So, time has flown. It’s now a month since I moved here and I can’t believe how settled I feel.
To be honest, I’ve been very lucky. My accommodation is small but well situated, my internship is fab and all of my encounters have been really positive (apart from the lady in the deli at my local supermarket)! I honestly thought that I would feel more alone at this point in time that I actually do.
When I first left for Italy, I told myself to be prepared for ups and downs. Moving countries can be extremely stressful and culture shock can strike at any given moment. However, I’m really happy to report that so far so good.
I can’t tell you how much my landlady has helped. She’s a really bubbly woman a bit younger than me. On my first weekend, she invited me to the beach with her and her friends. I was so happy to take up the offer, despite being extremely introverted. Well, maybe introverted extrovert… My landlady’s friends were so kind and welcoming, they really made my first few weeks here. I have been made to feel so welcomed by them. Just this weekend, I went out for an Oktoberfest themed meal with them all. As I moved to Italy on my own, it has been so important to me to try to get to know people and mingle with a wide range of people. Any invitation I was given, I accepted, despite my inner introvert wanting to say no. I pushed myself to go to a variety of bars and cafés to get to know the locals a bit. As I’ve got bleached blonde/ almost white hair, I stand out from the crowd, so fortunately people have remembered me. Also because I’m in a small town, I’m known as the Madre Lingua at the school, kids say hello to me around town and in turn, I get to meet their parents.
I have also joined a gym, which has been really fab, trying to create a routine and activities for myself beyond my internship have been so important as my hours actually spent in school are very limited. I’m aware that going into winter, I might be in my accommodation more often than I am now and I realise that I need to have a reason to get out and about when the evenings are dark and all you want to do is snuggle up inside. Doing that will not help me to meet friends!
I have made a point of taking myself out on day trips to local towns and cities and being really kind to myself. I finally made the decision to move to Italy after a bit of a crisis moment for me in the UK. I’m sure I’ll tell you more about this some other time… Anyway, as a result, I have decided to take myself to nice places, enjoy lazy lunches in beautiful spots and truly make the most of my new life, free from the stresses of my former life as a teacher in the UK. I have already been to some stunning spots, such as Viterbo, Calcata and of course, Rome and I look forward to many more. I must say, the temptation to spend all of my time in Rome is strong, but there are so many beautiful spots in the vicinity. One thing that I do miss is not having a car. This has been a real pain, mainly because I would love to be able to just head out in the afternoons/ evenings and do some exploring on my own. I live next to a massive lake- Lago di Bracciano, and from here, you can see several towns dotted around the lake. I would love to just get in my car and go visit. Not having a car or any real prospect of being able to get one anytime soon, really does tend to impact where you visit. At least Rome is easily connected to my town…
I would be lying if I said that I hadn’t been indulging in the many culinary delights that Italy has to offer. Pasta and ice cream feature heavily in my diet at the moment and it is all washed down with lovely refreshing glasses of spritz. Lucky I joined the gym and I now have to walk everywhere…
One thing that I have been very aware of since moving here is that even though I do spend quite a lot of time in Rome, I am now frequenting new areas of the city. I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone and exploring more of the city. This has also helped me to avoid tourist traps and try to start to understand and learn more about the Italian culture.
I would say that the thing that I have understood the most is actually about myself. That I don’t need to earn as much here, I am living a much more moderate lifestyle, my day is slow and relaxed and I feel happier and more inspired because of it. I am waking up without the feeling of dread and impending doom, which had come to be a regular feature of my mornings in the UK. I wake up here looking forward to my day ahead, I am more grateful perhaps, for the life that I am now blessed to live.I open my door in the morning to blue skies, more often than not, I rarely awaken to the sound of rain, I have time to plan leisure activities. In short, I have breathing space. I am more mindful and ultimately much happier. Am I happy because I’m in Italy? Probably. Thank you Italy!
Have you moved abroad before? What are your top tips for settling in and finding your way? Share them with me below!