What to expect from the US! Or better what I expected!

An Italian girl in Movieland!

When you are about to take a journey you start dreaming about it and imagining how it will be like. Now, just pretend you are an Italian girl, never been to the US before and that your only experience about them comes from movies and TV Shows. 

Wisteria Lane (or actually where I live)

You spend the weeks before your departure imagining going shopping like Carrie in Sex and the City, partying like they do in American Pie, meeting Meredith and Cristina, from Grey’s Anatomy, in their scrubs and going to work (I kind of see them, there are medicine students wearing the same scrub on the metro and even in one of my class), seeing Cheerleaders everywhere you turn your eyes, stopping a cab with a whistle, leaving in Westeria Lane (which I actually quite do) or with your friends in an apartment like the one of Friends, dancing hip hop in the street with a crew, going to watch a Baseball or NBA game eating hot dogs and drinking beer, and you believe you will be surrounded by MacDonald’s. So, you really don’t know what to expect.

Then, you take your plane, scared and excited, you travel all across the Atlantic Ocean, and you arrive in Boston. What about Boston so....Everybody is telling you “how cold it will be there!” so you bring almost only winter clothes (haven't wore one yet), they tell you that “you don’t need to bring to much stuff because everything will be cheap” (NO, it’s not)!

Then you travel with your fantasy, and your stream of consciousness leads you to associate Boston with Dawson’s Creek, and assume to see Joey Potter entering your room from the window, after having paddle with her little boat (houses are a lot like that, and there are a lot of boats here!), or you think about Jessica Fletcher (Murder, she wrote), who has nothing to deal with Boston or Cape Cod, now I know it!

I expected to be more shock in a cultural and lifestyle way, but I find Boston really similar to European cities, the big ones. The main differences are the skyscrapers, which I love, so high, glassy and wonderful. Moreover, you can see an ancient and classic building with in background a modern and tall skyscraper. Then you go in the suburbs and here comes Wisteria Lane. That’s amazing! 

I was shocked about something though: the sizes of foods and drinks!! Everything is so huge!!!!

I was glad I could find Barilla and Nutella, in supermarkets, but I got lost in all the different kind of sauces! Which, by the way, if they label to be “Italian dressing”, they are not I can assure you, we just use olive oil and vinegar as dressing!

I felt in love with North End, I know it’s a cliché, but there I could buy my Moka, (Italian coffee machine) to have my lovely espresso! And taste some real Italian food: bread, mozzarella and San Daniele ham; not to forget biscuits from Mulino Bianco.

Another funny story is about English language. Four years ago I spent 8 months in the UK, I was in Bristol. You can imagine my surprise when people didn’t understand me while I was speaking, and not because I’m Italian but because of the use of many different words: “do you need a plaster? So call it bandage”, “are you waiting in the queue, it’s a line”, “are you taking the underground? No, it’s the train, and be careful to not mind your gap but to watch your step!”

Btw, if somebody can explain to me how to use or understand: miles, ounce, pound, gallon and Fahrenheit, I’ll be more than glad because now for me everything is just big or small, heavy or light, hot or cold, actually more cold than hot. I also didn't know that in America the 24 o'clock is not used or even used!

Xo Xo Camilla

Ps: Stay tuned to hear more about Moda: differences, similarities and Italian fashion!