Posted by curnintb on Monday, May 30, 2016 in Blog posts.

I sit in the Piazza Duomo of Cefalù, in the province of Palermo, on the Italian island of Sicily, thousands of miles from my home and the comfort of familiarity.  The sun douses the square with bright white light, but a light breeze keeps the heat off me.  I sit alone at a table in the sun, with a newly acquired cup of espresso and croissant.  I take a bite of the croissant, relishing the warm Nutella inside it.  The square is bustling with activity.  Sundays here in Cefalù are accompanied by an exponential increase in pedestrian traffic throughout the day as compared to other days during the week.  I’ve noticed that the beaches are usually packed on Sundays as well.  Most of the tables set up in the square are occupied by people who are older than I.  Some all sip on coffee while others sip on a beer or a glass of wine, talking animatedly with those at their table.  The faint smell of cigarettes lingers on the blowing wind.

My mind begins to wander as I wait for my coffee to cool.  It is interesting to see how people here use their day off from work.  Sicilians seem to spend their off time in a similar fashion as we do in that they enjoy socializing in public places.  As the Centro Storico of Cefalù bustles with people on Sundays, so does the newly established 12 South area back in Nashville.  Both American and Sicilian cultures embrace social interaction in a public setting as a worthwhile way to spend free time.  Americans and Sicilians, however, do not necessarily socialize in the same ways.  I have noticed that Italians simply love to talk.  They could talk for hours and hours and hours on end without pause, all the whilst using fervent hand gestures.  They love just sitting at a restaurant or bar for multiple hours talking about topics that range from dirty jokes to political and economic problems faced by the island currently.  I cannot remember the last time I stayed at a restaurant for over three hours just making conversation with some friends back home, but here it has happened several times and appears to be quite normal.

Life moves a little bit slower here in Sicily than in America.  A large gap in the workday is common, ideal for workers trying to get a bite to eat and taking a nap before returning to work.  In America, our work-focused culture would consider such a practice commercial suicide.  The people tend to walk a little slower as well, taking a leisurely pace to wherever their destination might be.  An overarching Sicilian attitude, should there exist one, is not one focused on speed and efficiency.  I would say that Sicilians put more of an emphasis on one’s happiness in life.  They never seem to be in a rush, so anxiety levels are lower.  Social humans are also usually more content, so those countless hours of bubbly conversation that Sicilians always seem to be having is probably correlated with their happiness.  Delicious, but not necessarily healthy food and less time spent in the office also contribute to Sicilians’ overall happiness.  Drinking a couple glasses of wine with a meal is appropriate in almost any circumstance, which can lift spirits.  The sun baked, beautiful landscape with pristine beaches and clear ocean water definitely also contribute to Sicilians’ happiness.  This island seems less plagued with self-conscious notions, anxieties, and general unhappiness, things that we encounter all too often in America.

As I finish my coffee and walk back to my apartment, I see a smiling family with two young children, all of whom are enjoying some gelato.  When I return to America and to reality, it would be wise of me to remember what I have learned from the Sicilians here in Cefalù, and maybe eat some more ice cream, worry less about things that cause me grief, and spend some time just sitting at a table doing nothing but talking with my buddies.