Lessons from Italy

So, last week, Steph brought up a really great concept that I personally had never heard before. More of a lifestyle really, is the Italian notion of "fare bella figura", which basically translates into "making a good figure" or making a good impression. This is a great motto to live by, it pretty much means that you don't eat or drink to excess, don't act like a rowdy fool, and basically just try to be classy. Maybe this is why you hardly ever see Italians posting their zany stunts on YouTube, and why it's so rare to catch them mid keg-stand. It just isn't their thing.

Another cool thing Italians do is "fare una passeggiata", or to take a walk. Every evening in Italy, folks take a leisurely stroll down the street, dressed well and feeling groovy. This is a chance to stretch their legs, talk with friends, get a lovely gelato, show off their kids, and just chill. Basically, Italians care about being and acting civilized. Sound pretty nice, doesn't it? I think we could all stand to care more about civility and not be racing around like crazy people all the time. That's why I'm so glad that Capogiro is bringing this notion to the States. When was the last time you took a nice walk to get gelato?

Stroll on down.