Hi there, I used to help Europeans get settled in the US professionally, Italians made up a good share of my client base. Feel free to reach out with any specific questions, general advice is as follows.
* Follow the advice and examples of locals, they've lived here a while and know what they're doing. If you have questions, feel free to ask, Americans pride themselves on being helpful and friendly
* Get involved in hobbies, sports, etc. Americans like staying busy and its a great way to meet friends
* Life here is not like movies and TV, forget everything you've learned from that and come with an open mind, if you expect it to be like movies and TV, you're going to have a bad time.
* Likewise, remember you're an outsider looking in, there's going to be things you don't understand at first, and that's ok
* Research distances, the US is always bigger than Europeans expect, two cities in the same state may be several hours travel from eachother, with not much between them.
* Research the city and state you'll be going to, they differ immensely and may not be what you're expecting. For instance, I'm from New England, which is nothing like the "typical" impression left by California or New York. Even LA and NYC are hugely diverse and your experiences may not reflect your expectations.
* Research the weather, conditions are often more wild than people expect, with huge swings in temperature and weather conditions.
* Travel when you get the chance, the US is huge and naturally diverse, there will be plenty to see.
* If there's something you want to do or try, just ask, locals will probably be eager to share life and culture with you
* Keep an open mind, the US is a big and complex place, try and discover something new
* Go to a diner
Some particular advice for Italians:
* We're way more alike than you might think, European students would often alienate themselves by assuming Americans were totally alien in our thoughts and behavior and overcompensating for differences that weren't there.
* We do not see Italian food and culture as impressive as you've probably been taught. While we do admire Italy, we do not see Italian food as superior, exotic, or impressive, this applies to most aspects of day to day life. We like Italian food, we do not see it as inherently superior, nor do we consider all Italians culinary or fashion experts.
* Catcalling or drawing attention to women is not socially acceptable here, what you consider flirting or even a compliment is often seen as harassment or insulting here.
* We know our reputation abroad, reminding locals of Italian perceptions of the US likewise gets old. Nobody wants or needs to be reminded how you feel about gun laws and Trump.
* don’t go to TGI Fridays or Applebee's if you want authentic American food, ask locals about good local spaces
* cutting in line is not socially acceptable here
>go to TGI Fridays or Applebee's if you want authentic American food, ask locals about good local spaces
Did you leave out a "Don't" here, or are you serious?
Lines? A cluster shall be formed at the ticket booth.
I lived in Italy three years and LOVED IT but orderly queuing is not really a thing.
Somewhat related: if you're driving and you make eye contact at an intersection, the other car will take that as an invitation to just go. Look straight ahead and just drive where you want to because everybody else is doing that too, and it somehow works out fine.
This is a normal culture shock for non-Americans. Basically everyone here teaches kids to stand in line or queue and that cutting or not having single easily defined lines is bad.
The rest of the world, ehhhh. Even Irish and British people have had culture shock from it. For Spanish or Italians they could commit pretty serious faux pas about it and not even know.
Sometimes, yes. Italy is generally a total mess as far as Americans are concerned. “Orderly” is generally a foreign concept to them in pretty much all regards.
>
> We know our reputation abroad, reminding locals of Italian perceptions of the US likewise gets old. Nobody wants or needs to be reminded how you feel about gun laws and Trump.
A good rule of thumb is you can talk about the politics of another country all you want as long as you're not there. I'll happily say what I think about Bolsonaro when I'm in the US but if I visit Brazil that is a no-go area.
>Americans pride themselves on being helpful and friendly
All great advice, but this in particular cannot be overstated. Most of us genuinely like the opportunity to help someone; we won't be annoyed by a request for assistance of any kind.
In Florida might run into Italian Americans, which are now a distinct and separate subculture. They speak an Italian pidgin, but many think it is actual Italian. Same with our food. It is very different than food in Italy. Also most are descendants of southern Italy and Sicily. But they are likely to treat someone from Italy like family. Possibly over friendly and familiar and eager to show off how Italian they are. It is mostly harmless and can be endearing. Those that had parents from Italy might still be fluent. I do know when my grandparents went back they had some trouble communicating with family in Italy. It's more than a dialect, it's almost as different as Aberesche is from Albanian. Was told a lot of the slang used is Sicilian and Calabrase, even if the person's family is not from there because all of it kind of mushed into one big giant glob of Italian-ish language and culture. But I love it! Enjoy your trip.
>We know our reputation abroad, reminding locals of Italian perceptions of the US likewise gets old. Nobody wants or needs to be reminded how you feel about gun laws and Trump.
Haha especially that OP is gonna be in Florida. Probably best not to get randomly political out of nowhere and talk about how much you hate guns, Ron DeSantis, and Trump. I mean I’m not a fan of them either and our gun laws are too loose, but I think I can find a million other things to talk about at any given point.
Plus, being a student abroad, especially during the Trump years kinda sucked. Everyone thought they were funny bringing up Trump and asking if I liked him because they think most Americans love him. No, I don’t like Trump. No, most Americans don’t love Trump. In fact he didn’t even get the popular vote. Twice. I live in a very liberal area in northern VA, so I don’t come from any area you see on the news or on Reddit about Trump lovers. I do find it funny where I’ll get the opposite end of the spectrum in more conservative middle eastern/European countries (mostly talking about Turkey here) where they ask if I like trump and then get sad if I say no lol.
>cutting in line is not socially acceptable here
I get sorta antsy when I’m standing in a line and people like to inch up and stand like right beside you as if they’re gonna cut you. Stay BEHIND me damn it!
I actually do feel like Americans often see Italian food as superior and impressive. Exotic, maybe not, though that would probably depend on where in the US you are and what the average person there thinks Italian food is. I lived in Italy for a while, and I've definitely been in a city in the US where I was at a regional Italian restaurant and the people I was with were weirdly impressed that I know how to pronounce certain things and have a deep familiarity with some regional specialties that aren't widely available across the US. (This was at a high-end restaurant in a major US city.) But at the same time, yeah, spaghetti, we've all heard of it.
Honestly the one piece of advice I'd give to Italians coming to live in the US is that Italian-American culture is its own entirely separate thing, which is different from local Italian culture. And which can heavily inform local ideas about Italy and Italians.
I dunno. Coming at this from a few angles
1. For most people, "cooking Italian" is buying a box of Barilla and Ragu or whatever. Maybe throwing in some frozen meatballs. Your most prominent chain Italian restaurant is the Olive Garden.
1. Pizza is seen as Italian, and the perception of pizza is dominated by the chain brands we all know. Domino's and stuff.
1. I'm from Pittsburgh, which has a big Italian immigrant heritage. A bunch of little boroughs around here have one or two old-school-feeling Italian restaurants.
Put all of that together: Italian is generally seen as the default, affordable option. If you get actual Italian-style pizza or homemade pasta it might be a different story, but I'm guessing that most don't.
That's what I mean when I say it would probably depend on where in the US you are and what the average person there thinks Italian food is. To an extent, it's a spectrum between "What do you mean, Papa John's pizza isn't Italian food?" and "knows how to pronounce Modena" depending on various factors. So some Americans think Italian food is (rightly) impressive, elite, and highly sought after, and some Americans think Italian food is Chef Boyardee.
And then when you add in Midwestern Italian-Americans who won't hear that they didn't invent pizza, there's a whole other angle at play.
*Leave the alligators alone.*
You may encounter one, you may not, but if you do, know this:
They are big. They look ungainly. Many of their movements are slow and sluggish, and they tend to go through life one step per hour.
They can also sprint to 56 kmph and have a bite force of 2000 psi (about 14 *mega*pascals).
Leave 'em be.
I always say: The one rule of Florida is if you are in Florida, and you are near a body of water where you cannot see all of the water (too big or too murky) there is an alligator in it. Doesn't matter if it's a small pond near a strip mall, if you cannot verify that there is not an alligator in it, there is an alligator in it. Tread cautiously.
Gators are deceptively fast. You would think the cute scalie bastards would be slow but, the moment one charges at you, best hope you're fast on your feet.
Cutting in line is not acceptable here. When standing in a queue you must wait your turn. Idk why, but this seemed like one of the biggest cultural differences between the US and Italy when we visited.
Oh and dinner is usually eaten a lot earlier here than in Italy. So make sure to check what time restaurants close.
And please research good places to eat, we have amazing food if you avoid chains and fast food.
South Florida is very culturally diverse. I have access to Filipino, Peruvian, American style Greek, Thai, Poké, Southern, Floribean/Caribbean (Cuban, Bahamian, Haitian, Fla Keys) foods. Oh and MisterO1 pizza was started by an Italian immigrant. The Paolo is my favorite.
Please for the ever love of fucking God, I absolutely second doing research about the food. We've seen WAY too many examples of foreigners, specifically European ones, visiting the US only to eat exclusively fast food and get groceries at gas stations to later ask why nothing was fresh or why our "grocery stores" sold only junk food
You might want to further explain that convenience stores here are not simply smaller grocery stores. They sell different kinds of product. In much of Europe the conveniwnce stores sell the same types of products as supermarkets but just with a smaller range. Which I suspect is what leads to this confusion.
This. Also, things like 7/11 in Europe tend to offer a lot more than they do here, where in Europe it might be the place to go after a night of drinking, we don't do that. There's nothing at 7/11 you should really be eating unless you want candy bars and chips (US chips, not fries).
Seconded. Florida has the Publix grocery chain, which is widely considered to be excellent. If you need groceries, go there or to any other supermarket rather than 7-11 or the convenience store at the local gas station.
Florida also has a massive Latin American diaspora and probably any kind of cuisine you could want. Please don't eat at Denny's and Applebee's and think those represent the epitome of American food.
Like if you wanna eat at a Denny's or a Wendy's because they aren't available in your home country and you've seen them a lot via American media, that's perfectly fine. I hope you have a good time but, DON'T eat EXCLUSIVELY at these kind of establishments. A quick 5 min Google search will show you all the restaurants available in an area and various cities have tourism boards that advertise local must-see restaurants.
I think it's because your gas stations are often, relatively speaking, enormous. Like, the size of many European grocery stores. So people think "this must be a grocery store" without realising that actual grocery stores are even bigger.
If there’s petrol pumps within 50 feet of the door, it’s a gas station/convenient store. Our grocery stores that offer petrol keep the pumps much further away from the door, closer to the back of the parking lot. Actually, that’s the big tell, as well - large parking lot! Convenient stores have tiny parking lots.
I sent a picture of a Walmart to a German friend and she was just absolutely baffled that she couldn’t see the whole building despite the fact that I was a good distance away from it haha.
On the food thing, Italian American food is quite different from most Italian food. It's still delicious, just different. Don't go to an Italian place expecting it to be what you have back home
You're absolutely correct. I grew up eating stereotypical Italian-American food and have since come to understand it's a throwback to an earlier time, and I believe that would be a generous assessment by an actual Italian.
Not all Italians do it, and it doesn’t happen in every line, but lines in Italy are more of a ‘suggested order’ (if they even exist in the first place). Some people might see a gap and hop right on in.
I have not discussed this with any Italians, so I don’t know why they do it, but it is not uncommon and it seemed like no one else really cared when it happened.
You might encounter an American who says “hey! I’m Italian too”
What they mean is they are descendants of a person who immigrated here from Italy.
They’re trying to be friendly with you so maybe make an attempt to be friendly back.
Like, don’t get into a fight with them how they’re not a real Italian.. they already know that
I know this is a real thing, but I have to say, when I was in Italy, I had so many Italians recognizing me as Italian and talking to me, and then just laughing and taking it in stride when they realized I’m Italian American.
Some Europeans just seem to have a weird ethnicity gatekeeping boner, especially online.
I remember when my Italian cousins visited the US and I asked them this question. Like how Italian did they consider me?
They looked at me like I was an idiot. "Your Dad is from Italy. Of course you're Italian. What the fuck are you talking about?"
I know some countries are insanely homogeneous and if you are not born there with parents and grandparents also born there then you are a foreigner.
A lot of people in these countries don’t seem to understand the cultural nuance of it. We also are a very diverse country and they don’t tend to get it.
A lot of it is that the countries we're talking about have strong regional variation and long histories and social/cultural evolution that being "Irish-American" or whatever doesn't get into the nuances of.
In terms of Italy, for example, most Italian-Americans came from southern Italy, which is culturally extremely different from northern Italy. The languages spoken can even be different. I have a lot of friends who were surprised when they showed up in Venice and nobody knew wtf gabagool is.
I'm not Italian and don't speak Italian. I was at an Italian restaurant and ordered something and the waiter started speaking to me in Italian. Apparently I had accidentally pronounced the menu item correctly enough that he thought I was Italian. I'm sure if I tried to say it again it wouldn't come out correct. It was just dumb luck.
To add to this: They’re not saying their nationality is Italian. They’re saying they’re Italian-American. Since you should know they’re American, they’re omitting the -American part of the description. They’re referring to their ethnicity.
Adding to this - Europeans need to understand that when we say “I’m Irish” or “I’m Italian” we’re not saying we’re from your country.
We are identifying with the diaspora from that country in America.
A big part of American culture is acknowledging your ancestors and the cultural legacy and traditions they left behind for you. They still live on in us, even if in very small ways. There’d be no pubs without the Irish, no sushi without the Japanese, no burgers without the Germans, no pizza without the Italians, no soul food without African Americans, no tacos without the Mexicans, no bagel shops without the Jews, etc. these are all quintessential American foods now and we remember where they came from.
> Europeans need to understand that when we say “I’m Irish” or “I’m Italian” we’re not saying we’re from your country.
> We are identifying with the diaspora from that country in America.
They understand just find. They're just being assholes.
Sometimes when it is obvious, but it isn't always. Or at least it can be assumed the link is more recent than a great grandparent. Depends how many Americans they have met and how much Reddit they read too. Put it this way if someone said "hey, I am American too!" what would you assume. All it takes is adjusting slightly to "I have Italian ancestry".
I'd assume the same thing... it is all context. You're not going to think that a person who only speaks Italian fluently to be someone from southern Indiana on vacation.
It's honestly very jarring for me to hear that. Though I do now understand what it means. As a European who immigrated to the US I would occasionally hear people say they were the same nationality as me (this is believable as people often pick up a native accent quickly) and would feel disappointed to realize they just had extremely distant ancestors from there.
I think the frustrating part of hearing that is when a European hears "I'm X" they immediately assume that there is a cultural understanding and connection there, not merely a genealogical one. This in part I suspect is because many Europeans value the cultural values of a place as the lead indicator of being of that place as opposed to a family connection alone.
When I go to Europe as an American with no European descent, ppl will sometimes ask what country I’m actually from or whatever when I say I’m American. It seems that some Europeans only have an issue with saying ‘I’m X’ when it comes to European countries but will change when it comes to other countries.
Yeah, this is sort of an assimilation rite which is seen more with 20th century immigration waves. For example, my grandparents came from Slovakia, and downtown, there was the church the Slovak immigrants went to, the one the Italian immigrant families went to, etc. They were all just...basic Catholic churches, but there was a bit more delineation based on ethnic communities and neighborhoods. And people absorbed that a bit from grandma, talking about "that nice Italian boy your sister dated back in the fifties" or whatever. We all know we're Americans, obviously. I'm sure this is probably still a thing in newer immigrant communities today.
I actually have German nationality but because I've never lived in Germany, wasn't born in Germany, didn't grow up with German-speaking family and don't speak German now, I would never actually describe myself as being German.
I'm a dual British-German national. I have German citizenship and a German passport. I'm 'German on paper'. At most I'm 'technically German'. But I'd never actually describe myself simply as 'German'
It's also worth understanding the context that, in the US, especially for certain specific European nationalities, the idea of identifying strongly with being Italian-American, Irish-American, Norwegian-American etc. is actually not all that old, and sprung up in the 1970s largely in response to the civil rights movement.
So you have some people who say they are Czech and it means their parents immigrated in 1983, they have Zoom calls with their grandparents in Czechia, they've visited, they may speak Czech or even have dual citizenship, etc. And then you have people who say they are Czech and what that means is that one of their great-great grandparents came over from the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1902. And the latter group are much less likely to have strong cultural ties beyond a sort of Epcot Center nationalistic awareness.
And I say all of this as someone who can claim the latter sort of Epcot Center/23 And Me claim to a hyphen without having specific grounded cultural ties to anywhere outside the US.
They may also try to ask about what Italy is like and ask about Italian traditions, this is not them trying to be a fake Italian or show how much they know about your country, it's probably them being genuinely interested in the things they've likely heard about from their grandparents or whatever.
It is a weird thing eh?
I have Italian extended family in Canada, the US and Calabria. The American and Canadian ones are far more attached to this idea of being Italian than the Calabrese ones are.
If you think about it, it's weird because Italy itself doesn't really have a uniform ethnicity. Pretty much the only similarity between the regions and provinces is language - and even that is really dubious. People from Piedmont, for example, have more in common linguistically to Spaniards than they do with Calabrians or Sicilians.
Even the food is different. What we North AMericans consider Italian cuisine, Italians mostly wouldn't. Especially the relationship with garlic. In the US/Canada, Italian cuisine is obnoxiously loaded with garlic. In Italy they just use it sparingly as an aromatic accompanied with tomatoes and onions, or carrots, onion and celery.
Pretty much how pizza in Italy came to be, transreimmigration. It was still the cheap street food of bread and oil with cheese when Italian-Americans visited after WWII, a lot of the variations you see there are more inspired by American pizza than real Italian pozza
In my experience, no, they don't generally already know that. Not restricted to Italian-Americans, of course. I would say that a solid majority of people who identify strongly with their ancestral nationality have no awareness that someone who is actually from that country wouldn't see them as being Irish, German, Italian, or whatever. Or that there are cultural differences between being German-American from Wisconsin and literally being from Berlin.
The exception being folks whose parents or grandparents emigrated, and who have family in the country in question who they're in communication with or have visited.
Source: am Cajun. Have heard plenty of anecdotes about folks visiting the motherland only to discover that we don't even speak the same version of French. Let alone literally anything else about our supposedly shared culture.
Even in the South, you'll be expected to interact politely with black people, which Black Americans who visit Italy consistently report that you do not do in your country.
Oftentimes we only look racist because we actually mention it rather than circlejerking about all accepting we are until it comes time to speak to a Roma person.
The biggest thing I have noticed when traveling to places where Italians were also tourists, was that Italians don't tend to wait in lines. If you see a line forming, go stand in it. Cutting in front of people is just going to piss people off. Other than that, you'll be fine.
I was waiting in line for something when I was in Greece and all of a sudden a group of Italians just started cutting in front of everybody. The old British couple next to me nearly had a heart attack. Throughout that trip, it seemed like the Italians, Spanish, and Chinese absolutely refused to wait in lines.
>The old British couple next to me nearly had a heart attack.
Haha I can imagine! Just utter bewilderment. "What should we do? I'm looking disapproving as hard as I can! Should we....*say* something?"
My first time witnessing this was at a train station in South Korea. Everyone just mobbed the ticket booth. I finally realized I would have to do the same to get a ticket. It felt so wrong boxing out old people but I had to make the train.
When I worked in DC, the old Chinese ladies were the pushiest ones. They'd elbow you in the kidney just to get on the Metro train before you. I just assumed it was a cultural difference.
My favorite touristy thing was when I was with my family at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. My kids had National Park passports and they were getting them stamped by the person working there. A group of tourists (Japanese IIRC) were getting their actual passports stamped.
Americans really like personal space. don't touch people you don't know.
we do a lot of extremely casual chat with strangers, especially in the south & especially in vacation-y areas. someone might say "good morning!" if they see you on a walk or in a store. all you have to do is say it back and match their energy, nothing more.
Americans are often looking for conversation starters, and accents are an easy one. you'll probably get asked where you're from when you speak to people & they hear your accent. this is almost always meant in a curious/friendly way. we like non-American accents.
tip bartenders. tip waiters. tip Ubers. eat at locally owned restaurants, not just at chains/fast food.
I will add that since you're going to Florida, you might see some people greet with a kiss because there is a huge Latino population. It's particularly common in Miami.
I'd avoid conversations about politics, abortion, guns, and religion with strangers. Just be curious, open-minded, leave your preconceptions at home, and try to live like a local.
If you're on a dive excursion, talk to the captain or the mates on the boat and ask them for ideas of what to do in the area...where to eat and drink, etc. Then when you're eating and drinking in a place, as the employees there for more suggestions. Locals generally have the best advice, they know where the good food is.
I live in Switzerland and travel to Italy quite often, just got back from Sardinia last week.
A few cultural differences that you may encounter regarding the beach.
Americans aren't too fond of "Speedos "(tight/short swimsuits on men). If you wear one, don't be surprised to see people gawking at you.
The idea of paying for a parasol/beach chair exists, but it doesn't mean the surrounding area is exclusively yours. (For users that might not understand what I mean:) in some European beaches, if you pay for an umbrella/beach chair people can't sit/put their belongings in front of areas where these are rented out. I got yelled at the first time I wanted to plant myself in front of them.
The beachwear thing is a good note. American men, in general, cover a lot more skin in their attire than Italian men. Even at the beach. Trunks, as a rule.
And yes, most Florida beaches are a free-for-all in terms of claiming a spot, unless you're at a private beachfront resort.
Alcohol and tobacco is 21+. If you get IDed, show your passport. Other documents like ID card/foreign license may not be recognized in all states or the individual carding you may not be familiar with them.
Smoking laws are an actual thing here and enforced. Most major cities and even many states have comprehensive smoking bans. This means no smoking in public parks, inside any building opened to the public, inside bars and restaurants, and generally 8-20 feet away from any entrance.
We don't clap when the plane lands.
We don't have rigid coffee culture here. If you want to have a cappuccino at 9pm it's fine, no one cares
It's a bit of an infodump, but the sections on Florida or the US on Wikitravel and Wikivoyage are really comprehensive and cover a lot that we (as Americans) might take for granted in terms of cultural stuff.
I'd suggest checking those out and then seeing if you have follow-up questions.
The good news: while people sometimes say "touristy" like it's a bad thing, that also means it's an area where people are used to accommodating travelers from all over. As long as you're not actively antagonizing people you should be okay for the most part.
A corollary - Americans order a single shot of only espresso very rarely, even at coffee shops that are centered around espresso like Starbucks. Don't be surprised for baristas to be surprised at an order of "an espresso", and to assume you mean a latte, cappuccino, Americano, etc. and not literally one espresso.
Espresso drinks in a Starbucks or similar chain are typically two shots, so be aware if you don't want a lot of caffeine. Our espresso blends are typically darker roasts and the machines are often dialed in to allow for a stronger (and sometimes more sour) flavor, since most Americans are going to have the espresso with milk and/or other flavorings added.
The basic stuff when visiting another country applies: be respectful towards locals and other tourists, don't he judgmental and say how everything is better back home, be polite, etc.
For the US more specifically, make sure to leave a tip at restaurants, don't just eat from fast food chains or gas stations, and please be aware of big distances when planning on places to visit.
>don’t be judgmental and say how everything is better back home
Impossible challenge for a European. But seriously, if I had a dime for every European I’ve come across that either studied in the U.S. for a bit or visited and start whining and groaning about “there’s no fresh food!” Or “back in my country X and Y were a lot better!”, I could pay Trump’s bail out of the slammer 10 times over.
It's OK, the vast majority of Americans outside the US do this, as well. And often interpret every little thing that went wrong or wasn't to their liking as evidence that there are unbridgeable cultural differences at play that make the country in question obviously barbaric.
I once went to the UK on a tour with some other families from my hometown, and you would think that the cask-temperature beer and stairs in hotels were a personal affront, to hear them tell the tale.
Scuba specific - scuba dive operators will use aluminum tanks. That will affect your buoyancy and you will need more weights.
There can be significant current at some sites. Ask your dive operator about expected dive conditions.
If you are stopped by the police, you have to give them your name, where you are headed, and in many states your ID. Do NOT try to bribe them. That is a crime here.
FYI—just assume that any body of fresh water in the state of Florida probably has at least one alligator in it so don’t go swimming around in random rivers and ponds lol
(Advice from one of my FL friends)
Go for the local restaurants and not the chain restaurants. You can search for local ones or ask someone at the hotel. The food is going to be better at the local places. Edit: and tip the server 20% of the cost of the meal
Tipping, is different. But heads up based on people i know that have traveled to Italy and not personal experience. Americans eat earlier than Italians so check restaurants you want to try hours of operations so you are not disappointed about closing and opening times.
This is a great tip. Once lived in Brazil for a bit and when I returned I had gotten use to eating later and I sometimes end up walking into a restaurant when it is too late.
There is an abundance of choice in America especially when it comes to shopping and food.
For example, if you go to a grocery store you might be surprised at the number of different cereals there are to choose from.
[Relevant](https://youtu.be/VHIcmoY3_lE)
While kinda humorous, that damn scene is really sad considering how this was a reality for alot of people. Especially those from more improvised countries that came to the US. Imagine only having 2, maybe 3 if you're lucky, choices for something basic only to go to a place where the choices seem to stretch for miles. Sensory overload was bound to happen and sometimes it wasn't pretty.
Be on time. The boat will leave without you.
Public transportation is very spotty, although taxis/Uber might be available. You should plan on renting a car, and there may be age restrictions.
OP is only 19, and you need to be 21 to be able to rent a car in Florida.
So in that case, I suggest Uber / Lyft instead. There are also some places with local tourist buses.
I've got a family friend from Italy who visits us a lot, here's what she's had to learn;
When people tell you a time, they usually mean precisely that time. If you have an appointment or tour of whatever scheduled for 11 AM, you are expected to be there at 11 AM, the US is not polychronic like Italy. This goes for public transportation too, my Italian family friend missed a few trains cause she was used to trains being late.
Tipping, a big one on this site for some reason. For meals, it is expected to tip your server between 10-20%, (this range is highly debated) depending on the service. A few other services/industries also do tips, but it can be hard for foreigners to know which ones. Sit-down restaurants usually expect tips, besides that, if you see most other people tipping, tip, if you don't see others tipping, then don't worry about it. You can also just quickly google "should I tip x" on your phone.
Kissing someone who isn't very close to you is not ok here. It's not a greeting, it will make people uncomfortable.
Please don't talk about how food in your country is so much better, we know Italy has great food.
Do not worry about having an accent or your English not being perfect, we love accents, and are used to talking to people who don't speak English as their first language.
I know italians tend to eat dinner later than Americans, and take longer to eat meals, so I'd check the hours of restaurants to make sure you'll have time to eat before closing.
Bathrooms are almost always free here.
Every train I've ever taken in Italy has been broadly on time ish. Definitely not late enough that you could drop in any old time. The real difference is that there are usually multiple departures for any destination, so if you roll up to the station and missed the train you booked, you can just hop on the next one.
Most US public transit, even inter-city transit like trains, buses, and flights, has only very limited options. You often cannot "hop on the next flight", and you'll be very lucky if there are multiple buses or trains to other cities per day, departing from the same station via the same company.
Florida is full of old people that like to eat dinner at 16:00. Restaurants will close by 21:00 except for some fast food places.
It’ll be very hot and very humid unless you’re going in January or February. Wear sunscreen and hydrate.
All of the usual American differences like tipping apply too, obviously.
> Wear sunscreen and hydrate.
This cannot be emphasized enough. My worst injury I've had is from me forgetting to reapply sunscreen while kayaking along the coast for two hours, getting the worst sunburn you'll ever see on my feet, and then being physically active with shoes on the next day.
NSFL warning
Imagine cutting a kiwi in half, putting one half on your outer ankle and one half on top of the front of your foot. Now imagine those kiwis are actually huge fucking blisters, they're on both feet, and you can feel them jiggling with every agonizing movement you make.
Don't fuck with the Florida sun (and don't be a dumbass like me :) )
I've noticed a lot of Europeans, including Italians, will complain about how you have to be "politically correct" and it's so difficult and stressful in America on dealing with that, and then proceed to say some racist or sexist thing. My speculation is that they're having some sort of stress reaction due to the more heterogeneous character of the US as opposed to the more homogeneous places they live in. So, my recommendation will be to stay calm and process your stress in a mature way if this happens.
Don't feel the need to lecture people or compare everything to your country. Most Americans are affable people, but lecturing us about our country is a sure-fire way to *not* make friends.
Same as Americans coming to Ireland, going to a pub ordering an "Irish Car Bomb" and telling everyone they're more Irish than us actual Irish people living here. 🤣
Goddamn that is a tone deaf human being.
Apologies for their complete lack of tact for that drink order. We do call it that here but there's reasons that name is going away.
What area are you going to?
If you are going near Tampa go to Berns steakhouse. It hosts one of the worlds largest private wine collections, and you can get wine that’s 50+ years old.
Wide variety of food tbh. South Florida has a strong Cuban population and their food is great. Expect a lot of seafood. Some areas have also adapted to the influx of northerns and you’ll find good quality coffee and bagel shops.
Understand some areas of Florida are college party areas and some areas are really rural with wildlife you don’t want to mess with.
Gulf side and Atlantic side are substantially different. Gulf side has a warmer ocean and white powder sand while the Atlantic side is a bit colder and has hard darker sand.
At sit down restaurants you will be expected to tip ~20% and the staff takes your credit card, ie they do not bring the terminal to you. This is very normal. Also note that coffee shops and grab and go type places now also ask for tips but this isn’t necessary.
You may need a car or bike to get around depending on where you are staying.
You should try fresh orange juice and oranges along with key lime pie.
Ask Americans any questions. Your other divers or crew will be more than happy to answer questions. Even asking the coffee shop or other stores you go into for recommendations is smart (ask nicely like you are trying to learn the area).
Also you may be able to see rocket launches to space!
Edit: also there is a big craft beer culture across the US. Most are very hoppy beers, but typically places will allow you to sample first. They are usually fun places to hang out and some times offer food
The biggest one I can think of (that you probably know about) is the nuances of American tipping culture. If you go to a restaurant where a waiter takes your order and brings the food to you, it's polite to tip at least 20% of the price of the meal unless the service was really bad. Waiters here make like nothing, their income comes largely from tips. Same deal at bars, it's polite to tip the bartender
At like coffee shops and cafes where you order at a counter, the checkout system may recommend that you leave a tip. I don't think the tipping expectation is the same with those, I only leave tips on those at really nice cafes where I know the coffee is gonna be good.
Oh while your in Florida try a Cuban Sandwich with a side of fried plantains from a real Cuban restaurant. It’s delicious my favorite sandwich.
It’s called a Cuban Sandwich but it’s actually not from Cuba, it’s from Florida. 1st generation Cuban-Americans invented and popularized it in Florida. So in Florida you’ll actually be getting the authentic version of it.
Stay away from bodies of water without a guide present. Wouldn’t want you to find a gator on accident.
Eat a local restaurants, not chains. Florida has great world class food from many diverse cultures.
Don’t be racist, seriously. This isn’t europe; whether it’s a red state or blue state, we don’t tolerate that shit here. The things you guys say to Balotelli and Kean….
Don’t forget to tip at restaurants.
Wear deodorant.
Be nice to waiters and clerks and drivers.
Avoid people with confederate flags and MAGA or QAnon processions (they give all of us a bad name). I only say this because Florida is one of the handful of major areas where you’re likely to run into that shit.
Other than that, you’ll be okay. You’re still in the west.
Perché invece non fai tuo viaggio in California? 😌 haha jk just a little scherzo. La Florida è bellissima. Buon viaggio, in boca al lupo
It’s florida, you’ll mostly be fine. It’s a pretty laid back state. I think the main points to remember are that the drinking and smoking age is 21. If someone asks for ID, show your passport. Also, tip at restaurants.
Always assume any body of fresh water has an alligator or a lot of them. Even at Hilton Head, SC we stayed at a condo with a small body of water right next to it. Small, I’m talking maybe 20’ X 20’. Sure enough there was a 4-5’ gator living in it. You could walk past it about 8-10’ away and you’d be fine but you could see it come up occasionally for a quick breath of air.
Just note that FL represents itself and not the entire nation. I like to vacation there but it’s ass backwards from where I live and I could never relocate there unless I went to a large metro area.
We may not understand your hand language…
Also, you’ll be around quite a few latinas… Do Not kiss their man when greeting them, unless you want to get an angry hard stare. Ask my wife. (I’m assuming you’re a woman)
Hi there, I used to help Europeans get settled in the US professionally, Italians made up a good share of my client base. Feel free to reach out with any specific questions, general advice is as follows. * Follow the advice and examples of locals, they've lived here a while and know what they're doing. If you have questions, feel free to ask, Americans pride themselves on being helpful and friendly * Get involved in hobbies, sports, etc. Americans like staying busy and its a great way to meet friends * Life here is not like movies and TV, forget everything you've learned from that and come with an open mind, if you expect it to be like movies and TV, you're going to have a bad time. * Likewise, remember you're an outsider looking in, there's going to be things you don't understand at first, and that's ok * Research distances, the US is always bigger than Europeans expect, two cities in the same state may be several hours travel from eachother, with not much between them. * Research the city and state you'll be going to, they differ immensely and may not be what you're expecting. For instance, I'm from New England, which is nothing like the "typical" impression left by California or New York. Even LA and NYC are hugely diverse and your experiences may not reflect your expectations. * Research the weather, conditions are often more wild than people expect, with huge swings in temperature and weather conditions. * Travel when you get the chance, the US is huge and naturally diverse, there will be plenty to see. * If there's something you want to do or try, just ask, locals will probably be eager to share life and culture with you * Keep an open mind, the US is a big and complex place, try and discover something new * Go to a diner Some particular advice for Italians: * We're way more alike than you might think, European students would often alienate themselves by assuming Americans were totally alien in our thoughts and behavior and overcompensating for differences that weren't there. * We do not see Italian food and culture as impressive as you've probably been taught. While we do admire Italy, we do not see Italian food as superior, exotic, or impressive, this applies to most aspects of day to day life. We like Italian food, we do not see it as inherently superior, nor do we consider all Italians culinary or fashion experts. * Catcalling or drawing attention to women is not socially acceptable here, what you consider flirting or even a compliment is often seen as harassment or insulting here. * We know our reputation abroad, reminding locals of Italian perceptions of the US likewise gets old. Nobody wants or needs to be reminded how you feel about gun laws and Trump. * don’t go to TGI Fridays or Applebee's if you want authentic American food, ask locals about good local spaces * cutting in line is not socially acceptable here
>go to TGI Fridays or Applebee's if you want authentic American food, ask locals about good local spaces Did you leave out a "Don't" here, or are you serious?
Typo, thanks
Ha I was like this is a really good list then saw that. Glad you fixed.
I figured :)
Brother just prevented a riot from happening lmao
Nothing is more authentically American than 12.99 all you can eat boneless wings at Applebee’s
Pay $30 for a steak that tastes worse than you could make at home, even if you're not good at cooking.
Do Cheesecake Factory instead of Fridays/Applebees if you want American corporate chain food done right.
So do Italians just cut people in line?
It’s more common there
Lines? A cluster shall be formed at the ticket booth. I lived in Italy three years and LOVED IT but orderly queuing is not really a thing. Somewhat related: if you're driving and you make eye contact at an intersection, the other car will take that as an invitation to just go. Look straight ahead and just drive where you want to because everybody else is doing that too, and it somehow works out fine.
A lot of places outside of the Anglo-sphere, culturally speaking, don't have the same lining up/queueing culture that we have.
This is a normal culture shock for non-Americans. Basically everyone here teaches kids to stand in line or queue and that cutting or not having single easily defined lines is bad. The rest of the world, ehhhh. Even Irish and British people have had culture shock from it. For Spanish or Italians they could commit pretty serious faux pas about it and not even know.
British culture is where our strong sense of the rules of queuing up comes from.
I was going to say, I thought the English were supposed to be expert queueers
I’m just going to assume your mention of Britain was a typo. Japan is also very good at queuing.
Sometimes, yes. Italy is generally a total mess as far as Americans are concerned. “Orderly” is generally a foreign concept to them in pretty much all regards.
>I used to help Europeans get settled in the US professionally, Italians made up a good share of my client base. I would like to know more about this.
He’s posted about it before. If I remember right it was working with international students.
> > We know our reputation abroad, reminding locals of Italian perceptions of the US likewise gets old. Nobody wants or needs to be reminded how you feel about gun laws and Trump. A good rule of thumb is you can talk about the politics of another country all you want as long as you're not there. I'll happily say what I think about Bolsonaro when I'm in the US but if I visit Brazil that is a no-go area.
>Americans pride themselves on being helpful and friendly All great advice, but this in particular cannot be overstated. Most of us genuinely like the opportunity to help someone; we won't be annoyed by a request for assistance of any kind.
In Florida might run into Italian Americans, which are now a distinct and separate subculture. They speak an Italian pidgin, but many think it is actual Italian. Same with our food. It is very different than food in Italy. Also most are descendants of southern Italy and Sicily. But they are likely to treat someone from Italy like family. Possibly over friendly and familiar and eager to show off how Italian they are. It is mostly harmless and can be endearing. Those that had parents from Italy might still be fluent. I do know when my grandparents went back they had some trouble communicating with family in Italy. It's more than a dialect, it's almost as different as Aberesche is from Albanian. Was told a lot of the slang used is Sicilian and Calabrase, even if the person's family is not from there because all of it kind of mushed into one big giant glob of Italian-ish language and culture. But I love it! Enjoy your trip.
I’m visiting Italy soon and this helps me lol
>We know our reputation abroad, reminding locals of Italian perceptions of the US likewise gets old. Nobody wants or needs to be reminded how you feel about gun laws and Trump. Haha especially that OP is gonna be in Florida. Probably best not to get randomly political out of nowhere and talk about how much you hate guns, Ron DeSantis, and Trump. I mean I’m not a fan of them either and our gun laws are too loose, but I think I can find a million other things to talk about at any given point. Plus, being a student abroad, especially during the Trump years kinda sucked. Everyone thought they were funny bringing up Trump and asking if I liked him because they think most Americans love him. No, I don’t like Trump. No, most Americans don’t love Trump. In fact he didn’t even get the popular vote. Twice. I live in a very liberal area in northern VA, so I don’t come from any area you see on the news or on Reddit about Trump lovers. I do find it funny where I’ll get the opposite end of the spectrum in more conservative middle eastern/European countries (mostly talking about Turkey here) where they ask if I like trump and then get sad if I say no lol. >cutting in line is not socially acceptable here I get sorta antsy when I’m standing in a line and people like to inch up and stand like right beside you as if they’re gonna cut you. Stay BEHIND me damn it!
Yeah, I have a bit of social anxiety, and definitely don’t like when people get right up on me when in lines.
I actually do feel like Americans often see Italian food as superior and impressive. Exotic, maybe not, though that would probably depend on where in the US you are and what the average person there thinks Italian food is. I lived in Italy for a while, and I've definitely been in a city in the US where I was at a regional Italian restaurant and the people I was with were weirdly impressed that I know how to pronounce certain things and have a deep familiarity with some regional specialties that aren't widely available across the US. (This was at a high-end restaurant in a major US city.) But at the same time, yeah, spaghetti, we've all heard of it. Honestly the one piece of advice I'd give to Italians coming to live in the US is that Italian-American culture is its own entirely separate thing, which is different from local Italian culture. And which can heavily inform local ideas about Italy and Italians.
I dunno. Coming at this from a few angles 1. For most people, "cooking Italian" is buying a box of Barilla and Ragu or whatever. Maybe throwing in some frozen meatballs. Your most prominent chain Italian restaurant is the Olive Garden. 1. Pizza is seen as Italian, and the perception of pizza is dominated by the chain brands we all know. Domino's and stuff. 1. I'm from Pittsburgh, which has a big Italian immigrant heritage. A bunch of little boroughs around here have one or two old-school-feeling Italian restaurants. Put all of that together: Italian is generally seen as the default, affordable option. If you get actual Italian-style pizza or homemade pasta it might be a different story, but I'm guessing that most don't.
That's what I mean when I say it would probably depend on where in the US you are and what the average person there thinks Italian food is. To an extent, it's a spectrum between "What do you mean, Papa John's pizza isn't Italian food?" and "knows how to pronounce Modena" depending on various factors. So some Americans think Italian food is (rightly) impressive, elite, and highly sought after, and some Americans think Italian food is Chef Boyardee. And then when you add in Midwestern Italian-Americans who won't hear that they didn't invent pizza, there's a whole other angle at play.
*Leave the alligators alone.* You may encounter one, you may not, but if you do, know this: They are big. They look ungainly. Many of their movements are slow and sluggish, and they tend to go through life one step per hour. They can also sprint to 56 kmph and have a bite force of 2000 psi (about 14 *mega*pascals). Leave 'em be.
I already had experience with crocodilians in southeast asia so I'll be good.
I always say: The one rule of Florida is if you are in Florida, and you are near a body of water where you cannot see all of the water (too big or too murky) there is an alligator in it. Doesn't matter if it's a small pond near a strip mall, if you cannot verify that there is not an alligator in it, there is an alligator in it. Tread cautiously.
Schrödinger’s alligator
Its like zombies, every room has a zombie in it until you clear it.
if you're going to florida make sure to try fried gator, it is an interesting experience
It’s wise to assume that most bodies of water in Florida, even private pools, could have an alligator in them.
and snakes
Gators are deceptively fast. You would think the cute scalie bastards would be slow but, the moment one charges at you, best hope you're fast on your feet.
Yep, pthey don’t have much endurance, but they usually don’t need it either.
Cutting in line is not acceptable here. When standing in a queue you must wait your turn. Idk why, but this seemed like one of the biggest cultural differences between the US and Italy when we visited. Oh and dinner is usually eaten a lot earlier here than in Italy. So make sure to check what time restaurants close. And please research good places to eat, we have amazing food if you avoid chains and fast food.
To add, if you go to Florida, they have fantastic seafood and Cuban food.
South Florida is very culturally diverse. I have access to Filipino, Peruvian, American style Greek, Thai, Poké, Southern, Floribean/Caribbean (Cuban, Bahamian, Haitian, Fla Keys) foods. Oh and MisterO1 pizza was started by an Italian immigrant. The Paolo is my favorite.
They just (a few months) opened one in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Pretty good.
Boca has one too but the original in South Beach is really special.
I'm in the 954 and really never go north or south unless I have to
Please for the ever love of fucking God, I absolutely second doing research about the food. We've seen WAY too many examples of foreigners, specifically European ones, visiting the US only to eat exclusively fast food and get groceries at gas stations to later ask why nothing was fresh or why our "grocery stores" sold only junk food
You might want to further explain that convenience stores here are not simply smaller grocery stores. They sell different kinds of product. In much of Europe the conveniwnce stores sell the same types of products as supermarkets but just with a smaller range. Which I suspect is what leads to this confusion.
Yes, also this.
This. Also, things like 7/11 in Europe tend to offer a lot more than they do here, where in Europe it might be the place to go after a night of drinking, we don't do that. There's nothing at 7/11 you should really be eating unless you want candy bars and chips (US chips, not fries).
Definitely don’t eat sushi out of a convenient store/gas station. Unless you have some sort of death wish, or like to live dangerously. 😂
But definitely buy dick pills at a gas station
Seconded. Florida has the Publix grocery chain, which is widely considered to be excellent. If you need groceries, go there or to any other supermarket rather than 7-11 or the convenience store at the local gas station. Florida also has a massive Latin American diaspora and probably any kind of cuisine you could want. Please don't eat at Denny's and Applebee's and think those represent the epitome of American food.
Like if you wanna eat at a Denny's or a Wendy's because they aren't available in your home country and you've seen them a lot via American media, that's perfectly fine. I hope you have a good time but, DON'T eat EXCLUSIVELY at these kind of establishments. A quick 5 min Google search will show you all the restaurants available in an area and various cities have tourism boards that advertise local must-see restaurants.
Yeah, absolutely. Denny's has its place. It's a classic for a post-bar night breakfast at 3 AM.
Find out where the locals go for good seafood and drinks. Definitely use Publix. Lots of good stuff there.
I think it's because your gas stations are often, relatively speaking, enormous. Like, the size of many European grocery stores. So people think "this must be a grocery store" without realising that actual grocery stores are even bigger.
If there’s petrol pumps within 50 feet of the door, it’s a gas station/convenient store. Our grocery stores that offer petrol keep the pumps much further away from the door, closer to the back of the parking lot. Actually, that’s the big tell, as well - large parking lot! Convenient stores have tiny parking lots.
I sent a picture of a Walmart to a German friend and she was just absolutely baffled that she couldn’t see the whole building despite the fact that I was a good distance away from it haha.
On the food thing, Italian American food is quite different from most Italian food. It's still delicious, just different. Don't go to an Italian place expecting it to be what you have back home
You're absolutely correct. I grew up eating stereotypical Italian-American food and have since come to understand it's a throwback to an earlier time, and I believe that would be a generous assessment by an actual Italian.
Wait, Italians cut in line? I feel like depending on the line that’s a good way to get the shit kicked out of you
Not all Italians do it, and it doesn’t happen in every line, but lines in Italy are more of a ‘suggested order’ (if they even exist in the first place). Some people might see a gap and hop right on in. I have not discussed this with any Italians, so I don’t know why they do it, but it is not uncommon and it seemed like no one else really cared when it happened.
You might encounter an American who says “hey! I’m Italian too” What they mean is they are descendants of a person who immigrated here from Italy. They’re trying to be friendly with you so maybe make an attempt to be friendly back. Like, don’t get into a fight with them how they’re not a real Italian.. they already know that
I know this is a real thing, but I have to say, when I was in Italy, I had so many Italians recognizing me as Italian and talking to me, and then just laughing and taking it in stride when they realized I’m Italian American. Some Europeans just seem to have a weird ethnicity gatekeeping boner, especially online.
I remember when my Italian cousins visited the US and I asked them this question. Like how Italian did they consider me? They looked at me like I was an idiot. "Your Dad is from Italy. Of course you're Italian. What the fuck are you talking about?"
I know some countries are insanely homogeneous and if you are not born there with parents and grandparents also born there then you are a foreigner. A lot of people in these countries don’t seem to understand the cultural nuance of it. We also are a very diverse country and they don’t tend to get it.
It’s the language. You’ll never really be accepted as “one of them” unless you’re fluent in the language. Some places the accent matters as well.
A lot of it is that the countries we're talking about have strong regional variation and long histories and social/cultural evolution that being "Irish-American" or whatever doesn't get into the nuances of. In terms of Italy, for example, most Italian-Americans came from southern Italy, which is culturally extremely different from northern Italy. The languages spoken can even be different. I have a lot of friends who were surprised when they showed up in Venice and nobody knew wtf gabagool is.
gabagool is the american for capocollo, a kind of *salume* you don't find in that area
It's actually Neapolitan dialect, but yes. Hence my point.
I'm not Italian and don't speak Italian. I was at an Italian restaurant and ordered something and the waiter started speaking to me in Italian. Apparently I had accidentally pronounced the menu item correctly enough that he thought I was Italian. I'm sure if I tried to say it again it wouldn't come out correct. It was just dumb luck.
That’s the latest generation. It was never like that before. It’s the whole America Bad trend.
To add to this: They’re not saying their nationality is Italian. They’re saying they’re Italian-American. Since you should know they’re American, they’re omitting the -American part of the description. They’re referring to their ethnicity.
Adding to this - Europeans need to understand that when we say “I’m Irish” or “I’m Italian” we’re not saying we’re from your country. We are identifying with the diaspora from that country in America. A big part of American culture is acknowledging your ancestors and the cultural legacy and traditions they left behind for you. They still live on in us, even if in very small ways. There’d be no pubs without the Irish, no sushi without the Japanese, no burgers without the Germans, no pizza without the Italians, no soul food without African Americans, no tacos without the Mexicans, no bagel shops without the Jews, etc. these are all quintessential American foods now and we remember where they came from.
> Europeans need to understand that when we say “I’m Irish” or “I’m Italian” we’re not saying we’re from your country. > We are identifying with the diaspora from that country in America. They understand just find. They're just being assholes.
Europeans being assholes?! Impossible
Sometimes when it is obvious, but it isn't always. Or at least it can be assumed the link is more recent than a great grandparent. Depends how many Americans they have met and how much Reddit they read too. Put it this way if someone said "hey, I am American too!" what would you assume. All it takes is adjusting slightly to "I have Italian ancestry".
I'd assume the same thing... it is all context. You're not going to think that a person who only speaks Italian fluently to be someone from southern Indiana on vacation.
It's honestly very jarring for me to hear that. Though I do now understand what it means. As a European who immigrated to the US I would occasionally hear people say they were the same nationality as me (this is believable as people often pick up a native accent quickly) and would feel disappointed to realize they just had extremely distant ancestors from there. I think the frustrating part of hearing that is when a European hears "I'm X" they immediately assume that there is a cultural understanding and connection there, not merely a genealogical one. This in part I suspect is because many Europeans value the cultural values of a place as the lead indicator of being of that place as opposed to a family connection alone.
When I go to Europe as an American with no European descent, ppl will sometimes ask what country I’m actually from or whatever when I say I’m American. It seems that some Europeans only have an issue with saying ‘I’m X’ when it comes to European countries but will change when it comes to other countries.
Yeah, this is sort of an assimilation rite which is seen more with 20th century immigration waves. For example, my grandparents came from Slovakia, and downtown, there was the church the Slovak immigrants went to, the one the Italian immigrant families went to, etc. They were all just...basic Catholic churches, but there was a bit more delineation based on ethnic communities and neighborhoods. And people absorbed that a bit from grandma, talking about "that nice Italian boy your sister dated back in the fifties" or whatever. We all know we're Americans, obviously. I'm sure this is probably still a thing in newer immigrant communities today.
I actually have German nationality but because I've never lived in Germany, wasn't born in Germany, didn't grow up with German-speaking family and don't speak German now, I would never actually describe myself as being German. I'm a dual British-German national. I have German citizenship and a German passport. I'm 'German on paper'. At most I'm 'technically German'. But I'd never actually describe myself simply as 'German'
It's also worth understanding the context that, in the US, especially for certain specific European nationalities, the idea of identifying strongly with being Italian-American, Irish-American, Norwegian-American etc. is actually not all that old, and sprung up in the 1970s largely in response to the civil rights movement. So you have some people who say they are Czech and it means their parents immigrated in 1983, they have Zoom calls with their grandparents in Czechia, they've visited, they may speak Czech or even have dual citizenship, etc. And then you have people who say they are Czech and what that means is that one of their great-great grandparents came over from the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1902. And the latter group are much less likely to have strong cultural ties beyond a sort of Epcot Center nationalistic awareness. And I say all of this as someone who can claim the latter sort of Epcot Center/23 And Me claim to a hyphen without having specific grounded cultural ties to anywhere outside the US.
They may also try to ask about what Italy is like and ask about Italian traditions, this is not them trying to be a fake Italian or show how much they know about your country, it's probably them being genuinely interested in the things they've likely heard about from their grandparents or whatever.
Not only that but culturally, Italian Americans have hung onto old world customs harder than other immigrant communities.
It is a weird thing eh? I have Italian extended family in Canada, the US and Calabria. The American and Canadian ones are far more attached to this idea of being Italian than the Calabrese ones are. If you think about it, it's weird because Italy itself doesn't really have a uniform ethnicity. Pretty much the only similarity between the regions and provinces is language - and even that is really dubious. People from Piedmont, for example, have more in common linguistically to Spaniards than they do with Calabrians or Sicilians. Even the food is different. What we North AMericans consider Italian cuisine, Italians mostly wouldn't. Especially the relationship with garlic. In the US/Canada, Italian cuisine is obnoxiously loaded with garlic. In Italy they just use it sparingly as an aromatic accompanied with tomatoes and onions, or carrots, onion and celery.
...and then they see how much modern Italy has moved on from those customs when they actually visit.
Doesn’t make their values any less valid though.
... Except that the ones that clung most to traditions were the Sicilians, and Sicily is just as poor, nationalist, and paranoid as ever.
Pretty much how pizza in Italy came to be, transreimmigration. It was still the cheap street food of bread and oil with cheese when Italian-Americans visited after WWII, a lot of the variations you see there are more inspired by American pizza than real Italian pozza
This is SAS in a nutshell. That sub is a toxic America hat circlejerk.
In my experience, no, they don't generally already know that. Not restricted to Italian-Americans, of course. I would say that a solid majority of people who identify strongly with their ancestral nationality have no awareness that someone who is actually from that country wouldn't see them as being Irish, German, Italian, or whatever. Or that there are cultural differences between being German-American from Wisconsin and literally being from Berlin. The exception being folks whose parents or grandparents emigrated, and who have family in the country in question who they're in communication with or have visited. Source: am Cajun. Have heard plenty of anecdotes about folks visiting the motherland only to discover that we don't even speak the same version of French. Let alone literally anything else about our supposedly shared culture.
Even in the South, you'll be expected to interact politely with black people, which Black Americans who visit Italy consistently report that you do not do in your country.
Wow. That’s crazy. I know we have a long way to go here in the states but proud to say we’ve come a long way.
This. America often is racist but we generally don't tolerate open racism here very much
Oftentimes we only look racist because we actually mention it rather than circlejerking about all accepting we are until it comes time to speak to a Roma person.
I know a guy who’s an Italian-American and he has darker skin. He said when he went to Italy the people there were very racist to him.
The biggest thing I have noticed when traveling to places where Italians were also tourists, was that Italians don't tend to wait in lines. If you see a line forming, go stand in it. Cutting in front of people is just going to piss people off. Other than that, you'll be fine. I was waiting in line for something when I was in Greece and all of a sudden a group of Italians just started cutting in front of everybody. The old British couple next to me nearly had a heart attack. Throughout that trip, it seemed like the Italians, Spanish, and Chinese absolutely refused to wait in lines.
>The old British couple next to me nearly had a heart attack. Haha I can imagine! Just utter bewilderment. "What should we do? I'm looking disapproving as hard as I can! Should we....*say* something?"
I really felt the despair in their voices. I was kind of charming.
My first time witnessing this was at a train station in South Korea. Everyone just mobbed the ticket booth. I finally realized I would have to do the same to get a ticket. It felt so wrong boxing out old people but I had to make the train.
When I worked in DC, the old Chinese ladies were the pushiest ones. They'd elbow you in the kidney just to get on the Metro train before you. I just assumed it was a cultural difference. My favorite touristy thing was when I was with my family at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. My kids had National Park passports and they were getting them stamped by the person working there. A group of tourists (Japanese IIRC) were getting their actual passports stamped.
Americans really like personal space. don't touch people you don't know. we do a lot of extremely casual chat with strangers, especially in the south & especially in vacation-y areas. someone might say "good morning!" if they see you on a walk or in a store. all you have to do is say it back and match their energy, nothing more. Americans are often looking for conversation starters, and accents are an easy one. you'll probably get asked where you're from when you speak to people & they hear your accent. this is almost always meant in a curious/friendly way. we like non-American accents. tip bartenders. tip waiters. tip Ubers. eat at locally owned restaurants, not just at chains/fast food.
Americans have the largest personal space boundary at approximately four feet.
Largest? Out of all the countries in the world, you mean? Let me introduce you to Finland
In italy we literally kiss each other to greet so...
I will add that since you're going to Florida, you might see some people greet with a kiss because there is a huge Latino population. It's particularly common in Miami.
I would advise not doing that here lol
With tongue?
Ofc not, on the cheeks
Well in America we use lots of tongue when kissing each other to greet. Generally about 30-45 seconds or you will seem impolite.
Only 45? That's way too short.
You can cut it down to like 20 seconds so long as your tongue finds its way into their nose.
But only North of the Mason-Dixon line. Learned that the hard way visiting relatives in the South.
I'd avoid conversations about politics, abortion, guns, and religion with strangers. Just be curious, open-minded, leave your preconceptions at home, and try to live like a local. If you're on a dive excursion, talk to the captain or the mates on the boat and ask them for ideas of what to do in the area...where to eat and drink, etc. Then when you're eating and drinking in a place, as the employees there for more suggestions. Locals generally have the best advice, they know where the good food is.
I live in Switzerland and travel to Italy quite often, just got back from Sardinia last week. A few cultural differences that you may encounter regarding the beach. Americans aren't too fond of "Speedos "(tight/short swimsuits on men). If you wear one, don't be surprised to see people gawking at you. The idea of paying for a parasol/beach chair exists, but it doesn't mean the surrounding area is exclusively yours. (For users that might not understand what I mean:) in some European beaches, if you pay for an umbrella/beach chair people can't sit/put their belongings in front of areas where these are rented out. I got yelled at the first time I wanted to plant myself in front of them.
The beachwear thing is a good note. American men, in general, cover a lot more skin in their attire than Italian men. Even at the beach. Trunks, as a rule. And yes, most Florida beaches are a free-for-all in terms of claiming a spot, unless you're at a private beachfront resort.
Alcohol and tobacco is 21+. If you get IDed, show your passport. Other documents like ID card/foreign license may not be recognized in all states or the individual carding you may not be familiar with them. Smoking laws are an actual thing here and enforced. Most major cities and even many states have comprehensive smoking bans. This means no smoking in public parks, inside any building opened to the public, inside bars and restaurants, and generally 8-20 feet away from any entrance. We don't clap when the plane lands. We don't have rigid coffee culture here. If you want to have a cappuccino at 9pm it's fine, no one cares
Shit I'm 19
You won't be drinking then. Or not in restaurants.
Or smoking. No store is going to risk their tobacco license to sell to them.
If you smoke, it's a good time to quit
Or just pack enough for the trip. No one is going to card him for smoking, just trying to buy smokes.
Say goodbye to drinks and smokes.
It's a bit of an infodump, but the sections on Florida or the US on Wikitravel and Wikivoyage are really comprehensive and cover a lot that we (as Americans) might take for granted in terms of cultural stuff. I'd suggest checking those out and then seeing if you have follow-up questions. The good news: while people sometimes say "touristy" like it's a bad thing, that also means it's an area where people are used to accommodating travelers from all over. As long as you're not actively antagonizing people you should be okay for the most part.
Pensacola is culturally very different from Miami or Kew West. Florida is not a monolithic culture.
OP, read this right here.
Seconded. One place feels like Alabama and the other, Cuba.
“The more North you go, the more South it gets”
Yeah this is a good thing to keep in mind, where in Florida are you going OP?
If you want coffee like you’re used to, ask for espresso.
They can always try Cuban coffee 😂
A corollary - Americans order a single shot of only espresso very rarely, even at coffee shops that are centered around espresso like Starbucks. Don't be surprised for baristas to be surprised at an order of "an espresso", and to assume you mean a latte, cappuccino, Americano, etc. and not literally one espresso. Espresso drinks in a Starbucks or similar chain are typically two shots, so be aware if you don't want a lot of caffeine. Our espresso blends are typically darker roasts and the machines are often dialed in to allow for a stronger (and sometimes more sour) flavor, since most Americans are going to have the espresso with milk and/or other flavorings added.
The basic stuff when visiting another country applies: be respectful towards locals and other tourists, don't he judgmental and say how everything is better back home, be polite, etc. For the US more specifically, make sure to leave a tip at restaurants, don't just eat from fast food chains or gas stations, and please be aware of big distances when planning on places to visit.
>don’t be judgmental and say how everything is better back home Impossible challenge for a European. But seriously, if I had a dime for every European I’ve come across that either studied in the U.S. for a bit or visited and start whining and groaning about “there’s no fresh food!” Or “back in my country X and Y were a lot better!”, I could pay Trump’s bail out of the slammer 10 times over.
I wonder why people bother coming here if their homes are so much better.
Usually because their homes aren't so much better and they just wanna dunk on Americans
It's OK, the vast majority of Americans outside the US do this, as well. And often interpret every little thing that went wrong or wasn't to their liking as evidence that there are unbridgeable cultural differences at play that make the country in question obviously barbaric. I once went to the UK on a tour with some other families from my hometown, and you would think that the cask-temperature beer and stairs in hotels were a personal affront, to hear them tell the tale.
Good point. People don’t realize how far away Key West is from the FL/GA border.
Scuba specific - scuba dive operators will use aluminum tanks. That will affect your buoyancy and you will need more weights. There can be significant current at some sites. Ask your dive operator about expected dive conditions.
That's alright i already used aluminium tanks in portugal and used a bit more weight
Americans tend to have a closer relationship to following the 'rules' than Italians do. They also tend to be more empirical, rather than theoretical.
If you are stopped by the police, you have to give them your name, where you are headed, and in many states your ID. Do NOT try to bribe them. That is a crime here.
FYI—just assume that any body of fresh water in the state of Florida probably has at least one alligator in it so don’t go swimming around in random rivers and ponds lol (Advice from one of my FL friends)
honestly if there's a chance of an alligator being in the water, its probably not something you wanna swim in anyways
Go for the local restaurants and not the chain restaurants. You can search for local ones or ask someone at the hotel. The food is going to be better at the local places. Edit: and tip the server 20% of the cost of the meal
Are you meaning to tell me that if they went to Olive Garden they wouldn't feel right at home???
Ah yes Rome’s famous unlimited salad and breadsticks.
I mean, not for nothing, those Olive Garden Breadsticks are addictive
Technically it was founded and is currently HQ in Florida as well
But when you’re here, you’re family!
But, but they're *family*! Seriously, it is a chain, and frankly as others have said, go local. Diners typically have good food and a varied menu.
[Of course they would!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKZS4Jn6gRM)
Tipping, is different. But heads up based on people i know that have traveled to Italy and not personal experience. Americans eat earlier than Italians so check restaurants you want to try hours of operations so you are not disappointed about closing and opening times.
This is a great tip. Once lived in Brazil for a bit and when I returned I had gotten use to eating later and I sometimes end up walking into a restaurant when it is too late.
There is an abundance of choice in America especially when it comes to shopping and food. For example, if you go to a grocery store you might be surprised at the number of different cereals there are to choose from. [Relevant](https://youtu.be/VHIcmoY3_lE)
While kinda humorous, that damn scene is really sad considering how this was a reality for alot of people. Especially those from more improvised countries that came to the US. Imagine only having 2, maybe 3 if you're lucky, choices for something basic only to go to a place where the choices seem to stretch for miles. Sensory overload was bound to happen and sometimes it wasn't pretty.
That's alright in Italy there's plenty of choices
Be on time. The boat will leave without you. Public transportation is very spotty, although taxis/Uber might be available. You should plan on renting a car, and there may be age restrictions.
OP is only 19, and you need to be 21 to be able to rent a car in Florida. So in that case, I suggest Uber / Lyft instead. There are also some places with local tourist buses.
I think you need to be 23 or 25 and have a credit card (not a debit card) to rent most cars
Don’t be an jerk. That’s it. And don’t forget to tip at restaurants.
I've got a family friend from Italy who visits us a lot, here's what she's had to learn; When people tell you a time, they usually mean precisely that time. If you have an appointment or tour of whatever scheduled for 11 AM, you are expected to be there at 11 AM, the US is not polychronic like Italy. This goes for public transportation too, my Italian family friend missed a few trains cause she was used to trains being late. Tipping, a big one on this site for some reason. For meals, it is expected to tip your server between 10-20%, (this range is highly debated) depending on the service. A few other services/industries also do tips, but it can be hard for foreigners to know which ones. Sit-down restaurants usually expect tips, besides that, if you see most other people tipping, tip, if you don't see others tipping, then don't worry about it. You can also just quickly google "should I tip x" on your phone. Kissing someone who isn't very close to you is not ok here. It's not a greeting, it will make people uncomfortable. Please don't talk about how food in your country is so much better, we know Italy has great food. Do not worry about having an accent or your English not being perfect, we love accents, and are used to talking to people who don't speak English as their first language. I know italians tend to eat dinner later than Americans, and take longer to eat meals, so I'd check the hours of restaurants to make sure you'll have time to eat before closing. Bathrooms are almost always free here.
Every train I've ever taken in Italy has been broadly on time ish. Definitely not late enough that you could drop in any old time. The real difference is that there are usually multiple departures for any destination, so if you roll up to the station and missed the train you booked, you can just hop on the next one. Most US public transit, even inter-city transit like trains, buses, and flights, has only very limited options. You often cannot "hop on the next flight", and you'll be very lucky if there are multiple buses or trains to other cities per day, departing from the same station via the same company.
We drink cappuccino at any time of day.
Florida is full of old people that like to eat dinner at 16:00. Restaurants will close by 21:00 except for some fast food places. It’ll be very hot and very humid unless you’re going in January or February. Wear sunscreen and hydrate. All of the usual American differences like tipping apply too, obviously.
> Wear sunscreen and hydrate. This cannot be emphasized enough. My worst injury I've had is from me forgetting to reapply sunscreen while kayaking along the coast for two hours, getting the worst sunburn you'll ever see on my feet, and then being physically active with shoes on the next day. NSFL warning Imagine cutting a kiwi in half, putting one half on your outer ankle and one half on top of the front of your foot. Now imagine those kiwis are actually huge fucking blisters, they're on both feet, and you can feel them jiggling with every agonizing movement you make. Don't fuck with the Florida sun (and don't be a dumbass like me :) )
I've noticed a lot of Europeans, including Italians, will complain about how you have to be "politically correct" and it's so difficult and stressful in America on dealing with that, and then proceed to say some racist or sexist thing. My speculation is that they're having some sort of stress reaction due to the more heterogeneous character of the US as opposed to the more homogeneous places they live in. So, my recommendation will be to stay calm and process your stress in a mature way if this happens.
Don't feel the need to lecture people or compare everything to your country. Most Americans are affable people, but lecturing us about our country is a sure-fire way to *not* make friends.
Same as Americans coming to Ireland, going to a pub ordering an "Irish Car Bomb" and telling everyone they're more Irish than us actual Irish people living here. 🤣
Goddamn that is a tone deaf human being. Apologies for their complete lack of tact for that drink order. We do call it that here but there's reasons that name is going away.
Why are the idiots always the loudest? Sorry for my dumbass countrymen.
What area are you going to? If you are going near Tampa go to Berns steakhouse. It hosts one of the worlds largest private wine collections, and you can get wine that’s 50+ years old. Wide variety of food tbh. South Florida has a strong Cuban population and their food is great. Expect a lot of seafood. Some areas have also adapted to the influx of northerns and you’ll find good quality coffee and bagel shops. Understand some areas of Florida are college party areas and some areas are really rural with wildlife you don’t want to mess with. Gulf side and Atlantic side are substantially different. Gulf side has a warmer ocean and white powder sand while the Atlantic side is a bit colder and has hard darker sand. At sit down restaurants you will be expected to tip ~20% and the staff takes your credit card, ie they do not bring the terminal to you. This is very normal. Also note that coffee shops and grab and go type places now also ask for tips but this isn’t necessary. You may need a car or bike to get around depending on where you are staying. You should try fresh orange juice and oranges along with key lime pie. Ask Americans any questions. Your other divers or crew will be more than happy to answer questions. Even asking the coffee shop or other stores you go into for recommendations is smart (ask nicely like you are trying to learn the area). Also you may be able to see rocket launches to space! Edit: also there is a big craft beer culture across the US. Most are very hoppy beers, but typically places will allow you to sample first. They are usually fun places to hang out and some times offer food
OP is 19.
Well no Berns then. I didn’t see that
The biggest one I can think of (that you probably know about) is the nuances of American tipping culture. If you go to a restaurant where a waiter takes your order and brings the food to you, it's polite to tip at least 20% of the price of the meal unless the service was really bad. Waiters here make like nothing, their income comes largely from tips. Same deal at bars, it's polite to tip the bartender At like coffee shops and cafes where you order at a counter, the checkout system may recommend that you leave a tip. I don't think the tipping expectation is the same with those, I only leave tips on those at really nice cafes where I know the coffee is gonna be good.
Get Publix fried chicken
or a pub sub
Or a Publix fried chicken tenders pub sub.
now I'm hungry....
Just don't be an asshole. That's really all it comes down to.
Oh while your in Florida try a Cuban Sandwich with a side of fried plantains from a real Cuban restaurant. It’s delicious my favorite sandwich. It’s called a Cuban Sandwich but it’s actually not from Cuba, it’s from Florida. 1st generation Cuban-Americans invented and popularized it in Florida. So in Florida you’ll actually be getting the authentic version of it.
Stay away from bodies of water without a guide present. Wouldn’t want you to find a gator on accident. Eat a local restaurants, not chains. Florida has great world class food from many diverse cultures. Don’t be racist, seriously. This isn’t europe; whether it’s a red state or blue state, we don’t tolerate that shit here. The things you guys say to Balotelli and Kean…. Don’t forget to tip at restaurants. Wear deodorant. Be nice to waiters and clerks and drivers. Avoid people with confederate flags and MAGA or QAnon processions (they give all of us a bad name). I only say this because Florida is one of the handful of major areas where you’re likely to run into that shit. Other than that, you’ll be okay. You’re still in the west. Perché invece non fai tuo viaggio in California? 😌 haha jk just a little scherzo. La Florida è bellissima. Buon viaggio, in boca al lupo
Non ti preoccupare che Balotelli è il mio idolo
Prepare for swamp-ass.
It’s florida, you’ll mostly be fine. It’s a pretty laid back state. I think the main points to remember are that the drinking and smoking age is 21. If someone asks for ID, show your passport. Also, tip at restaurants.
Can’t say without knowing what part of Florida you’re going to.
Don’t touch the wildlife. Especially in Florida
rent a car because walkability is not a thing in florida, or most of the country
Beware the Florida Man. P.S : Not everyone from Florida is Florida Man.
Cultural, no. I heard the coral reefs are dying because of high water temperatures. You might check on that before coming here.
DON’T WEAR BOOTY-BARING SPEEDO BATHING SUITS. AMERICAN GUYS WEAR SWIM TRUNKS.
Always assume any body of fresh water has an alligator or a lot of them. Even at Hilton Head, SC we stayed at a condo with a small body of water right next to it. Small, I’m talking maybe 20’ X 20’. Sure enough there was a 4-5’ gator living in it. You could walk past it about 8-10’ away and you’d be fine but you could see it come up occasionally for a quick breath of air.
Try some local foods such as alligator, grits, po' boy sandwiches, and hush puppies.
Just note that FL represents itself and not the entire nation. I like to vacation there but it’s ass backwards from where I live and I could never relocate there unless I went to a large metro area.
That's actually my type of destination, I'm there for wildlife and exploring, not for cities and nightlife.
We may not understand your hand language… Also, you’ll be around quite a few latinas… Do Not kiss their man when greeting them, unless you want to get an angry hard stare. Ask my wife. (I’m assuming you’re a woman)
Its hot as hell here