The Art of Living in Italy is comparable to painting the sea while swimming in it. Imagine the waves washing over your paper and spreading the paint in sublime ways you would never expect! Think of sparkling water! What you experience here is either bright crimson or deep ultramarine emotion. What you learn here is to listen, to taste, to see with magnified intensity.
When people hear of Italy, their thoughts drift to romance, gondolas and Venice. When I hear the word Italy, my mind evokes a familiarity with the day-to-day life of Italians, memories of personal experiences that are very simply, a part of me.
The urge to travel, to go beyond known horizons and the curiosity to mingle and experience varying lifestyles is universal. Fortunately, I have been given many such opportunities. Some of my most pleasurable moments remind me of my six years stay in Italy, from 1975 to 1980.
I must admit at the outset that it was my first home in the western world. Although I had earlier visited Venice as a tourist, setting up a home in this country and living among Italians was a unique interlude to my Indian mindset.
Generations of people have taken the leap that many of us only dream of by moving to Italy and emerging themselves in a completely new culture and way of life! These books encompass many different regions if Italy and the experiences that are born of living there, but there is a common thread among all of them. All of these authors are people who have developed a true love of their adopted homeland and couldn't imagine living anywhere else!
The flight from Minneapolis to Rome was barely underway when I felt the first symptoms creep in. By the time the credits rolled on the in-flight movie, my fear was a full-blown condition - doggie withdrawal. This was supposed to be the adventure of my life in Italy, but could I really go nine months with no canine companionship? If the first few hours were any indication, then no, it didn't seem that I could. But I did survive the flight, and soon discovered that Rome is a fascinating world where stepping in dog doo on the street is good luck, and dogs are a part of life in the most unexpected ways.
To describe life in Rome as a student or really as anyone is to try to define the infinite. The great thing about Rome is that it is indefinable. Rome can be love, stress, busy, peaceful, noisy, quite, quaint, urban, beautiful, dirty, etc. etc. It's almost impossible. Rome is a one of a kind city, way of living. To me, it's its own culture.
Noises belt out, bedeviling Italians, what rest is to be found in an Italian city? Old ladies shout to the neighbors, and the worse part is they shout back! Each and every one adds to Italy's noise pollution. When motor scooters approach, the vibrations are nerve-racking and roads and houses vibrate. Where is the silence?
Americans have all sort of rules and laws they follow such as rules involving queuing (an art technique perfected in Singapore where the queue is king). By contrast, Italian have very few rules and most of those can be broken. For example, in Italy, there is no minimum drinking age to which there is any adherence (and imposing one would only encourage underage Italians to drink).
It only took me a week to realize the trackies belonged back in the suitcase, and I shouldn't have even brought the sandals. The hoody could be kept at a pinch, but only for around home.
It's an unwritten dress code, but one that I felt obliged to adhere to if I had any hope of fitting in.
At this time last year, I knew very little about Italy, or being an au pair / nanny for that matter. I didn't speak or understand a word of Italian, I couldn't cook pasta, and my fashion sense was minimal. However, within my ignorance, there was a willingness to be enlightened. Now, one year on, I love Milan, and my initial one-year nannying contract has turned into an open-ended 'will I ever leave' scenario. The following information provides the nuts and bolts for others wishing to pursue an amazing experience similar to mine.
My husband and I are not trust-fund babies, nor self-made millionaires,
but like many, we dreamed of living outside the U.S. In August of 2001,
after much discussion, research, and planning, we boarded the airplane
from Houston, Texas with only the allowable two bags each. We arrived
in Rome, Italy the following day to begin what we refer to as "The 21-Month
Plan."
A Letter from Paolo Nascimbeni - Founder of Life In Italy
I moved to the US in 1987 to finish my studies in computer science in upstate NY, Ithaca, New York. After graduation, in 1989, I moved to the Washington DC area. I go back to Italy five times a year and I constantly talk with Italians and Italian companies for my business. Even though I left Italy several years ago, I am up to date on the life styles in both countries. A disclaimer: since I was born in Italy, my views are somewhat biased toward Italy! (I took the picture below in June 2003 Rome Italy)
When people hear of Italy, their thoughts drift to romance, gondolas and Venice. When I hear the word Italy, my mind evokes a familiarity with the day-to-day life of Italians, memories of personal experiences that are very simply, a part of me.
Americans have all sort of rules and laws they follow such as rules involving queuing (an art technique perfected in Singapore where the queue is king). By contrast, Italian have very few rules and most of those can be broken. For example, in Italy, there is no minimum drinking age to which there is any adherence (and imposing one would only encourage underage Italians to drink).
At this time last year, I knew very little about Italy, or being an au pair / nanny for that matter. I didn't speak or understand a word of Italian, I couldn't cook pasta, and my fashion sense was minimal. However, within my ignorance, there was a willingness to be enlightened. Now, one year on, I love Milan, and my initial one-year nannying contract has turned into an open-ended 'will I ever leave' scenario. The following information provides the nuts and bolts for others wishing to pursue an amazing experience similar to mine.
