I Visited America. Does It Still Feel Like Home?

I just got back from spending two weeks in Orlando, Key West, and Hot Springs. It was a whirlwind of visits with family, stuffing my face with American delights, and sightseeing.

And although being in the U.S. still feels familiar, it's feeling less and less like home. The longer I live in Italy, the more disconnected I feel from American culture.

The Food Culture is So Different

It's silly, but one of my favorite things to do when I visit my family in Hot Springs is to go to Walmart. I've never found a store so comprehensive in Italy, offering everything from lettuce to golf carts!

I stock up on American foods that I miss. This year, my biggest haul was spices. I adore garlic salt and chili powder, so I got plenty. I also found a lime pepper that I'm excited to try.

But once the excitement of being there died down, I really looked around and realized how unhealthy 95% of the food is. Sure, we can shop the periphery of the store for fresh produce and meat, but the rest of the food section is chock-full of food loaded with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. Food that will last until the next century.

And driving down the street, it was shocking how many fast food restaurants there were. Burgers, tacos, pizza...you're spoiled for choice.

It's not to say that crappy food doesn't exist in Italy, but in Calabria, there is much less choice. There are only a handful of fast food places (one being McDonald's), and even still, the quality is fresher than in the U.S.

I realize how much my diet has changed for the better. If I had choices of less healthy food, I'd probably eat it, but by default, I eat and prefer fresh food. I cook so much more here because there simply aren't as many convenience foods as there are in the States.

The Consumer Culture is, Too

If I lived in Rome or Milan, I might feel as overloaded as I do going to a shopping center in America. But here, I rarely go to the mall, and we don't have many great stores. I shop online, but far less than I used to.

The longer I live in Calabria, the more noticeable it is when I see how much stuff Americans buy. And how many options there are.

Here, if you want a notebook, you have two or three choices. In America? Figurati. Do you want a regular-sized notebook or one with three subjects? Five subjects? College rule or wide rule? Plain or animals?

It's exhausting.

I've never been a shopaholic, but these days, I carefully consider each purchase. Do I really need it? Do I have space for it? (Fra is completely the opposite in this regard, and believe me, there have been discussions!)

So, Where is Home?

I don't write this to bash America but rather to demonstrate that the longer I'm away, the more Italy and its ways feel like home. Of course, being with my family in the U.S. will always feel like home, but I accept the fact that I straddle two countries. I can take the good in America (my family, foods and places I miss) and leave the rest. I can adapt my traditions in Italy to include some of my American self. (Taco night for the Italians).

I'm only three years into my expat adventure...I wonder how America will feel in 20 years!