The concept of age in Italy is completely different than it is in the United States. I noticed this when I was living in Florence two years ago, and the same applies to my experience here in Milan. When I tell Americans that I am 22, the response is generally that I’m getting older, and need to start finding some direction in life. When I tell Italians I’m 22, I get “Ma sei bambina!” (Literally, but you’re a baby!). The subject of my age usually comes up when they ask me what I’m doing now, and when I reveal that I’m così giovane, they tell me not to worry about what I’m doing with my life. In the US, when I turned 21, I had a security guard at Tiffany’s & Co. tell me that I was “getting up there”, and that I should probably “settle down sometime soon”.
… call me pazza, but I like the Italian version better. What’s the rush?
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