La Dolce Vita

The sweet life, does it really exist in Italy. For many who come to Italy seeking it, the myth is not the reality they find. Life for many Italians is not that easy. They work hard for littly pay, poor job security, and live in tiny apartments in crowded cities. Foreigners who come here hoping to find work and live the good life discover that for them it's even harder to survive. First of all it's not easy to stay in Italy legally. One might compare it to trying to immigrate to the US, almost as hard or even harder. In fact I recently met a woman on a plane trip to the US who had gotten easily a ten year tourist visa to the US something that is almost impossible to do in Italy. Once here work is hard to find, those young women who come usually because of some romantic interest often discover their only option is teaching English, in spite of good US educations even advanced degrees.

But, wait, there are some of us who are lucky. My wife being Italian has made it easy for me. We live in an area where the air is clean, scenery beautiful. Most who live here work hard but live pretty well. We just spent a nice weekend in the camper with another couple who came with us in their camper. Sitting in the sun at the sea, eating a nice lunch with the two families and the kids playing. I couldn't help but comment that this is the Life, the sweet life. Of course that life can be found wherever one wants to and has the will to find it.