It’s been six months since we moved to Italy. I’ve been collecting different thoughts and thought I’d share some of them. Disclaimer: This is what we’re seeing in our nice neighborhood in Rome. Our private experiences. YMMV.

1. Italian kisses-on-the-cheeks have a specific order
2. Kids tend to eat lots of sweets in their food boxes for school
3. You cannot send home-prepared foods to school
4. In group dinners, kids tend to sit at a table on their own, even those very young
5. At dinners, couples are split, with men on one side and women on the other
6. All supermarkets have things like catalogs and stamp collections, like the days of yore
7. You need to pre-weigh fruits and vegetables yourself at the supermarket
8. At school, they write a lot by hand. My kids have finished several notebooks in a few months
9. Many tests in school are oral, making kids get used to reasoning on the fly and out loud, in front of others
10. You raise someone’s windshield wipers to indicate they parked like jerks
11. Italians can be the nicest people, but they lose it once they start driving
12. So many people take their work seriously here, in a good way
13. They also take time off very seriously
14. Many people, for some reason, mistake Hebrew for French
15. There are so many different newspapers available, and the Settimana Engimistica is a fun one
16. Learning a language is a challenge, but also extremely fun
17. Everyone here is incredibly nice and welcoming, and we’re still surprised by it daily
18. As a foreigner, some things make you feel incredibly lucky, like the teachers who go out of their way to help, or the local businesses that start greeting you and make you feel at home
19. There are actual seasons here!
20. I love making people laugh, and whenever I make that happen in italian i feel like it’s a total win
21. Birthday parties here aren’t a hassle; many parents choose to come together and enjoy the nice food, drinks, and company
22. The formal register is sometimes very odd for those not used to it
23. Italian bureaucracy boggles the mind, like the special site with a dedicated form that takes you hours to fill, only to realize weeks later no one got it, and you have to physically go somewhere
24. … or the clerk who put the stamp back in its box after using it, even though he had to sign six documents in two minutes
25. Strikes are very common here, ATAC sure likes their Friday strikes
26. There are “hidden” kosher spots: they don’t write it on the outside, but IYKYK
27. Every Jewish gathering we’ve been to, be it on holidays or just at the temple on Saturdays, has soldiers outside
28. You have to cut your own pizza, but many places don’t give you good knives
29. Kids play lots of “old school” games in real life
30. You can move to a country and barely speak its language after many years, and you can be conversational within a few months. The choice is yours
31. Italian newspapers and TV news reports all have more spice in their writing
32. You can just wear a jacket and tie, and no one bats an eye. If you’re sartorially inclined, that’s a nice thing
33. Having 3 kids in Italy is quite rare; people will call you a “big family,” and many attractions stop their special offers at 2 adults + 2 kids
34. People remember us, even those who only saw us once months ago
35. It’s not trivial to find movies and shows not dubbed
36. Italians speak with their hands, and it starts very young
37. There are so many kinds of anything, I can spend five minutes trying to choose which taralli to get at the supermarket
38. Metro is pretty great, buses are good—when they arrive
39. Most things are cheaper here, from food to massages
40. Italians take their history so seriously that they have 8 different tenses for the past
41. On school trips with stayovers, kids don’t take phones and don’t talk with the family at all
42. Cucumbers and bell peppers are different here
43. We’ve spotted Italians getting capuccino after 12 pm, don’t believe social media
44. At every turn, there’s something beautiful or a monument that’s very old
45. For some reason, you can find Matzot all year round in Italian supermarkets. Turns out some just eat it for fun (pane azzimo)
46. Boys and girls seem to play together a lot more
47. “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Wheel of Fortune” are still ongoing… and share a host!
48. I can speak extra broken Italian with a (fake) American accent to get away with things when I make a mistake
49. I love getting compliments about my Italian
50. It’s hard not to eat well, healthy products are often cheaper
51. Clothes dryers are rare
52. My best move against bureaucracy is to try to out-prep them: I come with all possible forms already filled and photocopies of everything
53. My second-best move is to go to those meetings with a suit and tie. I may not speak the language well, but I at least make a good impression
54. Italians often talk about the impression they make, be it la bella figura or la figuraccia
55. Many Italians walk around thinking Italy is quite a bad place
56. If you’re here, challenge yourself to try different foods and dishes. It’s endless, and most are amazing
57. We try to live in “explore mode”: take new turns rather than use the same streets, try to “tick off” more metro stops over time
58. Being Jewish is very different here than what we’re used to
59. I always wondered how my kids picked up on so many details in life. Now we have the same happening to us when we have a hard time speaking and understanding the conversation: the mind focuses on other things
60. People greet each other a lot, even strangers, which is nice
61. Italians greet so much that they have lots of greetings! May the rest of your day be good, good work, good learning, and more
62. Language is not just grammar, but very much culture as well
63. Teachers here are addressed with their title (Maestro/a in elementary, Prof. afterwards), and kids after primary school address them with Lei (formal register)
64. School seems genuinely more fun. Lots of activities, lots of experiments, and children are very inclusive
65. Somehow, we get lucky a lot (choosing a good school, finding an amazing apartment, etc.)
66. Italians take some superstitions very seriously, like kids literally being blocked from leaving the pool area before they have dried their hair after swim class
67. We’ve yet to try the bidets in the apartment. Perhaps one day.
68. There are at least three different types of wall sockets
69. School is a lot more serious as well (that doesn’t contradict it being fun, though)
70. Recycling feels like a part-time job
71. Italians really like fireworks. On New Year’s Eve, it felt like they were going on for an hour straight
72. They take holiday decorations very seriously. Many stores bring professionals to hang beautiful things
73. ChatGPT is a lifesaver. I have no idea how people managed to change countries previously.
74. I sometimes say that not being able to speak fluently in Italian, as people who are relatively articulate, feels like wearing gloves on your tongue. If you get me
75. Having a moka pot and just brewing some coffee whenever someone’s visiting is a must
76. Classes in schools here are much smaller than we’re used to, often 20 or fewer
77. For some reason, Italian bureaucracy can sometimes require fancy, expensive stamp-stickers
78. There are different types of bills and payments, each requiring a different procedure
79. Gas stations can hang an “out of gas” sign at 8 am. There’s definitely less rush to make money
80. Kids get cell phones at an older age
81. You will be asked to sign something at least once a week
82. Cornetto is a great way to start the day, who knew
83. The laptop-in-coffee-shop thing is quite rare
84. The average Italian seems to understand much more about things like food, wine, clothing, etc.
85. Lots of traditions that feel like they’re encoded in the city, like certain decorations popping up on the same day, people taking out their down jackets on the same week, etc.
86. God are there are a lot of different Italian accents that make it even more of a challenge to learn the language
87. There’s a lot of graffiti and stickers, and those definitely aren’t making the beautiful Roman streets look better
88. They love their pets; there are so many, all extremely well equipped, and pet stores all over
89. Unfortunately, also lots of dog poo
90. Fixing my “erre moscia” (not having the Italian trilled R) isn’t easy
91. Policemen take their shifts at crosswalks outside schools very seriously. Whistles are used nonstop
92. The simplest food can also be the best. As people who tried lots of Michelin-starred places, it feels needless here
93. We’ve been listening to Italian music for a few years before the move. Definitely helps give you a little boost when everyone else is singing
94. All my friends think we eat pasta every day. Nope! Sometimes there’s also some risotto.
95. Quite hard to come across a bad espresso here. Cappuccinos aren’t as foolproof, but also good in most places
96. Italians speaking with hand gestures are very useful as you’re learning the language
97. They really do talk a lot about food and their next vacations
98. All the written math problems the kids get seem almost satirical Italian (e.g., the nonna making pasta for the whole family)
99. There are words you’ll never come across in books or Italian lessons
100. In contrast to the morning snack boxes that are sugar-packed, the mensa has lots of healthy food
101. Kids learn to eat lunch in courses
102. The mensa sends us the menu for every month. It changes daily and doesn’t repeat every day, and changes according to seasonality and holidays
103. We’ve had several Italian teachers, each is different and has a unique approach. Keep trying till you find the one that fits
104. The Italian of newspapers and school/city hall emails is a different language
105. Double parking, double parking everywhere
106. I didn’t know Italy’s biscuit and cookie game was this strong
107. Kids learn three languages starting from first or second grade
108. The Italian language has too many ways to express opinions and uncertainty, I guess because Italian will tell you their opinion!
109. Ads for apartments for rent online are useless, no one answers those emails. You must call.
110. At least in our area, there are lots of charities, blood donations, and more
111. It takes very little time to start resenting tourists, just like you were a bit ago
112. Very odd to have to walk next to the Colosseum or the Spanish Steps on your way to run errands or meet someone
113. The building’s staircase always smells of some nice food someone’s making
114. Gelato isn’t limited to the summer
115. Italians have lots of card and board games, and they’re fun
116. For some reason, Italians give their kids long names and then never use them, shortening them all
117. Sparkling water is a lot less sparkling here
118. Pizza isn’t necessarily trash food
119. Many Romans are surprised that people freely choose to move here from abroad
120. Most accountants I’ve spoken to seemed bummed for me that my business exceeded the country’s “small business” threshold. First time I’ve seen an accountant who’s against the client making more money.
121. It’s true that seeing obese people is rare
122. Businesses close for a month during the summer, which to me feels insane
123. Lots of parks all over the place. All the green zones in Rome are bigger than Central Park and are split all over the city
124. Italians would buy almost anything you post on Vinted
125. People appreciate us learning Italian. We’ve literally had people applaud us several times.
126. It still feels like a win to get an “oddio” or make people laugh in Italian
127. Napkins here are shit
128. The “piano piano” way of life—take it slowly
129. In many stores and supermarkets, there’s really poor cell reception
130. Walkable neighborhoods are amazing
131. For kids, there are puns (or “dad jokes”) all over the place, with lots of very popular books
132. McDonalds happy meals have a parmigiano snack
133. Teachers don’t let kids go till they’ve seen the parent taking them, even at the end of elementary school
134. It’s a very fun change to have books and movies set in places you know and just know
135. Senior people here seem to be healthier and more independent
136. There are too many types of cops
137. People from back home expect tourist information sort of help
138. At many restaurants, you can ask for half-portions of pasta. Great for kids, but also if you want to try lots of different dishes
139. Oh, Italy’s pastry game is also strong! We keep finding new dolci
140. Not being used to being such a small minority, it’s a big shift and there’s a very unique thrill every time we come across other jews
141. There are endless good snacks for your aperitivo
142. Each expat you meet who’s been here for years gives you motivation and hope
143. Raffles and luck games are popular here
144. Italians love their suits and there are stores every few meters, but in truth, many of them are of poor quality with synthetic materials
145. Heating is a whole thing, gets turned on at different dates in different regions. You’ll love your caldaia
146. As opposed to most things being cheaper here, weirdly Coca-Cola and wet wipes are a lot more expensive
147. Regular supermarkets have a lot of wine, and even good wine, but you’ll rarely see anything not local
148. Most times, you don’t pay the restaurant/coffee bill at the table
149. Some synagogues are essentially hidden with no external sign. A bit like a Harry Potter place protected by magic, only those in on the secret know
150. Many Italians have poor English, even in the city centers. We ordered “pancake” (that’s the word they use), but when my kid asked for “maple syrup,” they didn’t understand what it was, even in that context. Had to translate.
151. Kids are busy here. Finish school late, often go straight from there to their extra activities, and get home late to rush through homework.
152. Kids drink sparkling water! I’m used to people only opening up to it around their late 30’s.
153. Many coffee shops turn into nice bars and aperitivo spots come the afternoon
154. You think you’re making decent progress with your Italian? Nice, now say hi to my little friend Romanesco
155. School trips? Week-long ski trip, going to prepare olive oil, visiting the Italian parliament? I’m jealous of my kids
156. Construction workers start working around 8-9 am, even on Saturdays.
157. We were already hyped about the lower costs of groceries then found out our local supermarket has 10% off every evening. And 20% days every couple of weeks. Oh, and extra cashback.
158. Don’t smoke? You’ll still end up at the tabaccheria often to buy the special bureaucracy stamps, pay bills, send and pick up packages, and more
159. Conductors and inspectors have told us several times to stop paying for my daughter’s rides, even though she’s required to
160. Buy new in a place is an amazing mental exercise in seeing things in a different way. It’s also extremely taxing
161. Learning a language requires using many different tactics (speaking, listening to the radio, watching films, watching the news, reading books, reading social media posts, podcasts, and more)
162. There are endless little cues of behavior we’re entirely unaware of that immediately tell others we’re not locals
163. Service people actually want to help. I’m always reluctant to hassle them and they’re almost always fired up to go
164. Simple medicines (like Ibuprofen) are a lot more expensive here, which is probably why there’s a pharmacy every 5 steps
165. Lots of little mom and pop shops that aren’t part of any chain. It’s charming, yet we keep wondering how these businesses make ends meet
166. Turns out our kids love the Nasoni and the other public water fountains all over the city
167. At school, they learn music, but also the history of music, art but also the history of art, all combined with the same teachers in a way that makes the subjects a lot deeper
168. The school tablet is essentially for show—virtually no one uses it, rather than the physical books
169. We feared the winter, but it’s not that bad, really. Doesn’t even rain all that much
170. You need to learn to respect the pauses here, or you’ll feel like you’re going nuts
171. You don’t eat on the go. You don’t drink on the go.
172. There seem to be more workers everywhere (e.g., three people doing what I’m used to being done by 1-2)
173. Dinners, even at home, will always have some sort of dessert at the end
174. Pizza only goes with beer
175. Amazon support is a lot nicer when you pick the Italian chat as opposed to the English one
176. Many Italians, children and adults, are really interested in how Hebrew sounds and learning some words
177. Not a lot of good playing grounds at open parks, and those are practically never shaded
178. Lots of group projects at school, for most materials, making the kids learn to collaborate and divide work with everyone and not just their friends
179. There’s a lot of verbal “lore” about Rome that you’ll hear repeated from everyone here
180. Operating a business here seems to be an order of magnitude more cumbersome than I’m used to