Anna Bivona
UCONN
Intercultural Communication course with Prof. Christian Tarchi

Rule #1
Always have cash on you. I learned this the hard way on the day of my arrival. I had not yet exchanged for euros and was in need of many daily items for my apartment, including a simple bath towel to shower. I was extremely tired from traveling and the last thing I wanted to do was find a bank, pull out cash, and find a towel to buy in this new city. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed. I was shocked to find that the majority of shops in Florence are cash only. To add to this rule, you should research your ‘sister bank’ that alleviates fees before your arrival. A good idea is to google map the sister bank relative to the place you’re staying in case of an emergency. I’ve also found it easier to take out large sums at a time because the ATMs aren’t necessarily close.

Rule #2
As cliche as it sounds, patience truly is a virtue here in Florence. I was warned about the slow lifestyle here on a number of occasions, however, I didn’t envision it to be this severe. At first I found myself filling with anger over the time spent weaving in and out of slow crowds (especially while on runs), at a dinner tables waiting for the check, or just simply waiting in a chaotic line for one pastry. I advise you to find the good in those moments where you may lose your cool and feel impatient, with time you’ll end up getting way more out of your experience in Florence than you may have originally planned. I say that because by allowing yourself to lose track of time, you fully embrace the Italian culture. Being distant from the description of a “New Yorker”, originally the idea of living a slow paced life was cringeworthy however, I promise that it’s worth it. Correspondingly, if I of all people can embrace this lifestyle, so can you.

Rule #3
Know your way around the drink culture. One of the most surprising things that I’ve found while living in Florence is that restaurants often charge for water. While this may seem inconvenient coming from a culture in which cups of water are refilled before they are even fully emptied, it is very common in Italy and something that must be understood before being able to fully live like a Florentine. An even more important part of the drink culture in Florence is the emphasis put on coffee. It is almost impossible to find iced coffee at any typical Italian cafe, and cappuccinos and espressos are more commonly enjoyed. It is helpful to know that these coffee drinks may actually cost you more if you choose to stay in the cafe, but you will save money taking it to go which is often the choice I make. To truly live like a Florentine, people often take up a routine of visiting the same cafe every day on their way out of the house and form a relationship with the owners there making coffee-drinking an important social event of the day.