During our third week in Italy, we had the privilege of being “adopted” by an Italian family. I was automatically nervous to meet my family because I was worried about the language barrier or having any sort of awkwardness between us. Looking back, it is understandable that we were nervous, but things could not have gone more perfectly!

My new family members’ names are Gianmarco (the dad), Cinzia (the mom), Galatea (the older sister), and Clio (the younger sister). On adoption night, we asked each other questions about our travels, our favorite things to do, and what we do for school/work. Due to our busy schedules, we couldn’t see our adopted Italian family until week eight. We were served typical starter foods like cheese, olives, and bread. Cinzia cooked amatrciana pasta, which is basically like spaghetti and tomato sauce except the sauce contains pancetta (pork cheek). The next dish was Pizzette Montanare, which are mini fried pizzas that come from Naples. Dessert was my favorite part – homemade tiramisu!

I felt like a real Italian that night. My family and another group’s family joined together to put on this dinner, so their apartment was a little crowded and loud but so much fun. Something about the cheek-kiss greetings, the passing of all the food, and yelling from one side of the room to the other made it feel like I was right at home. I am continuously amazed by many of the Italian customs. One of my favorite things about Italians is how eager they are to share their culture (and their food!) with you. Our Italian family took us in as their own and made this place feel like a true home.

Needless to say, I will be forever thankful to Gianmarco, Cinzia, Galatea, and Clio for their hospitality and for allowing us to enter their lives and homes. My experience in Ariccia would not be the same without them.

With love from your honorary Italian,

Skylar Biedenharn | Global Studies 2021