I started the blog in 2014 and since then, I've had the opportunity to chat with a surprising number of people from all over the world with one thing in common- a dream to one day, live in Italy. I have in no way been here a long time relative to other expats, but even after talking to my share of them here, I've come to one very key conclusion. Before you start thinking seriously about moving to Italy, you should ask yourself this question: am I someone that sees the silver lining and the glass half full?
While every expat situation is different and is linked to so many factors such as job, support networks, language ability etc...I truly believe your answer to this question needs to be yes if you are going to live in Italy. It's going to be the very foundation on which to build your experience. If you made a list of pros and cons for life in Italy, you'd probably end up with an equal number on both sides which is why I've come to realize that the happy expats here share the optimism trait; they see Italy for what she is but choose to revel in the beauty and not the bureaucracy. These are the people that can have the worst day ever but can take a simple walk in Piazza Navona at dusk to right all wrongs.
Everyone likes to think themselves an eternal optimist, but we're not. Everyone likes to think they would find the silver lining in any situation but Italy will prove you wrong. I would have described myself as patient, even very patient, before moving here. After 7 days of (not)-lining up for hours at the immigration office, I learned something new about myself- that I'm not as patient as I liked to believe. And it's the same for whether you are able to focus on the good things, day in and day out. Italy will demand that of you and if you can't give her that, you will grow to resent her.
This post is not meant to dissuade anyone from the dream. I absolutely adore Italy and the choice I made to move here was the right one for me personally, but I also wanted to emphasize that it's not necessarily that right choice for everyone. Just make sure Italy is really, truly your dream and then by all means, dare to live it!
While every expat situation is different and is linked to so many factors such as job, support networks, language ability etc...I truly believe your answer to this question needs to be yes if you are going to live in Italy. It's going to be the very foundation on which to build your experience. If you made a list of pros and cons for life in Italy, you'd probably end up with an equal number on both sides which is why I've come to realize that the happy expats here share the optimism trait; they see Italy for what she is but choose to revel in the beauty and not the bureaucracy. These are the people that can have the worst day ever but can take a simple walk in Piazza Navona at dusk to right all wrongs.
Everyone likes to think themselves an eternal optimist, but we're not. Everyone likes to think they would find the silver lining in any situation but Italy will prove you wrong. I would have described myself as patient, even very patient, before moving here. After 7 days of (not)-lining up for hours at the immigration office, I learned something new about myself- that I'm not as patient as I liked to believe. And it's the same for whether you are able to focus on the good things, day in and day out. Italy will demand that of you and if you can't give her that, you will grow to resent her.
This post is not meant to dissuade anyone from the dream. I absolutely adore Italy and the choice I made to move here was the right one for me personally, but I also wanted to emphasize that it's not necessarily that right choice for everyone. Just make sure Italy is really, truly your dream and then by all means, dare to live it!
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