Bringing Italy to America

It has been about 2 weeks since I left Italy behind. I was both ready to be home but reluctant to leave. Before I left, I wrote down some of the lessons about Italian lifestyle that I wanted to implement at home. Sadly some have fallen away but others have started making there way into my daily life.

Lifestyle Lessons to Take Home:

-Slow Food Movement-- Italians are passionate about this way to enjoy their meals. I want to take back the ability to enjoy meals and the people sitting around the table with me. Dinner is also the end of the day for Italians. Work is finished and no one is rushing the meal to complete a deadline. They sit and laugh and stay around the table for a couple of hours.

{Buying local fruit from the outdoor market in Rome}

-Mediterranean Diet-- They abide by this and believe it is the best way of eating. I love that they eat fresh, local, in season and are aware of preservatives. Americans tend to eat quick, easy and available.

{Making homemade pasta in Tuscany}

-Walking-- Europe is set up to where walking is easier than driving a lot of times. I want to implement this for places in walking distance. It feels silly to drive to the location if it is nearby because I can get outside and enjoy the day.

{Wandering through the little streets in the Castelli Romani}

-Building Relationships-- In Ariccia, it was encouraged to get to know the people you buy your goods and products from. It is easy in America to only tell the man behind the deli counter what kind of turkey you want. I want to start going to the same places with workers I can build relationships with. I don't want to see them as a stopping point to getting what I need but a person with a story.

{Town square of Ariccia}

I am so thankful for this adventure, and I will remember it for the rest of my life...

{Sweet friends from the trip}