The Small Town Italian Lifestyle Pt.1
It’s 6:35 am on a Saturday, the sun has risen up through the mountains, the air smells of burning wood and the only question one asks is where do I go for my espresso & cornetto. This is how nearly every morning begins when my family spends time at our family home in Calabria.
I believe the small town italian lifestyle is one of the most important experiences of my life for a few reasons. Instant gratification is almost nonexistent and that’s a good thing, community is everything and It may not be perfect but it's ours.
When walking around this small Italian town in the morning hours, there is a 100% chance that on your way to the store or even just taking a walk, you will be stopped by a friend of the family who just wants to talk. Being social while also disregarding time is truly a way of life. Let’s fast forward a few hours to around lunch time. Unlike in America, where we have an hour or less to grab lunch, the idea “lunch” is very different. In Italy siesta is known as riposo. Shops are closed midday for four hours or so, that way Italians get to go home, rest, and be with family. Riposo to Italians means enjoying a home cooked meal and spending time with family.
Some of you may be wondering what all is included in a typical meal in the afternoon. We will get into that and much more in pt.2.
Though I haven’t had the opportunity to visit in a few years, there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think of this small southern Italian town that has shaped the way I view the world. The experiences I have had and the memories I have made will be something I think about until the day I die. No matter how many years go by between visits, it will always be a sacred and special place to me. A place lost in time, where the problems in your life seem to not matter as much anymore. It has shown me that simple truly is better. It's not simplicity for simplicity's sake, it's simple because that's the way it is. Maybe some of the people wish there was more of a “modern” feel to their way of life but selfishly I hope it never changes.