T.S. Eliot said that “history is a pattern of timeless moments.” While these happen to everyone, we’ve experienced many such moments that seemed to us more likely the result of living like locals, and those moments have stayed with us as special memories ever since.
We call them “Live-Like-a-Local Moments,” and here are some examples:
- A non-English speaking Frenchwoman comes to our rescue in a small laundromat by showing us, by pantomime, how to navigate the complex washer/dryer/soap dispenser system
- As the only Americans attending an Advent service in the local cathedral, we smile when the choir switches from Italian to English for a rousing rendition of I Will Follow Him, just like in the movie, Sister Act
- A winery owner we befriended invites us to his winery to watch his team process the recent harvest, after which he opens a bottle of his Grand Cru ($$$) Burgundy to share with us
- We unknowingly take part in our first passeggiata as we are suddenly enveloped by crowds of locals enjoying the traditional Italian pre-dinner stroll along the main street
- We grab some fresh food from the farmer’s market, wine and blankets from our apartment, and join the locals for an impromptu Sunday picnic at a lakeside park
- As a welcome language tip, a nice woman behind the counter in a patisserie teaches me how to say, “No thanks, I’m just looking” . . . in French
- During an evening walk through our Italian neighborhood, we come upon school kids performing songs in a piazza, and join proud parents and grandparents in the audience for a memorable way to end the day