Becoming A Coffee Lover

Before I left for my study abroad trip in Florence, I absolutely hated coffee. Most college students live off coffee, but I was that girl at Starbucks ordering caramel macchiatos with extra pumps of vanilla and iced green teas - I stayed far away from anything that tasted like strong coffee.

Well, live in Europe for awhile and your view will change massively. When I first got to Florence, I would only drink flavored lattes or cappuccinos, but their drinks are a lot different than what we're use to from Starbucks. European "coffee" isn't like the coffee we are use to here in America. They think of coffee as a shot of espresso. Italians will order an espresso from the bar, take it, and they are on their way. You rarely see them walking around with a to-go cup. In America, we call espressos "Americanos", but in Europe they call regular coffee "Americanos". This is just another one of those things that shows how different our two cultures are.

You'll notice after having a few coffee drinks in Europe, your taste buds almost become immune to the strong coffee taste. After about a month of being in Florence, I started needing some sort of coffee with an espresso in it everyday. My top favorite place to go to for the a good cappuccino and different atmosphere was Ditta Artigianale. The cafe has a really cool front window and modern-looking seating inside. They have a good amount of options for a smaller breakfast that is perfect to go with your cappuccino. I do have to say the best cappuccino I had in Florence was actually my last day there. My roommate and I found this cafe on no surprise, TripAdvisor. The reviews kept saying how nice the owner was and how it was the best cappuccino they've ever had, so before we left, we had to try it. The reviews were more than right. The guy working the cafe was so inviting and made us feel so comfortable when surrounded by all locals. The cappuccino was absolutely delicious with a drizzle of chocolate over top of it. I paired it was a donut and it was the perfect way to start my day. For two cappuccinos and two pastries, it was only five euro! I say this a must if you're ever craving a good cappuccino.

After a few months in Florence, a lot of students around me started to crave just a simple cup of American coffee. There is a cafe called ITIT, which is known as the "Italian Starbucks"and they do have Starbucks' prices. It was a great place to sit and do homework while enjoying a taste of home. It does get crowded quickly because a lot of study abroad students discover it by the middle of the semester. I highly recommend their "Americano" with some caramel in it. It always hit the spot and my last few weeks of the semester I found myself getting one almost everyday.

If you want to be apart of the Italian culture and feel like a true Italian, keep ordering espressos and cappuccinos until your taste buds get use to it. I promise after a few weeks of drinking them, it will become apart of your daily routine. Coming back from Italy, I now drink coffee almost every morning and have been staying far away from those extra pumps of vanilla at Starbucks. This might seem like such a simple thing, but it is something that just shows how much living in another country can change your day to day life when returning home.