Midwest vs. Italy: How similar and different are we really?

Life in the Midwest vs. Life in Italy

Many people would say that the Midwestern states, such as Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, etc., are very different from Italy. In regards to this, yes there are many differences between the lifestyles; however, there are also many similarities that people may not be aware of.

Shopping area in Rome

In my opinion, a very cool thing that daily life in some parts of Italy includes is the idea of siestas. During the middle of the day businesses shut down for a few hours and the people that work in them go get lunch, take a nap, or go home to have a home-cooked meal with their families. Doesn't this contradict the idea of businesses making as much money as possible? Well in Italy, and many European countries, they tend to value time a lot more than many people in the States do. We are always moving at such a fast pace to bring in the next big sale and schedule the next meeting as soon as we can. In Italy, the idea is to take a break and go home to cook a nice, home-cooked meal that they can enjoy with family. Maybe this is an idea that some companies and stores in the Midwest can learn from. Now yes, the Midwest is known for strong family values; but, there is still more we could do to enjoy our time and put other things before profits. When traveling in Italy, be sure that you are aware of these siesta times...it is a huge bummer to go to a store only to have it be siesta and you didn't realize it beforehand! 

Another difference between Italy and the Midwest is the impact that the sea has on the economy and daily lives of the people. In places such as Southern Italy, everything from food to tourism revolves around the ocean and harbors. Many restaurants we went into had seafood that was caught early that same morning by the fisherman at sea, and then brought to the restaurant and served within the day. In case you didn't know...we don't have any oceans near us here in the heartland of the country. So, for any Midwesterner traveling to Italy, and especially the south and islands, the fresh seafood is a must to try!

Although there are thousands more differences between these two areas, the last one that I am going to talk about is the atmosphere walking through the streets. In the Midwest, we are used to passing people and smiling, saying a quick hello, or maybe stopping to briefly talk to them if you know the person...mostly we will not push ourselves into other peoples time or business. On the contrary, in Italy as you walk down the streets of the larger cities and shopping areas you have people shouting out prices, trying to pull you into their stands with the"deals," and hundreds of vendors with carts of every product you can think of. When shopping in these areas, you can even bargain the prices down. In the Midwest, we wouldn't imagine walking up to someone selling a product and offering half of what they are asking and expect them to accept. During your time in Italy, make sure you try to bargain with these vendors, as you can almost always get a much better price! Don't be worried about seeming too pushy tying to get a better deal then the initial price, they almost expect you to try.

Now that we have looked at a few differences between the two areas, there are also many similarities.

Agriculture is a huge proponent of life in the Midwest. Many families who live here have an agricultural background, and many kids grow up learning the values that working on a farm can instill. Like the Midwest, Italy is also very agriculturally based. Italy's top agricultural product is wine grapes, with vineyards throughout the country. Although we do not have a large amount of vineyards in the Midwest, both of these areas also grow corn. The Midwest is the top provider of corn in the United States, and Italy also produces thousands of tons of this product every year. For any Midwesterner interested in agriculture, the Italian country side has much to offer...especially places such as Tuscany, which is known for its countryside.

Fields (vineyard) in Tuscany, Italy

Fields and farm in Iowa

 Another similarity that these two geographic areas, thousands of miles and an ocean apart, have in common is family being a big part of the lifestyle. In Italy, you see many family owned businesses that revolve around all of the family members working in them. Many of these are small shops and restaurants. One of the places we stayed while in Trapani was still owned by the same family that built the building by hand many years before! Like the family life in Italy, the Midwest also holds strong family values and has family owned businesses. In some families in the Midwest, there are farms that have been passed down through decades. These families may own century farms, which means that they have been owned by the same family for at least one-hundred years. Also, there is a large amount of family unity in both lifestyles. While in Italy, I saw many families out, and they always were looking out for one another and enjoying each others presence. Like mentioned earlier, the siestas are often used as a time for the family to be able to eat a nice meal together everyday. Here in the Midwest, we also largely revolve around a strong family presence.

RAGBRAI in Iowa

Playing street soccer

Lastly, similarities also exist in the activity level of the people in these areas. People in the Midwest tend to have a more active lifestyle, and there are many large events that incorporate this into our lives. Examples include the statewide bicycle ride in Iowa (RAGBRAI) across the entire state every summer, and the multiple races that come to theses states as some of their very first locations. In Italy, they also lead very active lifestyles. Walking is one of the biggest methods of transportation (refer to the prior transportation blog post). Italians often walk many miles everyday, and some that live in the cities do not even use a car daily. Soccer is the most popular sport in Italy, along with many others that are played, helping to increase the activity level. We would see kids out playing soccer in the alleys in many places throughout the country. Here in the Midwest, we also have high involvement in sports. When you are traveling in Italy, be sure to check out a soccer game if you can! Take in all the opportunities to walk around the beautiful cities, as it allows you a much more personal view and many more options to see the local treasures.

So....as much as anyone may try to assume that the Midwest and Italy are extremely different, we can now see that there are also similarities between the lifestyles in each region. People traveling from the Midwest to Italy, and vice-versa for that matter, can find a little bit of home in the similarities, while still indulging in the differences. 

Feel free to comment or leave any experiences you have had with the topic :)

"Valorizzare le differenze, ma anche scoprire le somiglianze..." - Steffi Biester

   (Value the differences, but also discover the similarities..)