I’m an American living in Italy – the locals can spot tourists just by the way you walk
- Rachael Sullivan, from Tampa, Florida, has lived in Florence since January
- In a TikTok she reveals what to look out for when it comes to spotting an American
- First of all, she says that everyone walking around with a Stanley cup is from the US
Can you spot an American in a crowd?
Well, according to an American living in Italy, there are four signs that give away American citizens.
In a recent TikTok, Rachael Sullivan, from Tampa, Florida, reveals what to look out for when it comes to spotting a US citizen abroad.
First, she says that anyone walking around with a “giant Stanley cup” is definitely American.
In a recent TikTok, Rachael Sullivan from Tampa, Florida reveals what to look out for when it comes to spotting an American in Italy
The avid traveler, who has lived in Florence since January, said there are four telltale signs that give away American citizens
“Italians don’t carry water bottles anywhere,” she informs viewers.
And while standing in line during filming, she sees three girls walking with water bottles in hand and immediately notices that they are from the US.
She then goes on to discuss coffee etiquette and says that Italians generally never bring coffee or pastries to go.
She explains: ‘[If] you have your coffee in a to-go cup, you’re American or honestly, any pastry for that matter.
“If you walk with a pastry or coffee, you’re probably American.”
Third on Rachael’s list is running style and pace.
The avid traveler muses: ‘Italians walk at a certain speed and Americans triple that speed every time.
“Americans run so much faster – with so much more urgency than any Italian I’ve ever seen.”
First, she says that anyone walking around with a “giant Stanley cup” is definitely an American, before adding that walking around with a cup of coffee or pastry is another giveaway.
Finally, Rachel – who has been living in Florence since January – focuses on ‘American lean’.
Explaining the concept, she says, “Americans lean on things because we’re just lazy.
‘I think Italians don’t lean on things… they just don’t. They stand up straight.’
She ended the light-hearted TikTok clip by encouraging viewers to leave their own observations in the comments section.
One commenter wrote: ‘When I lived in England, someone handed me a flyer on the street and I just smiled at her.
“She said, ‘Oh, you’re American,’ and I said, ‘How did you know?’ And she said ‘your teeth.’
Another American said they could recognize other Americans by their ‘volume’ [being] so loud.”
And others suggested a host of other telltale signs of Americans
These include “ice in drinks,” “always chew gum,” “wear baseball caps,” and “wear sneakers everywhere.”