I’ll say it plainly because it needs to be said.

The Italian culture is so fun to learn about. I love the people here; just being fortunate enough to be able to enjoy and observe their lifestyle has been a fun experience. To be quite honest, the European culture in general is what drew me to Italy. I didn't particularly pick Italy for any reason other than it was in Europe.

So here is my take on the differences of culture with what I've learned within the past 27 days of being here.

I'd first like to comment on the differences between men and women in Italy.

Italian men do live up to what you might hear and read about them. They are very forward on their thoughts and will openly say things that might appall you. (well, not YOU if the one who is reading this is a guy…) It's funny to watch them as they loiter the store fronts and eyeball the pretty women who are walking up and down Via dei Priori. If you are in a big city like Florence or Rome, it is very common to hear the famous phrase, "Ciao Bella!" from complete strangers. However, in Perugia this is an occurrence as well, just not as often. This could be for the better or for the worse. I'm not going to go into stories here because I don't know who is reading this, but if you'd like to know further, just ask me when I come home.

Italian women have their own interesting typecasts. Many students have noticed differences between Italian women and American women. Either side is not better or worse, just different. Italian women have a slight air about them that make the men not even think twice about openly hitting on them. You would not see the men in Florence try to pick up on an Italian woman, only foreigners. They have a sense of confidence that blows everyone else out of the water. They mostly wear boots. You can hear them tip-tapping down the street. Some would say that Italian women are unfriendly. I'm not sure if I'd vouch for that. But most of the women that I have met and had friendly conversations with were from Romania or Croatia.

I've noticed that a majority of Europeans in Italy wear black. I don't know if this is the new "color" of the season or what, but it's true. There is a definite sense of style when you come to Italy; I'm not sure how it is in other countries. People look good here. It seems effortless. These are some things that are "unspoken" when living in Italy: you don't wear your t-shirts and sweatpants in Italy, even Uggs are out of the question. Everyone has style here. Men, women, old men, old women, Italians look good, at any age.

Confession: I really like how the European men dress. I'm not the materialistic type, but there is something to be said about someone who knows how to look good. One thing that I DON'T vouch for are man purses. They are often cuter than the ones I own and that is wrong.

Because of these differences, Americans in Italy just stand out. It is usually easy for me to pick them out of a crowd, perhaps this is because they are my own kind.

One very easy way to tell an American is by their shoes. Europeans have great shoes. There is a distinct difference between the shoes that Americans choose to wear and what Italians choose to wear. The latter definitely does not wear tennis shoes, although, I have been tricked by this small rule once in awhile. Most Europeans have this "golden and silver" tennis shoe trend going on. Many Americans I've talk to think that this is gross, but I like it. To sum up, most of what Italians wear are boots and boots with high heels. At first I didn't know how they managed something like this: Perugia has LOTS of hills and cobblestone isn't always friendly either! But my boots are finally being worn in and growing more and more comfortable. Now I feel like buying more shoes.

Another American trait is friendliness. It sounds mean to say, but I guess Americans are just open. Maybe it's the "naïve American" but either way, this is a difference that you must observe here, especially with the men, as a woman. You just can't be friendly with people here, I mean you can, but you must watch your boundaries. Also, Americans are loud. I don't know why we are, but Europeans definitely aren't as loud. It's hard but something to consider, because it is good to respect other people's cultures.

Other small fashion details that give away Americans are North face, sweatshirts, and Uggs. No one rocks these things as much as Americans do.

Another not-so-proud thing that gives away Americans is view on and alcohol consumption. Here, Americans are known as drunks. We have been told that people expect that from us, especially a study abroad student. I've witnessed many assumptions of that with people here. It's a sad reality. This has much to do with the fact that in America, drinking is different since there is an age limit. The age limit provokes people to become a rebel and break the law. Drinking is suddenly viewed as "cool" and it is not uncommon to get drunk, but rather a desire for many, which continues throughout their lives. In Italy, people don't get drunk and this is looked down upon. There is no drinking age limit and most children are grown up on wine. Since there is no rule to break it is less of a temptation. This is what I understand at least. Perhaps this is not always true, but there is a difference between drinking alcohol to get drunk and to innocently enjoy.

So the question is what do I do? How do I live here, amidst the clashing cultures? To be safe, I am told by many to try to fit in as much as possible. I don't mind doing that like I said before, Europeans fascinate me. I think I fit in… until it is time to speak. The accent is a dead giveaway, especially as I don't know a language fluent enough other than English. What else COULD I be, but American? American policy is scared to promote multilingualism in our schools which is a sad, sad thing.

There are probably lots of other things that I can go on and on about but I've only been here for almost four weeks, so what do I really know about European vs. American culture? There is a lot more that I could learn and define, in more time, I'm sure. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my short run down here on some thoughts of life in Perugia. Goodbye and arrivaderci.