Ciao Bella: Olivia’s List of Food’s You’ll Miss While Abroad

YOUR GREASY (and most guilty) PLEASURES:

These include but are not limited to Chipotle, Taco Bell, Shake Shack, Five Guys, and all the goodness’s in between. Sometimes you just need those greasy American godsends, and when you feel that itch to eat some, you know you need it…NOWWW. 

This may be one of the most frustrating things in the world while studying in a foreign place.  Although, when you do find a good burger and fries in some random hole in the wall, you actually feel like the creator of the universe.

PEANUT BUTTER:

You’ll never question a society more than when you study abroad and can’t find peanut butter anywhere!  And if you DO find it (you crafty rascal, you), feeling once again like the creator of the universe, it’s about the size of a minnow and probably not in your desired brand :’( Let the tears commence.

That being said: Nutella is in great abundance, which aids the pain, just a lil’ bit.

HOT SAUCE:

If you’re a hot sauce fiend like me, this will be one of the most devastating adjustments ever.  Every bite without some sauce on it seems just less and less interesting.  Missing that Frank’s kick? Try some Sriracha. 

CRUNCHIEZ:

You can expect to not find a lot of your favorite American snacks here, such as Cheez-Itz, Smartfood, etc.   Aside from casual snacking: when ordering a salad, be prepared for a lack of croutons.  Those babies are extinct here too. 

ICE ICE BABY

Ice Cream:  You only miss this every once in a while, since gelato is on every street corner, nook, and cranny…but the true American inside you will always miss some Ben & Jerry’s, you can’t deny this.  

Ice Cubes: When ordering out, if you ask for some ice cubes in your water you’ll be looked at as if you have 3 heads.  Just suck it up, through every last sip

RESTAURANT BREAD:

At restaurants when they bring out bread to the table, it is most definitely not FO FREE. (How Un-American….) So don’t be fooled!  Let freedom ring and whip out the free bread. C’mon Europe, don’t play us like that.

Also, that super yummy oil and Parmesan cheese dipping sauce is an American fantasy.  At least in Florence, bread is served the Tuscan way, using no salt and accompanied alone.  It’s a hard knock life. 

AMERICAN BREAKFAST:

Kiss your eggs, pancakes, bagels, bacon, iced and American sized coffee g’byeeeee.  Breakfast here consists mostly of sweet pastries and European sized coffees, being quite smaller, yet packing a much bigger punch.

While you may miss your favorite American snacks and meals while abroad, try to embrace the culture around you and do things the European way! (Keyword: “try”).  As good as all of that food is abroad nothing really beats a greasy burger or a crunchy snack every once in a while, God Bless America.

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