So I wanted to bring that Italian lifestyle vibe to my tiny apartment in rainy London, right? Not moving to Italy but living Italian while stuck abroad. Here’s exactly how I did it step by step.
Step 1: Grab Some Basic Italian Phrases
First morning I opened Duolingo like a total newbie. Started hammering those greetings – “buongiorno”, “grazie”, all the basics. Felt ridiculous talking to my coffee machine saying “per favore” but honestly? Within two weeks I caught myself muttering “che caldo!” when the radiator went crazy. Pro tip: Stop translating word-for-word in your head. Just soak it up like cheap wine.
Step 2: Italian-ify Your Kitchen
Cleared out all my ramen packets – brutal but necessary. Hit up local markets every Saturday like an Italian nonna hunting deals. Got obsessed with finding real extra virgin stuff in dodgy glass bottles. Started simple:
- Learned to make aglio e olio in 10 minutes flat
- Burnt three pans perfecting pancetta crisps
- Found the only shop selling proper pecorino within 5 bus stops
Key move? Cooking with olive oil like it’s going out of style. Even my fried eggs got fancy.
Step 3: Slow Everything Down
This broke my frantic London brain. Made strict rules:
- No more sad desk sandwiches – actual 45 minute lunches
- Aperitivo hour strictly 5-6pm daily (cheap bubbly + nuts counts)
- Proper espresso breaks, standing up near window
First few days I kept checking emails during “relax time”. Felt physically itchy not multitasking. But seriously – try staring at clouds for ten minutes while sipping coffee. Surprisingly difficult.
Step 4: Forced Social Mode
Hunted down Italian expat groups like detective work. Showed up to some sketchy “cultural meetup” in a pub basement. Half understood conversations but laughed at wrong times anyway. Eventually found a Sicilian grandma teaching pasta-making in her council flat kitchen. Goldmine.
- Learned to roll orecchiette using butter knives
- Accidentally insulted three regions with wrong hand gestures
- Got adopted as honorary “straniero”
Step 5: Surround Yourself With Chaos
Transformed my minimalist Ikea box into Italian clutter central:
- Framed random Vespa postcards from Ebay
- Draped bright yellow dish towels everywhere
- Left wine bottles out as “decoration” (empty ones count)
- Blared Raffaella Carra playlists during chores
Wife thought I’d lost it. But suddenly walking into my flat felt like popping into some chaotic little trattoria in Naples. Mission accomplished.
Still can’t roll my R’s properly. Still confuse Sardinians with Sicilians. But yesterday? Neighbor shouted “ciao bello!” from across the street while I was yelling about delayed trash collection. Felt ridiculously Italian. Do the thing.
