Time is Money. This is an expression I have heard back home way too often. The U.S is a country dedicated to time efficiency and productivity. I don’t think I ever thought I would come to use this phrase other than to express how it is we Americans perceive time.

But after being in Italy for a little over a month I can tell you the Italian clock is way more flexible, relaxed and in my opinion, frustrating. I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression, I am usually pretty relaxed about things but here, it is to another extreme.

Imagine walking to class and continuously being stopped behind people stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to have a conversation or simply browse the window displays. Or having to calm yourself because the row of older women walking in front of you refuses to make space for you to walk past after noticing you were trying to get through. Its quite frustrating. Sidewalk rage has become my new form of road rage here in Rome for sure.

Although dodging slow walkers has taken up most of my time in Italy, I have been able to surprisingly navigate the crowds and visit a couple of more cool places around the city.

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Jazmine is a current student at Saint Mary’s College of California studying at John Cabot University in Italy during the Fall 2016 term.