The first few days consisted of getting lost on all of the narrow streets, eating obsessive amounts of gelato and attempting to use my limited comprehension of the Italian language to order la pasta. 

Florence will be my home for the next two months as I attempt to master the language and understand the culture. As an American college student with many stereotypes working against me, I aim to embrace the lifestyle and history of the Italians. 

There are some cultural difference that will take a little longer to adjust to than the time zone change. For example, Americans view breakfast as the most important meal of the day, consisting of coffee and eggs, maybe a little fruit and bacon. Italians do not indulge in big breakfasts. Their la prima colazione consists of a cappuccino and a pastry. And eating dinner at 6 p.m. does not even cross their minds. In Italy, dinner is often eaten in the form of apperitivo at 8 or 9 p.m. This is a light meal and usually involves wine. 

The biggest difference lies in the coffee lineup. Back at home, we could order a triple grande, non-fat caramel macchiato upside-down or we could just get a coffee. Here in Italy, ordering an espresso with milk, in the form of an American latte, is slightly frowned upon and customizing your order is just not done. Italy brings some of the best coffee to the world, but figuring out when each type is suitable to drink will take some time.