One of the things about living in a new country and culture is accepting that things are not like they were back home and adjusting to this.  You could waste time saying- oh- in the US- everyone has a clothes dryer – or – gee why can’t I get my favorite food or other items here.  How will I ever manage? Instead you need to embrace the change and learn from the differences.  Some people find it hard to accept change readily- maybe the ability to easily adjust is a good indicator for those who have a passion for travel.

Drying clothes- Italian style

Granted there are things that take getting used to- it is not fun hanging your clothes all over the apartment to dry but then again you don’t have to worry about them shrinking!

Instead understand why most Italians do not have dryers. I learned that Italy has few energy resources and most is bought from France and Switzerland and thus costly to import. Perhaps that is why the small appliances here are so much more expensive than in the US.

And then there is the personal changes that we have to adjust to- like favorite foods, toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo.  And along with that comes that moment in time when you realize you cannot go any longer without a haircut and have to rely on a stranger.  Now I know for some this may not be such a big thing, but I think I can speak for a majority of women in saying that finding a good stylist is a treasure that you treat as such. It often takes awhile to find that one person who understands what looks best on you and when you need a change.  But your stylist is also the person that you swap stories with as well as local gossip.  You count on them to make you look good for major life events and you may come close to the edge of panic when they leave the area.

So when I was planning my move, it hit me one day as I sat in my stylist’s chair- oh no- I will have to find someone new!  Now add to that the language and culture issue.  I admit, the idea of an Italian hairstyle did sound glamorous to me, but on the other hand after living on an island in Maine for years, I did not see myself with some high fashion bob. And how do I communicate what I want done- a trim- just an inch- hmm- it is centimeters there.  And what will I do if he asks me questions and I have no idea what he is saying??!!

Ironically that night I saw a post on Facebook from Italy Magazine by Silvia Donati.  I follow her blog as she is from Bologna and has great tips. In her article she explained all the terms I would need to know, such as cut, types of hair, styles etc.  Ok, this is a good start but I still need to find someone.  I had just spent the past year getting my hair to a style that I could manage well while traveling.

Once here, I sent off a message to my friend who owns the B&B and is the epitome of Italian style and La Bella Figura.  I knew she would know who to recommend. She was kind enough to accompany me there to make an appointment and explain what needed to be done.

In the meantime, during a lunch with my language professor’s family I brought up this subject and received great advice on who not to go to, prices, hours and terms etc.

Still craving more information I read Girl In Florence’s entertaining blog about her experiences with getting haircuts. She is an American expat living there for awhile so she has the advantage of knowing the language.

Originally laughing about this as one of my experiences of living here in Bologna, I left my apartment with some trepidation.  I was feeling a little intimidated by the chic salon and hoping that I would not stutter my way through some explanation or have that deer in headlight look when I was asked a question.

First, I had to ring a bell to be admitted- that was a new one for me. Stating my name and that I was there for a trim with Giorgio, I waited while she called him to say I was here.  Once he arrived he greeted me warmly and asked what I wanted to have done.  I explained just a trim and 2 centimeters.  Ok- got through that ok.  He did ask me about why I was in Bologna and what cities I had been to and so far I was able to keep up with the conversation. He was very nice to say “Brava” on my Italian.

After my shampoo, as he started to style my hair, he asked something about my current style and then went into this long explanation about how he wanted to style it to fit my face and give it more volume.  I thought he said he was going to make one side long than the other, so I said fine.  My friend said she trusted his judgement and I thought a little change would be fine. But I knew I did not understand everything he said.  Well he went to work with his scissors cutting and thinning and -oh no- are those layers- and how much did he just take off??

But I did not panic and watched him expertly measure and cut.  And then he turns me over to a young woman who does the actual blow dry.  As she elaborately used brushes I have never seen, I groaned inside and said I would never be able to replicate this style.

Embrace change- I said- it is why you are here- to experience new things and get out of your comfort zone!  But this is my hair!  Well, I must say I do like the new style – it does look good on me. We will see what happens when I try to style it, though the woman assured me it was easy to do.

My new Italian hair style

After it was done I asked him to take some pictures that he expertly did and I praised him on my new look. He said- a presto- see you again- and so I have another appointment in a month.

I walked out smiling to myself, another experience under the belt, and I survived it.  And another wonderful encounter with the people of Bologna, who have been so warm and welcoming to me, even though I am just here for a short time.  Maybe the effort to get a visa for a year is worth it after all!