The Positive Side

Maybe I'm Too Negative

When you are learning to write, people who know more than I do talk about how important it is to find “your voice”. This seems reasonable if you are looking for authenticity and you aren’t just trying to develop a persona that you think people will appreciate. But what if your voice comes off as too negative, cynical or just grumpy?

My last few posts allowed me to vent on some topics that were bugging me, but I would still consider myself a pretty content person. Even though my salty tones were true reflections on how I was feeling that day (or week), I still find a ton of joy living in Rome. Here are some of my favorite aspects.

The Food, Wine, and Coffee

Of course, the food, wine and coffee were a draw when we first started planning to relocate to Rome. We had visited the city multiple times over the years and our love of the food and restaurant culture never waned.

Having grown up in an Italian/American family (mostly), pizza and pasta were regular meals at least once a week. Pasta can be considered a “comfort food” and I can’t imagine getting tired of eating pizza. I was probably pre-destined to love the food in Rome, but it still is surprising how often I can still enjoy a Carbonara.

The Cost Of Living

This is a double edged sword for Italians, but as someone who worked for many years in the US, saved a couple bucks, and then moved to Italy, the lower cost of living is a relief. Combine that with the nationalized healthcare system and you get a life easier to live. No sense of fear that you will go bankrupt if you get sick and no power imbalance with your employer who maintains a level of control over you because of your health insurance availability.

An Inherent Cheapness

This sounds like a criticism, but I view it as a compliment. The disposable culture in the US, where it is preferable to replace something than to repair it, is wasteful, even if it is affordable.

We were at a sidewalk restaurant in Bari, and when we approached the table we noticed an unused napkin on the table. The owner simply took it and shoved it back into the dispenser. I was more impressed than angry.

The Supportiveness Of Italians

Frequently, the support I feel is when I try to speak Italian. There is an appreciation that you are making the effort to learn their language and encouragement to continue. Our experiences were different in France and Germany, where they would rather switch to English than let you continue in their mother tongue.

This isn’t to say that the encouragement is fake or undeserved. When I tell someone how long I have lived in Rome, I have gotten the side-eye when they realize how poorly I speak Italian, and rightly so.

Love Of Physical Books

This might sound odd, but I frequently felt like an outsider or a techno-phobe when I would prefer to have a physical book rather than an eReader. The thriving nature of bookstores in Rome leads me to think that I am at home with readers who are pro-tactile.

Even though I spent my career in IT, I also like that the use of paper is still popular. I recently needed to get my International Driver License and the amount of paper I printed was staggering. Add in the ubiquitous plastic sleeves and one can begin to appreciate how “paper” is still an important part of “paperwork”.

Pride And Passion

It is no surprise that Italians are overflowing with pride and passion. From their favorite calcio/futbol/soccer team, to their city and country and everything in between, Italians maintain an enviable level of pride. It probably wouldn’t have been as noticeable if I didn’t have a similar level of shame for my birth country. We’ve recently been discussing if we should start self-identifying as Canadian, or the more recently popular Californian. I doubt any Italian would ever choose to identify as French.

So Much More

There is so much more I like living here in Rome, but these are top of mind this morning. I feel good expressing these positive feelings, but to maintain my balance, I’ll probably be grumpy next week.