The Truth About Moving to Italy No One Tells You | My 3-Year Reality Check

Shayna: How are things now. I am considering a military assignment there. It would be a short assignment. 1 year, then I’d planned trying to stay for a while. The assignment gives me a chance to have access to the US military resources until I get the feel of things. So, how are you now? Thanks for all the great and realistic information! Alan

Dont go to another country and try to change it. You are a guest.

I've been working in Italy for almost 30 years. I love Italy, but never seriously considered moving there for all the reasons you beautifully articulated. It's a great place to visit for long periods of time, but for me, I always enjoy coming home to NYC when the work is done. Global warming is very dangerous for Italy, and nobody wants to talk about that. Most people there fantasize about la dolce vita, but more and more time is chipping away at it. Then one day, death may become her.

Yes there are a lot of idiotic rules and bureaucracy, but some of your exmples don't fly!
I can get a plummer within a day or so, maybe there is a shortage in your area. Paying duty on your own things mailed in from the USA may well work the same when you go back to the uSA.
Your clothes and personal items you have in Italy will be up for duty when returning to the US !
I see it as a quaint police state and you adjust accordingly if you think it's worth it.

Dear Tax Evader: Of course if you import valuables that are you own property to the US, you have to pay customs charges. That happen everywhere in the world. Ever heard about that?

I'm moving to Naples in a few months, I'm nervouuus 😅

Thank you for this very useful information!

Hello I'm Italian. Life is complicated like elsewhere. Your video has several errors. We don't work for the goverment. Taxes pay the services. If You need an ambulance in case of emergency, You will not pay for the ambulance.

It is a different country. Get Over yourself. WTF ???

Behind in spirituality? I just walked the Camino di Francesco and the people there refreshed my faith in humanity. And, it was nice to be in a place that seemingly still has rich tradition of Christianity/Spirituality.

That's Socialism.

sounds like the US

to push back on the health and wellness comment and how you came from LA with all of that being a big thing. the only reason why its such a big thing is because of the poison that we call food here and the way they move throughout there days at a slower pace and dont try to stress the body. all of the natural ways they live, are the reason they don't have all that stuff we have. I am from New York so I understand where you are coming from, but I wouldnt be listing it as some sort of negative thing. That stuff goes along with hustle and fast paced life. They dont do that there.

You’re an American laissez faire capitalist droning on about doing business in a socialist country. Where did you go to business school? Being an American capitalist in the age of Trump is like wearing a MAGA hat in Harlem. If you want to hustle… come home.

Thank You Shayna , very well said, I love the way you shared your experience and all the things that could crucially help to know and be prepared for for someone with the same dream, but being respectful while doing it at the same time, not generalizing your experience and at thee same time making sure it won't be discouraging , very intelligent helpful approach that is the best I've ever seen, that's why i love listening to you and get so inspired whether on Instagram or here , much love and all the best always.❤🌺🙏✨

spain is very similar to everything you said, but now that i’m visiting california for a week, I can’t wait to come back. here dental floss cost10 dollars

You could have mentioned a range of fees that were charged…that would have helped

European food isn't trying to kill you like American stuff (its not food)is trying to

This is the disgrace of Italy! 150.000 italians have been leaving the country each year, for at least the past 15 years.

I absolutely adore your top! Can I ask just where you got it? I don't know if it's a dress or just a top, but it's just beautiful.

I lived in Germany back when it was West Germany. I left in 2000 to return to the US expecting our daughter. Before the Berlin Wall fell everything in Germany worked like a fine crafted Swiss watch. I stayed to watch the decade long decline with every woke agenda thrown at both the young and old. I left because there was no quality health care for an unemployed pregnant woman. I return to the USA in Summer of 2000 and also had no health insurance but I paid back then only $3000.00 for all prenatal , hospital delivery stay over 2 nights a top Catholic hospital in Washington DC . It was back then cheaper than having Blue Cross Blue Shield. But that was then. Now today in Unified Germany in every city and town Women's shelter have popped up like mushooms everywhere due to high Alcoholism rates and shockingly high rate of Domestic abuse toward husbands and wives and children. Today in the USA it is exactly like Italy in the slowness to hire and work with Qualified workers and insurance rates are ridiculous. Unless someone has family overseas and speaks the language flawlessly there are scammers on both sides of the world. If you are an American woman you need a thick skin because no thanks to Hollywood and Porn Hub it is hard to get respect from Italian or German culture perspective. I am proud of your hard work and hope your hubby is not a mamma's boy. That is something even the Italian women have a strong opinion against. Enjoy your accomplishments and do not compare what you have achieved with others. It will break your heart. Europe is haunted from suffering too many world wars for centuries . Enjoy the peace that you now have.

So it sounds exactly like if a rural person in the US moved to NYC!!!

We moved to northern Italy 5 months ago (from Norway) and we were SO worried about things being super slow etc, but so far everything has been running smoothly, so many things can be done online, systems that work, and we have mostly met people who have wanted to help. We still haven’t bought a house so we haven’t experienced that part yet. We were looking into moving to the USA before and tbh everything looked very overwhelming as well, but I think every new system does no matter where you go. Especially countries with larger populations. Anyway there is a Persian poem that says “Wherever your heart finds peace, that is your destination” and Italy is just that for us❤️

As for the bio hacking culture, I really love that you guys have so much of that in the USA or California, but I do think as you said since the food here generally is of good quality it’s something you can create for yourself here as well.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, love watching your videos and wish you all the best💞

Superbe!!!!

You’re not the main character of some romantic fantasy novel. You’re just another average American who thinks that the grass is greener in a EU bureaucratic hell.

well, first of all, I would never move anywhere without learning the language first. Ofc, you don't really have to be fluent at first but you can't just expect locals to speak english, why would they? As a half Croatian and half German who has lived in Germany, Austria, Croatia and Switzerland I don't think I'd have any problems with the bureaucracy, it's mostly just bc you came from another continent and from a totally different culture and system. If I would ever move to the US (would never but let's say I did) I would probably give up after a month and try get to Europe as fast as possible, so I think that every American who moves to Europe must be in a state of shock for a while 😂.

I have dual citizenship, speak, read and write Italian at an intermediate level, lined up a lawyer, a realtor who is an expat and am doing a lot of prep work before going. I am also going with passive income so I shouldn't have too many bumps.

Try visiting Africa, country like Tanzania or any in East Africa, you will enjoy. many business opportunities and big land for cheap and easy to start a business

Having a look at this I can see the basic problem,
You are american from LA and you moved to italy!
It is not LA, they dont have wellness and spirituality, they have food without labels telling you how good they are.
This isnt meant as a direct criticism just an observation of differences.
You dont go to a foreign country and expect it to be like home, if you do, and it seems a lot of people fall for that, then they are critical or disappointed by the experience.
Expecting any country to change for you upsets people when it doesnt, you are the one on a journey not them.

Expats look for other expats. Live in groups. LOL

Wow, I was some place giving my opinion and lost the place. I was saying I agree with all you are saying, italians are lovebly whem you are buying something from them, otherwise you are not included... socially you are an autsider .... closed for foreingners. Yes, i miss food and the view, but the loneliness finally chased me back to the states , I could never in 4 years felt that I belong there.

A married couple--friends of mine--moved from Argentina to Italy. I think the wife had an Italian passport because of her grandparents. They lived in Verona for about three years. They finally gave up and moved to Spain. As the husband explained it to me, "You have to be born and raised in Italy to know how to game the system. It just got too overwhelming for us." They now live in Barcelona and are much happier.

WHat business do you do in Italy?

Every country has its own compromise,but true what you say its 80,%accurate , I m surprised about the close circle,do you live in small village in the North?

Omg you such pocsh

Sounds like a nightmare.

I'm grateful to live in Italy...

Italy has a huge dark side full of corruption and degradation. You have to remember that the Roman empire created taxation. And the major Religion of the country is Roman Catholicism. Italy is highly patriarchal and there is a lot to say about duality. America is based on Roman Empire ethics. Once you start connecting the dots you will see things from a new perspective. Italy has a huge drug, human trafficking and immigration issue. The people there are tired. They have lived through fascism and 2 world wars in recent more modern times and during ancient times after the fall of the Roman Empire Italy was made up of ciry states that were ruled by wealthy families. Italy was not unified as it is today...so this is one huge reason regarding beaurocracy. The people are resilient and tired so they choose "La Dolce Vita" as an escape from tbe oppression and poverty they faced. And with that also innovation and an eye for beauty. It is really complicated and thousands of years that predate American culture. As a dual citizen of Canada and Italy, I did find the red tape to be ridiculous but once I stepped back to see the big picture it shifted things for me. And granted they change governments way more quickly than the Americas do and it is hard because the elite and wealthy of the north don't want to take care of the "poor" south. The north has wanted ro separate for quite some time now. Italy has a lot of billionaires too but they for some reason don't want to lift all boats. And the regular people are tired. Doctors only make on average 76,000 euro a year and office workers are lucky to make €1500 a month. The wages aren't there and who wants to pay taxes when you make so little. So Italy has big problems just like everywhere else. There is also a tonne of corruption. And there are a lot of hoops to jump through for sure. People realize that it is the way it is, but they also band together to form cooperatives. And other societies to help each other out. For food stuff you can research Carlo Petrini and the Slow Food Movement he started several decades ago. It is where the original copied 100 mile diet got it's inspiration from. Organic food is called Bio..or cibo biologico. There are different labels. And a tonne can be learned by visiting agritourisms. When I moved back from Italy to Canada I had reverse culture shock and I still miss the rhythm there and the way of life. America hustle culture is overrated. And some how Americans have it ingrained in their culture to step over everyone to male a buck. It is in your constituiton to pursue happiness. How can you pursue happiness...that means you are always runni g for it but never quite in reach of it and step over others to get your piece of the pie at any cost....that is a toxic way of doing things. And the Italians juat want to enjoy things in peace. They have had a tonne of exploitation over the aeons and instead of strive they choose simplicity in the day to day of the complexities of their governance and economic systems. Good job being open to adapting to being a foreigner there instead of being frustrated and wanting them to change. Acceptance is important when immersing yourself. As you start learning the language you will see how it will open things up for you...both in relating to the locals and also learning about customs and nuances of the culture. There are huge pockets of spirituality there or "new age" that is on the fringe of Catholicism. Places like Damenhaur and La Grotta Sonora for sound healing. Plus all the terme (or hot springs for water therapies". There is even a Tarot Museum. Have fun exploring. There is a lot out there...you just have to have fun discovering it. Buona fortuna per la tua avventura e vita in Italia.

With tax you pay health care free in Italy, you pay university and all school free.

I'm Italian, lived in the UK, moved back to Italy. I would never move to Italy if I wasn't Italian and don't know how anyone who wasn't born here can adapt to the culture! Hats off to you expats living here! 😂

Health sistem not good? Oh please🙄

People dont move to italy to speed up they move there to slow down.

The Problem everywhere are the 80 % of people that are simple followers, the Masses. They hardly ever stand up for something. They follow in good and bad times, hardly ever say "enough is enough". They are extremely hard to organize without pressuring them into it. Those surviving politics understand that. So you only can hope, that you have good and strong people in power, who really care and seek solutions for the country and it's people, and not only for themselves, because you'll never know for sure because both, the good and the bad have to use "propaganda", lies and pressure to move things in the direction they want. As long as the masses don't learn and understand this, and raise to a level where they have energy, time, clarity and a basic knowledge on evaluation and the Funktion of the mind, this will not change.