Italy is not paradise on earth as depicted in many books and by some who post on Facebook and other sites and have their own reasons for doing so. Many people who promote Italy as such have some financial or maybe personal reason for doing so in spite of the reality of living here. The reality is that Italy can be a wonderful place to live under the right circumstances; mainly one needs to have an income as in any other place and one needs to live in a decent area. It also helps to have a family support network and friends.
So what are some of the things I like about living here. Well, I like the school system and it's small class sizes. There are 18 in Julia's middle school class as opposed to around 48 in the classes my brother teaches in So. Cal. I love the medical system which has been very good to me and costs me essentially nothing. I like that fact that things and people here are very accessible. We can walk to most everything we really need and big markets, are just a few minutes away by car. Friends seem easier to connect with, I'm not sure why, partly it's the physical closeness and I suppose partly a different attitude. I like the fact that people are more concentrated as in living in mid rise apartments so that the country side is left open and green. And I love the vistas, the open spaces, the access to sports and the closeness to the rest of Europe. More to come.
Hello John, ciao, mi chiamo Claudia e sono una designer italiana che vive in America, nell'Idaho. Ho una famiglia anche io, un marito, che ho sposato 19 anni fa, e due bimbe. Volevo dirti che mi fa immenso piacere leggere il tuo blog. Mi piace il tuo sense of humor e anche il fatto che riesci a vedere il lato dell'Italia che molti americani smettono di vedere dopo un pó. Buon anno e keep on bloggin'. Claudia
ReplyDeleteClaudia thanks for the kind words, especially coming from an Italian. How do you like living in Idaho and what do you design. I used to go to Sun Valley for skiing.
ReplyDeleteSun Valley is just gorgeous! Idaho is pretty good to raise a family, I think. Of course, it can never be really home, but it will do for now:-) As long as we are together as a family, I say... I am a creative director in a design firm, we do a lot of food packaging design, among other things. I went to art school in Italy when I was a girl, and got a graphic design degree, but went to university here in Boise to study advertising. I am 38 now, but I took my family to live in Italy for a year, a couple of times in these 19 years. It has been wonderful, but I guess my hubby was not quite ready to make that our permanent situation. He's such a cowboy, ha! Oh well, I am glad to see that it is possible for americans to get used to the Italian life, and I am having him read your blog as well. You never know, it may inspire him to finally move there. Buonanotte then.. it is past ten here:-) Claudia
ReplyDeleteI'm also an American living in Italy and living here vs vacationing here are two different things. That being said, there are many things I appreciate about Italy and many things I miss from back home. Keep up the blogging and feel free to visit/follow mine!
ReplyDeleteCiao Ciao!
http://myamericanitaly.blogspot.com/
I'm an American in Italy, albeit temporarily, and I've grown to enjoy the culture. There are, however, things I deeply miss about the States. Your blog is enjoyable so please keep it up! Feel free to check out/follow mine if you have the time.
ReplyDeleteCiao ciao!
http://myamericanitaly.blogspot.com/