American shares the most baffling things she's found in her Italian apartment
"I thought I broke the window at first."

This is one of the many wonderful things about traveling.
When 25-year-old traveler Sarah Margaret opened the windows of her Italian apartment, she didn’t expect them to open both sideways and inward.
“I thought I broke the window at first,” she quipped in a TikTok video that’s now racked up over a million views. That small moment of confusion kicked off what became a charming tour through all the little details of Italian daily life her "American mind couldn't comprehend."
In an interview with Newsweek, she said that she had spent a month in northern Italy, splitting her time between vacation and work. Her final stop was an apartment in Turin, a picturesque city near Milan. From there, she decided to document the things that made her stop and say, “Wait, what?”
The first mystery: those ingenious tilting windows. Turn the handle one way, they crack open from the top; another way, they swing open like a door. “Wild to me,” she said, equal parts baffled and impressed.
@probablyhangry Would these also blow your mind?? Or are these things normal to you? I’d love to hear from others too!! #italy🇮🇹 #travelitaly #travelvlog #americanmind #walkablecities ♬ original sound - Sarah 🌈🌞 | Living Abroad
Then came the washer-dryer combo that didn’t exactly…dry.
“It spins the clothes and gets a lot of water out, but it’s not like a dryer I’ve ever seen before," she explained. Instead, she found herself air-drying her laundry for an entire month, something she quickly learned is just part of Italian life.
Down in the comments, folks confirmed that yes, while there might be machine settings to remove some water from freshly washed clothes, air-drying was still a way of life.
“These options on the washing machines are ‘centrifuga.’ It takes a lot of water off so that they’re gonna air dry faster,” one viewer explained.
She also noticed the air conditioning felt, shall we say, gentler than in the United States, something she did come to appreciate after a few weeks of acclimating.
Continuing into the kitchen, she showed off a sleek induction stove. “I struggled at first, but once I figured it out, it felt very fancy," she admitted.
Other surprises included tiny trash bins—barely big enough for a few scraps—implying how serious Italians are about recycling and composting, along with equally tiny elevators. She even filmed herself in one, which was barely wide enough to fit her outstretched arms. “It blows my mind every single time,” she said.
And let’s not forget the bidet next to the toilet. “I’m not elaborating on this one, but it’s definitely been an experience," she teased.
But her favorite “quirk” really sums up what’s so magical about Italy to Americans in the first place.
“I can smell pizza cooking from my window,” she said, grinning. “There are hundreds of restaurants within walking distance and a grocery store right next door. I’ve never lived anywhere this walkable. It’s one of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve ever had.”
Between that and being able to look out a window—albeit a confusing one—and see gorgeous city architecture…seems like Italy’s got life figured out.
A view of gorgeous Italy. Photo credit: Canva
After her month abroad, she told Newsweek that she left Italy with a deeper appreciation for the slower, friendlier, and more intentional rhythm of everyday life there. Shopkeepers remembered her. Neighbors said hello. “Traveling alone can be peaceful but also very lonely, so I was extra thankful for those little interactions," she shared.
Having grown up in the Midwest and now working remotely while traveling, she has made it her goal to see as many corners of the world as possible—25 countries so far. As far as Italy’s concerned, Turin has stayed with her most.
“It’s not crowded with tourists the same way other Italian cities are in the summer," she said. "It was peaceful."
Whether you are in a touristy area or in a lesser-known hidden gem, staying in a new place and learning about different ways of life also feels like a mini-adventure.