La Strega Arriva

Not to sound like a boring history text book, but I landed in Naples, Italy on the night of June 14th (about four days as of writing this post). I had imagined what culture shock would look like and I knew the definition entirely; but I didn't realize how soon it would hit me despite the research I did prior to my departure.

I think coming into the airport and everyone speaking a different language threw me off immediately and I don't think two days full of airports and and planes exactly eased me into it by any means. While there were language barriers as soon as my landing in Newark, I think being Naples and dealing with jetlag made it incredibly overwhelming.

The taxi driver knew little English and I was unfortunately too tired to remember much Italian. In addition, I hadn't heard about the bad driver stereotype that runs rampant with Europeans (as far as I know), but I remember being shocked at how other people drove on these already narrow streets. It does make for an interesting time being in cars and walking along the streets since everything is so condensed.

I also found myself shocked by how packed everything is and that there this almost can of sardines feel with alleyways and streets. For my first night driving through Naples I really saw how narrow and tight fit the buildings were by the airport. Although I recovered fast enough to not be shocked by the same narrowness in Sorrento, and yes I felt better in the speaking Italian department when I got a night of sleep and some breakfast.

As of my writing of this post, I will be in Pompeii for the day. I'm learning not to expect any specifics because I know they'll surpass my expectations or shock me in a different way. In any case, I look forward to continuing my deep dive in Italian culture and learning more for my novel. (The free shooter of the Liquore Strega will help in the research department once more)