When you start to live abroad, you quickly get used to be identified with the stereotypes that describe your home country. That means, as an Italian, people always ask me if my favourite meal is “Fettuccine Alfredo” (no guys, it doesn't exist in Italy. I don’t even know what it looks like); or whether it’s true that I use a lot of gestures while speaking (well yeah, that might be true); or if I drink at least 5 coffees a day (okay, that’s definitely true.)
But to be an Italian is a lot more than this, so here is a quick list about what it really means to grow up in Italy.
• Food is a big part of your culture. You learn how to cook from your grandma/mum/aunt …. It doesn’t mean you’ll be good at it, but you’ll definitely be good at eating. In fact, pretty much all of your social events will take place around the table.
• Wine is also a big deal. Most of us start drinking a drop in a while since childhood, but it doesn’t mean we become addicted. Actually, it only teaches us how to handle it.
• Your mum will always be the most important person of your life. It doesn’t matter whether you are a 12-year old girl or a 50-year old married man, you’ll always come to your mum for advice. The unbreakable rule for all Italians is “family first”. Oh guys, that sounds a lot like Game of Thrones.
• Dialects. Every single town, city or village in Italy has its own dialect. Some of them are pretty similar, some are completely different. To know the dialect of your home town means to be bilingual, because most of them sound just like a foreign language and have been influenced by German, French, Arabic and all the other languages of the countries that divided Italy till 1861.
• Last but not least is the sense of community Italians feel. To grow up in Italy means to grow up in a country that will always be by your side and save your back. We might not have the best political environment (we definitely don’t have that), we can argue a lot and maybe even call each others names, but wherever in the world you are there will always be an Italian ready to help you in whatever you need. And you may even find out that you are somehow relatives. It'a not that rare.
