Originally posted August 24 2006
I was Born in Illinois, United States and grew up in Ohio, but spent the last 19 years living in New Mexico, which is what we consider to be “home”.I live in Italy, Anzio in Lazio on the Mediterranean Sea about one hour south of Rome. I live there with my wife Valerie, borrowing the home of friends
-How long have you been living in Italy?
Since May, 2006
-What is your age?
44, my wife is 39.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Italy?
After our first visit to Italy in 1998 we developed a love for the Italian lifestyle, food, architecture and people. By our third visit we knew we had to find a way to live in Italy, but being 40-ish with no signs of instant wealth coming our way proved to present some problems for any move to Italy. Valerie investigated the possibility of obtaining citizenship via her ancestral ties but that proved to be a dead end. We decided that by selling our house we could financially afford a move to Italy for one year, and began the search for the proper visa.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Obtaining a visa was a difficult and frustrating process. We did a lot of research on what would be needed for a visa and, since we were not able to find employers in Italy and were not enrolled in a university, we opted for an Elective Residency visa, which requires that we have enough funds to support ourselves. Since we are neither retired nor wealthy, our biggest hurdle was finding out how much cash we would need for the visa: the consulates only state “sufficient funds.”
We sold our house in New Mexico and used those funds for our application. We dealt with the consulate in Los Angles and our application was signed by a consular agent in Albuquerque. We started the process to move overseas and were denied for our visa four weeks before our scheduled departure.
We were able to establish residency in Ohio, and obtained our visas from the Italian Consulate in Detroit. They were much easier to deal with, but the weeks and tears involved in the delay were frustrating.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
We obtained an international policy that covers us outside of the US. I found this by searching on the internet and was an on-line form, easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive. There are several companies that offer this type of coverage. We have not obtained residency here in Italy, which is required to access the Italian health system.
-How do you make your living in Italy? Do you have any type of income generated?
The conditions of our visa prohibit us from obtaining a job in Italy. This does not mean we can not pursue internet based opportunities; Valerie is a travel writer and is able to do that via the Internet. We will explore other options/opportunities in the future.
We have enough cash to support ourselves for two years but hope to be able to extend that time frame with other income sources.
-Do you speak Italian and do you think it’s important to speak the local language?
Our desire is to participate in the local society, not to be merely foreign spectators. How else can you get the full experience of a new country? To do this requires learning the language. We took some classes before moving and spent two weeks in an intensive language school after arriving in Italy to jump start our language skills. We try to take time each day to study. It is a slow process and we often feel like children, but it’s worth it in order to interact.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
With being in Italy for three months we do not miss the United States at this point, but we do miss family. Email, phone calls and our blogs help to alleviate this separation. We have also had family visitors since arriving in Italy and more will be visiting in the next few months.
-Do you have other plans for the future?
Our immediate plans are to find a location for the next year as our current housing is only temporary.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
Prices vary depending on location. Where we are now is within an hour’s commute of Rome by train and the prices we have seen here for buying homes are high. It seems anywhere you can get to Rome within an hour by car or train is expensive.
We have searched other locations on the Internet and prices vary across the country depending on location, as they would in the US, too.
-What is the cost of living in Italy?
In total it is comparable to the US; some items are less, some are more. The biggest issue is the poor value of the dollar to the Euro. Groceries are inexpensive but gasoline is about $6.50 for a gallon.
-What do you think about the Italians?
Our experiences have always been that Italians are friendly, especially to Americans. They seem very appreciative and patient when we try speaking in Italian. Anzio was a beachhead during WWII and many locals still recall the sacrifices of Allied Forces to liberate their country, and have expressed their gratitude.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Italy?
As with any foreign country language and customs can be an issue and require work and flexibility. We try to look at differences in life in Italy as not necessary good or bad – just different.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Italy?
Research what you will need for your visa. Research where you will be living and the availability and cost for housing and transportation. Be flexible if things get delayed or you hit a wall; there will be a way around it, but bureaucracy here is infamous and slow.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Italy?
2 Italy – We’re Moving to Italy:
Documenting our move to Italy
2 Baci in a Pinon Tree:
Comments on our experiences