THE SHOWER CONQUEST
Living La Dolce Vita 3 weeks
After more than three weeks in my new home, I would say that I am adapting quite well. I’ve cooked several yummy meals in my kitchen, figured out how to work my foreign washing machine, shopped for necessary household items and purchased a cell phone. The only thing I haven’t quite mastered is showering without leaving a shallow lake on my bathroom floor.
As you can see in the picture below, there is no shower curtain in the bathroom – just a tub and a shower nozzle. This is typical in Italy and most of Europe (that I’ve seen anyway). It feels strange to splash water everywhere, but it’s hard not to when you have more than a foot of hair to wash! After a few days of guilt over leaving a small lake in the bathroom, I bought a mop. Apparently that is what Italians do in this situation, though my Italian roommates don’t seem to have such difficulty!! I guess the European shower can be conquered. This gives me hope.
As I navigate this strange, but beautiful country I am realizing that there are many things that I already love about being here and also a few things that I really miss about my motherland.
What I love:
-Cheap and delicious wine - we’re talking average 4 euros for a really amazing bottle of wine
-Tomatoes (pomodori) – I can’t get enough of them!
-Having a balcony
-Gelato! I am so spoiled, I don’t know if I can ever eat American ice cream again.
-Breezes, even on the most humid days
-The constant learning curve – whether it be in language, cooking or crossing the street
What I miss:
-Having a clothes dryer – though my clothes dry in a fresh breeze on the balcony, they still dry quite crispy! Hopefully the iron I bought today will help a bit??
-A proper shower – I think I’ve vented my frustrations enough on this subject
-Monthly cell phone plans – having a cell phone is ridiculously expensive in Italy. I won’t bore you with the details, but trust me when I say that I miss paying a monthly fee and having a million minutes and being able to send as many texts as I want.
-Orbit gum – sounds random, but Italian gum SUCKS!! (Anyone planning to visit, please bring me lots of Orbit!!)
-Internet connection at home. The wait list is 6 months to get internet connection. I'm not kidding.
-Confidence when I’m speaking, cooking or crossing the street (see learning curve above)
What I love:
-Cheap and delicious wine - we’re talking average 4 euros for a really amazing bottle of wine
-Tomatoes (pomodori) – I can’t get enough of them!
-Having a balcony
-Gelato! I am so spoiled, I don’t know if I can ever eat American ice cream again.
-Breezes, even on the most humid days
-The constant learning curve – whether it be in language, cooking or crossing the street
What I miss:
-Having a clothes dryer – though my clothes dry in a fresh breeze on the balcony, they still dry quite crispy! Hopefully the iron I bought today will help a bit??
-A proper shower – I think I’ve vented my frustrations enough on this subject
-Monthly cell phone plans – having a cell phone is ridiculously expensive in Italy. I won’t bore you with the details, but trust me when I say that I miss paying a monthly fee and having a million minutes and being able to send as many texts as I want.
-Orbit gum – sounds random, but Italian gum SUCKS!! (Anyone planning to visit, please bring me lots of Orbit!!)
-Internet connection at home. The wait list is 6 months to get internet connection. I'm not kidding.
-Confidence when I’m speaking, cooking or crossing the street (see learning curve above)
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