I am fascinated with the concept and process of language as a mode of communication. It is truly an art. 

I often forget that while Italian is very much a culture in itself, it is still just a language; anyone can learn it. anyone can speak it. 

I'm primarily monolingual, but have studied Spanish for years in school- like every other student did growing up. This background in Spanish was the most useful thing I could have packed with me. Although starkly different, both languages have many similarities. Root words tend to hold the same meaning. if your can spell in español, the spelling of Italian words can sometimes be determined, give or take a few letters. 

The pronunciation of Italian is very phonetic. Most vowels are expressed and acknowledged, not silent- even if they are at the end of the word. The letter 'c' as in arrivederci is pronounced like the English sound 'ch'. The letter 'z' as it pizza or grazzie is pronounced like the sound 'ts'. 

Here are a few words and phrases I used often in Italy. See translation in Spanish and English

Buonjourno
Buena sera/ sera
Grazzie
Prego
Come sta?
Quanto costa?
Como dite...?​
Permesso
Parle ingles?
No parle italiano molte bene

Buenos dias
Buenas tardes
Gracias
De nada
Como estas?
Cuanto cuesta?
Como se dice...?
​Perdona me
Hablas ingles?
No hablo español muy bien

Good morning
Good afternoon
Thank you
You're welcome
How are you?
How much does this cost?
How do you say...?
Excuse me
Do you speak English?
I don't speak English very well

My conversation with the kind man who handmade my name necklace was from Ecuador. We started out in Italian (which only lasted a few moments after "Ciao" in which I couldn't continue the conversation.
I asked, "Tu hablas español?"
The man lit up and replied, "Si!"
I surprised myself at the amount of Spanish I actually knew. It's amazing to realize how much of another language you may rely on to survive in a foreign country. I was so happy I got to practice my Spanish while away; I'm not taking any Spanish courses this year, nor do I have any close Spanish-speaking friends who can talk to me in the different language, so understanding it fluently will be harder and take more time. I know that if I don't continually use it and exercise my capacity for languages, I'll lose it. I've heard it a thousand times: The best way to learn a new language is to travel and pick it up as you go. This way you're immersed in it and have no choice but to learn. 

As Americans, we think everyone should either learn English or get out. But if we go to another country we want all signs to read: STOP and BATHROOM and EXIT. It's not impossible to learn, and speakers whose native language is not English really do appreciate the effort.

Once I felt comfortable with the language, I used it. One way not to look like a tourist is to OWN IT. Each time I entered a store, I'd greet "ciao" out of respect, and the associates thought I spoke Italian by the ease and accuracy of how I said things.
It wasn't about fooling anyone, it was about confidence in knowledge.