‘Everything shuts down for hours’: Shocks Americans get when they first move to Italy
You might have read up on Italian values and customs before moving here, but not everything is written down. We asked Americans what they found most surprising when they first arrived.
Americans are often drawn to Italy by its extensive art scene, wealth of food and quality of life. But living in the country can bring surprises for all new residents, including for statiunitesi, who often find things are very different to what they're used to back home.
We asked Americans on The Local's Living in Italy Facebook group, you told us mealtimes, paying bills and taking out the trash were amongst the most unexpected hurdles.
Mealtimes were one surprising factor for Kathleen Canape, a Foligno resident by way of New York.
“So lunch is crazy. Everything shuts down, for like three hours. In New York City, we eat at our desk,” she writes.
She continues: “When I was growing up we ate dinner at 5pm, I usually had dinner at 7pm back in Long Island and that was considered late.
“Now I go to dinner at 9pm.”
Kathleen, who worked in fashion, finance and real estate in Manhattan and Long Island, found life couldn't be more different when she moved to Foligno two years ago to be with her husband.
She also found working on a Sunday is a big no-no in Italy, whereas she was used to it back in New York.
MAP: Where do all the Americans live in Italy?
“It’s a five-hour lunch that goes right into dinner.”
She finds it "wild" that some bills you have to pay at the tobacco shop or post office, rather than online.
“That’s definitely a pain,” she adds.
Debbie Dexter, who lives in Umbria, notes the issues she had with recycling when she first arrived in Italy.
She says the Umbria region has locked bins and that trash collectors would not pick up certain types of rubbish.
READ ALSO: Ten positives to focus on if you move to Italy from the US
“Out of desperation, I drove around trying to find an unlocked bin when I came across a large white box,” Debbie comments.
“I couldn't read Italian yet but set about depositing my trash inside, only to learn that it was a collection box for donated clothes and other items. I felt SO bad!”
She relied on the help of her neighbours, who made her a copy of a key for the bins so she could deposit her waste. She was then caught by the collectors and was told that, because she owned a house, she should have a set of sanctioned bins. In total, it took her a year to get the bin situation sorted.
Debbie also had an unpleasant surprise when she entered her new home - all of the light sockets and the thermostat had disappeared.
“I already knew Italians tend to take the whole kitchen with them,” Debbie says. “But I didn’t expect to see open wires hanging out of the wall."
"I had to fix everything. I am still shocked to this day that we did not get electrocuted.”
As a single woman living in Italy, she also says she gets weird looks when dining out alone.
READ ALSO: Ice to AC: Nine of the most common American misconceptions about Italy
“When a single woman walks in looking for a table on a Sunday, you almost get laughed at by the audacity of this request. So, Sundays I make a nice little lunch for myself, open a bottle of wine and eat out on my terrace,” she adds.
Manuela Rumsey, a real estate agent from California who lives in Vicenza, had an issue that many foreigners moving to Italy will have experienced:
“When I first arrived, I tried to get a phone number and bank account,” she writes. “The bank told me that I needed a phone number first, and the phone company told me that I needed a bank account first.
“It was over a month before I had both.”
Kathleen did however have a nice surprise when she adopted her dog.
She tells us: "It was completely free. In the States they charge you at least a $200 adoption fee.”
It just goes to show, not all surprises make life harder.
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Americans are often drawn to Italy by its extensive art scene, wealth of food and quality of life. But living in the country can bring surprises for all new residents, including for statiunitesi, who often find things are very different to what they're used to back home.
We asked Americans on The Local's Living in Italy Facebook group, you told us mealtimes, paying bills and taking out the trash were amongst the most unexpected hurdles.
Mealtimes were one surprising factor for Kathleen Canape, a Foligno resident by way of New York.
“So lunch is crazy. Everything shuts down, for like three hours. In New York City, we eat at our desk,” she writes.
She continues: “When I was growing up we ate dinner at 5pm, I usually had dinner at 7pm back in Long Island and that was considered late.
“Now I go to dinner at 9pm.”
Kathleen, who worked in fashion, finance and real estate in Manhattan and Long Island, found life couldn't be more different when she moved to Foligno two years ago to be with her husband.
She also found working on a Sunday is a big no-no in Italy, whereas she was used to it back in New York.
MAP: Where do all the Americans live in Italy?
“It’s a five-hour lunch that goes right into dinner.”
She finds it "wild" that some bills you have to pay at the tobacco shop or post office, rather than online.
“That’s definitely a pain,” she adds.
Debbie Dexter, who lives in Umbria, notes the issues she had with recycling when she first arrived in Italy.
She says the Umbria region has locked bins and that trash collectors would not pick up certain types of rubbish.
READ ALSO: Ten positives to focus on if you move to Italy from the US
“Out of desperation, I drove around trying to find an unlocked bin when I came across a large white box,” Debbie comments.
“I couldn't read Italian yet but set about depositing my trash inside, only to learn that it was a collection box for donated clothes and other items. I felt SO bad!”
She relied on the help of her neighbours, who made her a copy of a key for the bins so she could deposit her waste. She was then caught by the collectors and was told that, because she owned a house, she should have a set of sanctioned bins. In total, it took her a year to get the bin situation sorted.
Debbie also had an unpleasant surprise when she entered her new home - all of the light sockets and the thermostat had disappeared.
“I already knew Italians tend to take the whole kitchen with them,” Debbie says. “But I didn’t expect to see open wires hanging out of the wall."
"I had to fix everything. I am still shocked to this day that we did not get electrocuted.”
As a single woman living in Italy, she also says she gets weird looks when dining out alone.
READ ALSO: Ice to AC: Nine of the most common American misconceptions about Italy
“When a single woman walks in looking for a table on a Sunday, you almost get laughed at by the audacity of this request. So, Sundays I make a nice little lunch for myself, open a bottle of wine and eat out on my terrace,” she adds.
Manuela Rumsey, a real estate agent from California who lives in Vicenza, had an issue that many foreigners moving to Italy will have experienced:
“When I first arrived, I tried to get a phone number and bank account,” she writes. “The bank told me that I needed a phone number first, and the phone company told me that I needed a bank account first.
“It was over a month before I had both.”
Kathleen did however have a nice surprise when she adopted her dog.
She tells us: "It was completely free. In the States they charge you at least a $200 adoption fee.”
It just goes to show, not all surprises make life harder.
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