Unhurried

We're all starting to settle into a rhythm here at school, slowing adjusting to a new way to eat, to sleep, and to focus. Class runs from nine in the morning until noon, and again from one until four in the afternoon. At school they feed us a great big lunch, with three courses (pasta, some main dish, salad, and sometimes dessert) and table service. After lunch I always have an espresso before going back to class, and by the time I get back from school around five I am ready for a nap.

The late afternoon and evening seems to roll on forever; dinner is always late, and the time just feels suspended and easy. We've mostly been eating salame, bread, and cheese in evenings because lunch is pretty hearty. Many Italians enjoy an aperitivo in the evening, a pre dinner drink and light snacks that can go on for hours. They can be seen all over, in groups sipping sparkling wine, pink cocktails made with bitter, herbal spirits, and lager beers, solidly rooted in conversation, looking as if the whole purpose of the day is to arrive at their table outside the cafe.

You can't help but fall into this slower, unhurried pace. Today my roommates and I woke up around eleven, chatted a bit and then went to the market to buy something to eat for lunch. We strolled around the town, ran into classmates, and once we had everything we needed and a menu in mind, we went back and cooked. We had crostini, pasta, salad, cheese, and fruit, lingering after each course, and the whole time I felt my old insticts reacting to how unhurried we were. Eating lunch was the whole point of the day; there was nothing to run off and accomplish. We all made it to Italy and were nibbling artisan cheese and cherries, nectarines, and apricots from the market. The point was to be there, doing that.

After each course, I could feel a layer of my old habits peeling away. By about 5:30, lunch was over, and that was all we had done so far that day. We tossed around ideas of walking into town for gelato later that evening, but no one needed to commit to anything; we had already gotten so much out of the day, and in a way, accomplished so much.

If we wanted gelato, it would be there.