Experiencing Culture Shock in Sorrento, Italy: Expectations vs. Reality

Words and photos by Makenna Kaminski, our Jetsetter Journalist studying abroad in Sorrento, Italy, during Spring semester 2023.

There's a lot to expect when preparing to study abroad. Everyone warns you about the dangers, the language barrier, and the budgeting. But there's still so much that people don't prepare you for. At least, in my case there was.

In all honesty, I was so overwhelmed with my thoughts of going abroad that when it came down to it, I barely had time to prepare for what was really about to be thrown my way.

Below I've shared some of my experiences, including what I've observed as compared to what I expected.

Language

When I was preparing for my travels, the first thing people always brought up was the language. Everyone was always so curious as to whether I knew Italian, or if I was worried about studying in a country where English is not the native language.

I wasn't worried though. So many others had told me that Italy used so much English that I'd be completely fine. Yet, I don't think I was prepared for what I experienced once I arrived in Europe.

When I finally got to Italy, all I truly wanted was transportation to my hotel, but I found it impossible to understand the Italian train and bus boards up on the walls. When I finally gave up on public transportation, I caved and ordered an Uber. My driver didn't speak even the smallest bit of English, so I found it so difficult to understand his instructions and communicate where I was trying to go.

This became a general example of what I experienced all throughout Italy. Many restaurants I came upon only had menus in Italian. And the majority of servers either spoke broken English or didn't speak English at all. Obviously, I could just pull out Google translate to figure everything out, but that's so time-consuming and terribly impractical when you're in a busy cafe just trying to push by and place your order.

From what everyone told me, I expected Europe to be far more 'Americanized' than what I saw once arriving. There are a lot of people who speak English and businesses that offer English versions of menus, but it was less common than I expected.

To anyone either studying abroad or traveling to Italy, I would definitely recommend learning a bit of Italian before you go. The main things you need to know are how to order, some basic food items - think cheese, croissant, coffee, meat, etc., how to ask for help/directions/the bathroom, and how to say 'good morning', 'good afternoon', 'please', and 'thank you'. There are a lot of locals that are so happy to talk to Americans and help them learn, but I also ran into many who weren't so understanding. Knowing even some solid basics before you go will help you out in your first weeks of transitioning.

Culture

Most Americans are at least slightly aware of how we are viewed in European countries. The people of Europe tend to think of Americans as loud, fast-moving, impolite, and entitled. When I got to Italy, I was shocked to see how many actually thought this about us.

I was surprised to see how much some Italians truly dislike having Americans in their country. At first, I was so culture-shocked that I didn't pay too close attention. But then I started to notice the rude tones of many cashiers and baristas. And then the impoliteness of my neighbors. And then there were the awkward stares. Trust me when I say that the Italians love to glare at our large groups of American students, and they don't hide it either. It's odd, especially how they'll stare at us just for being American. It's hard to explain, but it really happens all the time.

I've learned that there's honestly no way to truly blend in. It's like Europeans can practically see the American on us despite our attempts otherwise and there's really no way to hide it. Trust me, I've tried. Unfortunately, while you are in Italy, it is just something to accept and get used to. Trying your best to adapt to their culture will help a lot, but many might still give you a hard time.

Food

Coming to Italy, I knew I'd probably be eating more pasta and pizza than I had ever had before. What I wasn't ready for, however, was that this would practically be the only thing they served here.

Everywhere you go, it's pretty much the same menu. Plate after plate of pasta, an array of personal-sized pizzas, and plenty of paninis. Carbs are their lifeline here and there's barely a piece of lettuce in sight.

My friends and I have been practically dying to get our hands on a good salad since we got here, but it's harder than you'd think. The salads from the grocery store just aren't the same and restaurants don't have the best offerings. Even if you do find a salad on a menu, it feels like the staff is judging you for ordering one. I can't explain it; they just are.

While in Florence, we were getting sandwiches at a famous shop and I asked for lettuce to be added to my sandwich. The guys behind the counter outright laughed at me for asking. They obliged but still continued to laugh about it for a good few minutes after. Another time both my friend and I got salads at a restaurant and we heard the guys making fun of us for that as well.

There are definitely no salad shops around for lunch like in America and eating healthy is much harder than I expected. All that you ever see here are shops with pizza after pizza, sandwiches, and fried Italian specialties. Protein is also a bit hard to come by. If you eat meat, the easiest way to get it is probably meat on a pizza or a sandwich. Other than that, you can get fish or steak, but that can get pricey pretty quickly, especially on a student budget. I've seen the occasional salad with tuna on it, but they seem to be more of a side than a meal and they also don't sound like the most appealing option. If you eat a lot of protein or follow any special diets, it’ll be a lot easier to cook for yourself at home as much as you can. The Italian grocery stores are so fun to explore that cooking and experimenting with new ingredients can be exciting, so definitely take advantage of that!

Slower Pace

Life in Italy is significantly slower than in the US. Coming from the North, I'm so used to the fast-paced lifestyle that comes with living near New York City and Philadelphia. Speed-walking is second nature to me, and moving fast is just a given. In Italy, however, they walk at speeds that are almost painfully slow. I've started to get used to it, but at first, it was always a constant battle of having to hop off the sidewalks to go around people, even at my natural walking pace. The locals usually look at me like I'm crazy for doing this, but there's just no way that I could slow down that much. I just physically can't.

Another thing that I've noticed is how little they seem to work out here. All the Italians seem to be naturally fit, yet I never see many of them going on runs or working out. Most seem to just go on very long walks in pairs and use that as their daily exercise, which seems to be doing the trick. Even the ones I see running seem to be going at a slow pace, which I can appreciate. Sometimes it's nice to go on a jog and enjoy the scenery instead of sprinting for pace, which I've tried to start doing more.

The local Italians also really do show up late for everything. For my classes, my professors will often walk in 5 to 10 minutes after the class start time, and nobody shows up early. Even for meetings, you should expect to be the first one to arrive if you get there even just 5 minutes early. The funniest thing is how they're not stressed about it at all. They take their time and everyone is so understanding about it. Sometimes I feel like you could show up an hour late and it'd be totally normal. It's funny to look back on how time-stressed we all are in the States compared to here and see how relaxed it really is.

Shopping

I wasn't nearly prepared for how difficult it'd be to find the things I need here in Sorrento. When I was told there'd be smaller grocery stores and shops for specific things, I didn't realize how separated it'd all actually be. Some small grocery stores will still have your normal toiletry items, but a lot of things are still hard to find. I haven't figured out how to properly navigate it all just yet, but there are some toiletries they have at the supermarket, some they have at the pharmacy, and some that I just haven't been able to find at all.

When it comes to retail stores, things are equally separated. There's stores just for electronics, sandals, suitcases, jewelry, etc. Everything has a shop to itself, and there's definitely no department stores that have it all. Unless you go to a big city, you'll likely have to go to five different stores just to get the things you need. I've started to find the larger grocery stores which are better for a "one-stop-shop" kind of trip, but still, it's just so different.

Here, they also do their grocery shopping on a daily or bi-daily basis. Most people will only get an armful of groceries per trip instead of stocking up as we do in the States. Italians tend to get what they need fresh for one or two days and do less meal planning in advance. I still try and get about a week's worth in one trip, but I've noticed that their fresh produce tends to go bad much quicker here, so it's often better to just get those every few days.

Efficient Living

One other thing I wasn't prepared for was how efficient Europe is. They use far less energy and water and they definitely produce an impressively small amount of trash. Even their lights are automatic and they'll often shut off on you in the bathrooms after only a minute.

The trash was hard to get used to as well. They separate everything here by paper, glass, general waste, and compostables, which is definitely different from home where it's normal to throw everything into the same bag. The bags they use are also much smaller. They use tiny trash bags that still don't fill up fast at all. Somehow I feel like they just produce less trash in general. Most food items are handmade and don't require packaging, and those that do usually use fewer materials. They also don't do much take-out food here, which definitely makes a difference.

When it comes to washing clothes, dryers are virtually nonexistent. Clotheslines are the norm all throughout Italy and the washers they do have are tiny compared to the ones back home. Tiny, as in barely being able to fit a pair of jeans and two sweaters in one load tiny. For the dryers, if you can find one, you'll likely have to pay as well, either in a laundromat or in those like the ones at my school. I was not warned about this so I had to immediately get used to air drying my clothes real quick. My friends and I are still trying to find out how to fix our stretched-out jeans and sweaters which is still a work in progress.

If you're planning to study abroad or travel to Europe, try to look into these small things before you make your way overseas. Doing your research will help you be more prepared and know what to expect.

Culture shock is to be expected, but some preparation can go a long way!