After just one week in Florence I have been able to identify several cultural differences that will take some effort and time to get used to. First off....coffee. The days of the venti (or even grande for that matter) coffees to-go or long homework sessions at your local coffee shop are long gone. Here you simply order your espresso or cappuccino (each ordered at appropriate times of the day, that's a whole other story), drink it quickly at the counter, and move on. If you sit down you get charged up to 6 euros. Though the coffee shop culture is foreign and confusing, the quality of the coffee more than makes up for it.
The next surprise: food. Italian cuisine, delicious as it may be, is very different from American Italian. Pastas are fresh and simple, not loaded with tons of meat and veggies, and are eaten as a first dish, or "primo piatto," which takes some getting used to. Portions are smaller but you eat multiple courses (i.e. antipasti, primo piatto, secundo piatto, and dolce). Also, taking food home is absolutely frowned upon here, you eat what you order and if you don't finish it you leave it. It is disrespectful to the cook who prepared it to be eaten as soon as it is made. Hard to adjust to but the quality of the food makes it very easy to eat up at the restaurant. Food (and wine) is also commonly eaten on the street outside the store. People are seen drinking wine (or eating gelato) on every corner.
Lastly, the simplicity of life. No dishwasher, no dryer, tiny showers, no air conditioning, and heat only when the government decides to turn it on. Though none of these are essentials to me it is an extremely different life style that is taking some getting used to. I'd have to say, i'm actually starting to like it better. I feel very Italian every time I hang my clothes out to dry. Regardless of the absence of these American "essentials," i'll take this view from my bedroom balcony any day.
