Five Signs You're an American at my Gym

*American Ranch. Yum. Mickai brought us two giant bottles last June.*

Five Signs You're an American at my Gym:

1. You wear shorts and not leggings, even in July. (This is mainly true for girls, although most Italian men don't wear shorts at the gym, either).

2. You wear t-shirts that describe your college's sorority or fraternity toga parties, barbecues, or your preferred American baseball, basketball, or football team.

3. New Balances are a dead giveaway.

4. If you show up to the gym in a ponytail and workout outfit and don't change out of "street clothes" into workout clothes, you are most definitely American. (Who has time to change in and out of clothes all day? We Americans love Convenience and for us, workout clothes are an acceptable form of dressing. For most Europeans, gym clothes are only for the gym and are not okay for shopping and walking around the city).

5. If you leave the gym without showering, you're definitely American. (Who wants to lug their stuff across town in a heavy gym bag? "Why bother, I'll do it at home").

After observing for countless hours the different people who walk in and out my gym's door, I've come to these conclusions. Now I'm not saying that I do or don't do any of these five things. Since I do live a block from my gym, I do prefer showering at home versus the gym (unless I go early in the morning right before work). And I do occasionally show up at the gym in my Nike's and sweat pants, but sometimes I make sure it's disguised by a stylish scarf and jacket. It all depends on my mood. Some days I don't give a crap if someone stares me down for wearing the "wrong" kind of clothes, other days I try harder and throw on at least a "street clothes" accessory , in order to transform my yoga pants and sweatshirt into something more "acceptable" for the street.