comfort zone. In the lab, I can use metric all day long and not be bothered, but when I run, my distances are in miles. When I’m figuring out what to wear for the day, I can’t be bothered with Celcius. Give me Fahrenheit, baby 🔥 😂

I’ve been teased for my penchant of anything but metric, but how can you blame any American for that when it’s literally what we’ve grown up with? Changes don’t happen overnight. Jimmy Carter tried to “right our wrongs”, but the history books can tell you about that backlash. Now, I simply shrug my shoulders and say, “I’m not Google, can’t convert that for ya.” 😅

Love for running (and runners!)

When I met with a potential running coach based in Houston a few months back, I was telling him about how finding a group of runners in Milan has been unsuccessful for me, and how the “running culture” most of us are familiar with in the US just hasn’t seemed to permeate in Italy, to which he replied,

“So, they’re like how the US was 20 years ago?”

I couldn’t help but nod in agreement because it was (unfortunately) so true! Exercise and fitness in general seem to be more “trendy” in the US compared to Italy.

I love my solo runs, but I pine for the days I used to train with other passionate runners for the LA Marathon. It can be difficult to replicate that type of camaraderie elsewhere if there are barely any participants in the activity you love…

The art of negotiation

I’ve come to the realization that Italians really have a passion for the word “no” 😂. The firmness, the “no-I-can’t-do-anything-go-away” type attitude is infuriating, but also something I now chuckle to myself over. I’ve gotten into my share of arguments with US post office and DMV workers and the like, but at least these occasions had some level of reasoning and back-and-forth. In Italy, the language barrier doesn’t help, but even when I’ve had assistance from Italian speakers, I never got anywhere productive.

Either my “helpers” were too timid for the job, or the concept of negotiation simply does not exist…

A trip to a DMV in Texas a couple of months ago made me realize how good I’ve got it. Americans are always complaining about government offices, but compared to my experiences in Italy? It’s like night and day! Even if a headache is still part of the price to pay, there is always room for negotiation stateside.

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I will never shy away from being honest, especially on my own blog. When I was on IG, I kept this same sentiment, but did hold back at times in order not to “completely offend” expats/”lovers of Italy” I mutually followed. I wrote a post about opinions and how it’s healthy to listen and understand why one has a particular opinion. I normally recommend people to that link if they get a little upset about what I have to say 😏.

Being an expat is not always a fairy-tale adventure, but it can often help a lost soul find her purpose, even if it means looking back and being grateful for her roots. And I think this is what my current expat experience is doing for me…