It would be a complete injustice if I wrote only about the horrors I faced this year with my Italian job(s). There were a few good points to waiting tables in Italy and I’ve listed them for you in a fun Top 10 List.
Top 10 Reasons I’ll Miss the Italian Job
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10. The fabulous multi-cultural clients.
9. The extra €20 slipped into my pocket, every other night.
8. Being offered to sit and drink with clients during my shift (was offered many, many times but never took anyone up on the offer).
7. Nightly raids of the (permitted) gelato station – pistachio here I come!
6. Well-behaved gorgeous children from all walks of life.
5. The Russians. They were hilarious, generous and polite.
4. The blazing orange sun-set.
3. My Italian, Sardinian, Czech, Hungarian and German colleagues. They were all a fabulous bunch of people.
2. Packing take-away lunch and dinner for my husband from the staff dining-hall. The food was good – plus I had to pay for it!
1. Speaking English to Italian clients; speaking Italian to English clients and speaking a mix of both to the Russians. They laughed, I laughed, and we all laughed together. Priceless moments.
What are some of the pros and cons of your expat work?
Related articles:
Top 13 Reasons I Quit the Italian Job
The Raw Reality of Expat Life in Small Town Sardinia
My Sardinian Life 
Nice to see someone else who appreciates Russian culture too. I now live in Italy but used to live in Russia and I loved Russian hospitality, sense of humor and even the food. Russia gets a bad rap IMO.
Ciao Kat,
I’ve never been to Russia but it’s now on my bucketlist after meeting so many wonderful people from Russia this past year. I agree it does get a bad rap. Where are you from originally?
Nice list, Jennifer!
Waitressing does seem to be a wonderful way to see many cultures and make firm friends. My younger daughter did it at a Scottish loch hotel (same mixtures of hell and heaven), and among the friends she found there was an adopted grandfather who came out to stay with us, and then gave us wonderful hospitality in UK.
In a way it saddens me that you have to leave your job. You sounded so happy meeting people, having a great time discovering cultures , the laughter, the moments…all I would miss too if it was me. Love your passion for life.
Jennifer, isn’t that something the way Italians – and Sards alike – can drive you to drink and give you the best time of your life, all in the space of a few minutes?
Thanks Kat – but where can I see the link?