Whether its 35 degrees or 95 degrees outside, you can find my parents and I walking up Lakemont Drive between the hours of 7-9 p.m. It’s an after-dinner ritual that we’ve been doing for as long as I can remember. Sometimes, the dishes aren’t even clean before my mom will jump up and call out “Okay kids time for our passeggiatta” (she lovingly calls her husband and 20-year-old daughter, kids.)
La passeggiatta is an Italian word that translates to stroll. In Italy, la passegiatta occurs from 5-8 p.m. on the main pedestrian street or promenade, but we have to do things a little differently in Mt. Lebanon.
We usually take our passeggiatta after dinner because the fast-paced American lifestyle does not allow for a break before dinner. We also don’t have a picturesque promenade like Piazza Navona, the famous plaza in Rome. Many Italians will drink wine as they walk or stop for gelato. For us in Cedarhurst, the Rite Aid on Bower Hill Road will have to do. Despite all the differences between the shady streets of Mt. Lebanon and the bustling main drags of Italy, there are a few similarities between our version and Italy’s version.
First, a nightly walk around the block reinforces the neighborhood feeling. On a pleasant summer night, sometimes we will stop and chat with our neighbors for 15-20 minutes. It’s a welcome contrast compared to living on Pitt’s campus, where for two years in a row I still haven’t met some of my neighbors. In Italy, la passeggiatta is a social affair. It’s a way for friends to catch up, for families to spend time together or for young singles to meet. Sometimes, when the weather isn’t so nice, we are the only people outside, but there’s another reason my family goes on walks after dinner: the health benefits. [1]
Walking after dinner can improve digestion, sleep and blood sugar regulation. Light movement after eating aids digestion because it stimulates circulation, which also prevents heartburn. Plus, when you exercise, your body reduces stress hormones like cortisol and good hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin, which can lead to a better night’s rest. To get these health benefits, you don’t need to overexert yourself. Light walking is enough to reap the benefits of la passeggiatta.
Every guest we have over for dinner is also invited to “passeggiare” as the Italians would say. My boyfriend, cousins, and even my college roommate who came to visit, have all joined my parents and I on our daily loop around the block.
The ritual of “la passeggiatta” has become a fixture in our family routine. When I was younger, I didn’t always appreciate it and would sometimes trudge up the street while my parents strolled ahead. As I get older and spend more time at Pitt, where everyone is so wrapped up in whatever test or presentation they have, I’ve come to appreciate the value of growing up in a neighborhood where everyone is so—not to sound redundant—neighborly. When I’m off in my own house someday (maybe in Mt. Lebanon, who knows,) I will do my best to channel the friendly nature of the Cedarhurst neighborhood I grew up in and start my own passeggiata tradition.