Living La Dolce Vita in Texas – Part 2, Counting in Italian

It’s Monday and rainy so I promised myself I’d do a little work out at home with free weights this morning. As I picked up two 10-pounders for the first exercise and raised my arms over my head, I immediately started counting in Italian. Ever since I lived in Italy and started learning the language I counted my reps in Italian. It is such an ingrained part of how I work out now I don’t even think about it. Maybe that’s what it is like to become fluent. You don’t have to use much brain power anymore; the circuits are already open and the synapses are firing. This is just one small way living in Italy has stayed with me. 

When my baby came a week early, and my mom and husband had to restock groceries while I was still in the hospital, my mom had my pre-made list in hand when they got to the store. That’s when she realized I had written it in Italian. Cipolli, latte, pane, pollo — onions, milk, bread, chicken. Fortunately, John was right there with her so he could translate. We’d already been back in country for nearly two years, but compiling a grocery list in Italian was something I did in Italy and just kept doing after repatriating. 

I loved it when we were with extended family at an Italian restaurant in Austin a few years ago, and my sister-in-law looking over the menu asked, “What’s pomodori?” “Tomatoes,” I responded without delay. Being somewhat bilingual felt empowering. 

So as much as I struggled with learning Italian, some words have stuck. When prepping for our first trip back to Rome this summer (after 15 years) I tossed an English/Italian dictionary in my suitcase. I never used it the entire two weeks. We were able to manage quite well, reading signs and putting together enough phrases to make ourselves understood. It felt so good! 

Of course, many of the areas we visited had Italians that could also speak English very well so I shouldn’t pat myself on the back too much. But even when they spoke to us in English, we tried to speak to them in Italian. They loved that! It’s being considerate of their country and culture and the effort was always appreciated. It’s a good idea to at least try to speak the language wherever you’re traveling. Make an effort, you won’t be sorry, and you might be surprised how much better your trip will be.