Megan is brimming with enthusiasm and passion for expat life in Rome, Italy, where she runs her own career and personal branding counseling business. Having found the ideal lifestyle for her, she derives satisfaction from helping internationally-minded individuals use their skills and talents to acquire theirs. Here, in addition to an inside look at her life in the Eternal City, Megan also gives plenty of useful pointers on living and working in Italy.

Megan Fitzgerald

-Where were you born?
In New York, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
Rome, Italy

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I am living with my husband and my English bulldog, Shuki.

-How long have you been living in Italy?
Approximately a year and a half.

-What is your age?
I am 36.

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Italy?
We lived in the UK prior to moving to Rome. We got tired of the high cost of living, rainy weather and general craziness of London. We wanted a more relaxed lifestyle that Italy provided. Rome is a beautiful city with amazing art and culture, wonderful weather, great food, lovely people and enough of an international community to satiate our need for engaging with different cultures.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Most definitely. You have to complete applications to get permission to apply for documentation! It took over a year to finalize my documents. I would recommend getting assistance with your documents if you are able. Even if you are fluent in Italian, the application process seems to change regularly and is very difficult to follow. At minimum, find an Italian to accompany you to the Questura and various offices you have to visit to file your paperwork. They will likely be better able to navigate through the maze of lines and offices you have to deal with.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
We have medical insurance that covers us no matter where we live, so that was not a challenge we had to face. If you want to have access to the Italian public health service in Rome you have to get a residency card. However there are clinics in Rome (I cannot speak to the situation in other cities) that serve expats that do not have residency. There may be long lines, but there are services available to you if you arrive without insurance.

-How do you make your living in Italy? Do you have any type of income generated?
Currently, I am a career, business and personal branding strategist and the founder of Career By Choice. I work with internationally minded professionals, entrepreneurs and expats who want to use their unique value to build a career or business that fits who they are and their lifestyle of choice. The primary focus of my work is personal branding - which is essentially understanding what is truly unique about you - your strengths, skills, values and passions - and using that to differentiate yourself and guide your career or business decisions.

I decided to start this business in the UK, before my move to Italy. I knew I would not have working papers and did not have the necessary language skills, so starting a business was the obvious choice. In many ways, all of my previous education and experience prepared me for starting this business. It is a natural extension of who I am, what I am passionate about, and embodies all of the things I believe in – freedom, choice, empowerment, creativity, learning, self actualization and being of service. I can work with people in-person, via the internet or over the phone, so it allows me to work from wherever I happen to be in the world. I can apply all of my expertise developed from over 15 years of experience in career development, business development and international education and training. And it permits me to do what I am passionate about - helping others, like myself, who are interested in using their unique strengths and passions to build a more satisfying professional life while enjoying a life that they can love. I encourage others to reflect back on their previous educational and professional experiences to see what product or service they might provide that could allow them to start their own business abroad.

For those that do want to start their own business, it is important to realize that there are a number of skill sets that can make a huge difference in making that dream a reality. Finding a partner with complimentary skill sets is also something to think about. As I had experience and training in career and business development and consulting, acquiring new skill sets was not an absolute requirement for me. However, becoming a certified coach and certified personal branding strategist has served me well. (If you are interested in becoming a coach, I would highly recommend getting a certification. Beyond giving you more credibility, learning and honing key skill sets essential to coaching can make the difference between a good coach and a great one.) As I love learning, I am always taking classes to develop my skills or learn new ones. I would encourage others to do the same, as having the right skill sets is often the key to being able to take advantage of opportunities for interesting work.

-Do you speak Italian and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I am learning Italian. I think language is an important part of culture, so not learning the local language is like missing out on a big part of living in a country. It also allows you to engage with the local community. Although I do not find learning new languages easy, I do think it is a lot of fun.

Learning the customs and etiquette is just as important as learning the language. Fitting in and getting on means you have to understand how things work and operate accordingly. Professionally speaking, it is essential. In Italy, you must understand "La Bella Figura" if you don't want to offend employers or clients.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Yes, of course. But email and skype (you can have video chats with other skype users for free) make it much easier. I encourage friends and family to come visit and I always make it back to my home country at least once a year.

My favorite recreational activities? Taking a stroll in Villa Borghese (a beautiful park in Rome) or in the center of town. Sitting at an outdoor cafe having coffee or lunch with a friend. Short weekend trips to small, charming Italian towns. Going to a museum. Going dancing (though Rome is not known for its nightlife). Enjoying the plethora of cultural events that happen in Rome, particularly in the summer. Sitting on our terrace and reading or taking in some sun.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
I plan on continuing to explore Rome and this beautiful country I am fortunate to call my home. I want to continue to build a family and community of friends. I want to grow my business and continue to empower others to create satisfying professional lives that support their lifestyle of choice. At the moment, I am very excited because we are planning a big trip to India, which has been a dream of ours for a while.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We are currently renting. Due to the way Italian mortgages work, you really need a lot of money to put down if you are going to buy a house. And homes in Rome are not cheap.

Rents in Rome can vary quite a bit, depending on where you are living in the city. In the center it is more expensive. Many people are moving out of Rome because they cannot afford to support their family and pay the rent. You can find a room in a house for as low as 500 Euro and easily pay 2-3000 Euro for a decent sized flat in the center of the city.

It is common for several people to rent an apartment together or people renting out a room in someone else's house or apartment.

-What is the cost of living in Italy?
Rome can be expensive. It is depends on your lifestyle. Outside of higher rent payments, which are difficult to avoid, with time you can find the right places to go and the things to do that will keep your living expenses in check.

-What do you think about the Italians?
Italians are very open to foreigners and seem to really like Americans. As a culture, because they are family oriented and tend to build tight communities where everyone has known everyone else since childhood, they can be a bit closed. However, we have met some really lovely and interesting Italians whom we really enjoy spending time with. They are incredibly open and helpful - and patient with our less than perfect Italian!

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Italy?
I love living and working in Italy. I love the beauty, the culture, the weather, the food, the people and the lifestyle. I love having a café macchiato on the terrace in the morning and walking around a city that is like an outdoor museum. I love speaking a language with both my mouth and my hands. I love the stories and history of Rome, as well as the modern design reflected in furniture and fashion. I love how the shopkeepers know your name and remember which kind of mozzarella cheese you prefer. I love the fact that my job provides me the freedom and flexibility to enjoy all of these things. I am blessed to be living in this amazing city, but also because Italy allows me to have a job that I love.

All places have their positives and negatives. I think the biggest negatives to living in Italy are having to deal with the bureaucracy and the general lack of customer service. I think it is not such a bad price to pay for my current lifestyle.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living and working in Italy?
As I am a career and business coach and consultant (this is what I do for a living), I have a number of suggestions for people who want to live and work in Italy.

Living...
- Create a clear vision what you really want - where do you want to live? What do you want your daily life to look like? The more specific you can be, the better. Remember, the road of 1000 miles begins with one step. Hence, a plan of action is essential.
- Make a list of all the people who can help you. Your network is one of your most important tools in Italy. If you don't have one, start building it immediately.
- Get support. The most important thing in getting through the challenges of settling into a new country is your support system. In Rome there are numerous groups and associations to help newcomers settle in. They have been invaluable to me.
- Collect resources. Read books, articles, blogs and websites about Italy and those that support expats. Information is a powerful tool that will save you time and energy. Learn from others’ mistakes rather than having to make them yourself.

Working...
- If you don't have a work permit or have the patience or means to get one, consider starting your own business.
- Identify and be able to effectively communicate your unique value, or personal brand - what can you offer that is different from your peers or people like you and is compelling to potential employers or clients?
- Use your unique value and your passions to find a way to do what you love. But make sure what you do supports your lifestyle of choice – why move to Italy if you can't enjoy the lifestyle?
- As mentioned above, create a clear vision of the professional life you want and a plan of action to make it a reality.
- Identify the obstacles to finding work or making a living and create a plan of action to overcome them. Most things can be tackled with patience and the right strategies.
- Find out what skills are in highest demand where you want to live and then go about learning or developing them (If you want to live in Rome, I recommend exploring more than just teaching English, as you will likely not be able to make enough to live on that income alone.)
- Often people develop portfolio careers - a career where you have more than one professional commitment at a time. You might teach English while also doing some freelance writing, animal sitting and/or translation work. For those that teach English, since the demand for teachers almost disappears in the summer, there is seasonal work in the tourism industry that you can usually find to augment your income.
- Develop the right career marketing materials. Make sure that your CV effectively communicates what you offer and your accomplishments (not just a list of your job responsibilities).
- Use the power of networking. As mentioned above, your professional network is one of the most powerful tools you have in Italy. If you don't have one, begin building one as soon as possible. Often professional success is based on being the "persona racommandata" rather than being the candidate with the best qualifications.
- Stay open-minded and creative. Opportunities often come in shapes and sizes we do not expect. Expectations can be the death of possibility.
- Be patient and persistent. There is no perfect formula to building a satisfying professional life – it is a process.
- View career management and professional development as an on-going process. It’s not just about getting any old job to pay the bills. How much are you really going to enjoy your life in Italy if you are miserable in a job in which you spend 7 hours a day? Having long-term goals for your professional life will help you make choices and take action on a regular basis that are going to insure you have a more fulfilling professional life in the long-term. Like Rome, satisfying careers and businesses are not built in a day.

Living and Working...
- Learn about Italian culture – cultural norms and etiquette – as appearances, or “la bella figura,” is very important in Italy.
- Learn Italian – even if your Italian is not good enough to function in the workplace – it’s a start towards becoming integrated into your local community and really experiencing Italian culture.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Italy?
Several of the websites you might check out are:
*www.expatsinitaly.com (go to the site map to get a full list of resources available and check out the forums)
*www.lifeinitaly.com (go to the forums and to the expats living in Italy section for the best information)
*www.transitionsabroad.com (although not specific to Italy, has fantastic resources for people looking to work or study abroad)
*www.expatexchange.com (again, not specific to Italy, but fantastic resources for people living or working abroad)

There are many blogs by expats living in Italy. Use Google to find a complete list. Get the inside scoop from those in the know!