Half Way There
Written by Phillip September 20, 2015
Ich Bin Ein Berliner
About two and a half months. That’s how much time I’ve spent in Europe so far. The more time I spend here, the more trouble I have with the idea of returning to the U.S. in December. I now find myself talking about all the amazing things that Italy has to offer, while before I just complained about all of the little comforts I missed at home. I can honestly say that I feel myself assimilating into the culture here more and more with each passing day. It truly is an amazing feeling. I feel like a global citizen, with a new perspective on what happiness is. Something that anyone can easily take away from spending a little time here is to stop worrying so much about irrelevant matters that usually solve themselves. I think Europeans have a bit easier time with this.
A Little Bit Better than Pizza Hut
Almost everywhere it is easy to find delicious food at a low price and I think this combination is a bit more rare in the states. Why is Italian food so delicious? What’s in their secret recipe books that we just haven’t discovered yet? Their secret is their perspective on food. First, I’ve noticed a lack of chain restaurants here. I love Chipotle as much as the next person, but the problem with chains is that they all offer the same exact thing and they usually don’t put care into their food. This results in a lack of variety and a lack of quality in the food because most of the time these chains are there just to make a profit. Italians are a bit different. They spend hours at dinner, simply enjoying multiple courses and enjoying the company around them. I cannot think of a lot dinners I have been to that have lasted over two hours, let alone three or more. Another thing is they simply have a higher standard for the kind of food they eat and wine they drink. They want their food to be complex and savory and easily digestible. They want their wine to sit well and complement their meal.
Perspective
They spend more time with their families and stop worrying so much about the little things. Through advertisements and movies, we have been brainwashed into thinking that we should be making the most amount of money possible, because the consumption of material goods will bring happiness. But once you come to CIMBA you begin to taste a different perspective on what happiness actually is and how it can rarely be bought from a supermarket. But, you can’t simply come to CIMBA and expect your perspective to change automatically. You must travel and when you do travel, don’t just go to the main attractions to get the best picture to maximize your likes on Facebook. Burrow into the deepest most unknown parts of each city or country you’re in and take every single possibility to have a conversation with a local. In my experience most bartenders will be happy to talk to you and sometimes they are actually interested in what life is like in America. So, ask yourself if there’s really any reason why you should come to Europe and not attempt to change your point of view on a few areas of life. It would be a real shame if all you left with was a bottle of wine and a better profile picture.
Blogger: Phillip, Western Michigan University
