Italians believe that life's pleasures are a God-given right. By contrast, in the United States, hard work is nearly synonymous with the pursuit of happiness. Maybe because of the romanticized version of Italy portrayed in films like Under the Tuscan Sun, we Americans tend to imagine Italy as a land, of bountiful, untethered pleasure.

Despite two years studying Italy's language and history at Middlebury College, I only superficially understood the way that Italians approached pleasure prior to departing for study abroad in Florence, Italy. The missing key to my understanding? Espresso.

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Source: http://www.noiaw.org/