I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about expats in Italy-about what motivates us to move to this country, what encourages us to stay and even more about what it takes to make a life in the bel paese.

And I plan to write more about this soon.

But today, guest blogger, Katie Greenaway, comes to us from the rolling hills of Tuscany with tips on how to make it. Katie fell in love with Italy in 2002 and her love affair has carried her back and forth between her home in the US and Renaissance Florence for most of the last decade.

Today, Katie is sharing four steps to finding a job in Italy.

So, give her a warm welcome, my friends …

Living in Italy isn’t always la dolce vita, especially when you are trying to find a stable job. I was struggling to find just that this past fall. I sent my resume/CV to every language school in Florence and to every announcement on Anglo-Info and in The Florentine.

I was desperate for anyone to give me a shot as an English teacher. Here are some tips I can offer my fellow expats in Italy in finding a job.

1. Network

I asked people when I would be out with friends in the center. If they knew of a good language school to apply to and if they were looking for new teachers. I then would go to the school and with my CV translated in Italian and explain what experience I had. If I didn’t network like I did, I wouldn’t have found some schools that I didn’t even know existed in Florence. It pays to just ask. You can’t lose when you ask.

2. Be Persistent

If you are persistent in Italy, you will eventually get what you want or need. For example, I had an argument with a woman in one language school here in Florence who kept telling me that she couldn’t take my CV because I didn’t have a Permesso di Soggiorno. I had to explain to her that the law had changed for EU citizens and being a dual American/UK citizen, there was no reason I needed a PdiS to apply for this job.

After 10 minutes, I finally convinced her to take my CV to give to her boss because I am legally able to work in Italy. Be bold and confident, like everything else in life, when you are confident you exude power and confidence.

3. Classifieds

I found my job in one of the classified sections like in Anglo-Info and The Florentine. These are your links to the jobs that out there. You can’t just wait for the job to fall into your lap. There are many other sites on the Internet that can assist you in finding a job. Have a friend or use Twitter to find someone to translate your CV into Italian. Send an email with your CV attached, in Italian and English and think positive. Good things are a-coming.

4. Don’t Give Up

It is a difficult when you an expat, away from family, trying to find a job. The support system is non-existent unless you have friends. You must know that it will always work out for the better. If you keep finding the negative in each situation, from each response from each job you apply for. This will kill your spirit when you want to keep yourself grounded and strong. Keep your eye on the prize. Whether it is finding a teaching job, a university job or working for a tourist agency, something will give and you will be happy when it does. Keep your hopes soaring high and you will soon receive the job you were dreaming of.

I try to be positive in all aspects of my life, but I know how hard it can be when you are without a job in a place you wish to be your home. I live by these words from the late Randy Pausch, hope this helps!

“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.”

What about you? Do you have other tips for expats-or would-be expats-for finding a job?

PS – In other news, the Blogging from the Boot Winners have been announced! Head over to AffordableCallingCards.net to congratulate the winners!

photo credit: Leandro Martinez

I’ve been an expat in Italy for more than three years and I’ve experienced more than my share of crazy Calabrian moments. Yes, like the time I marketed our B&B at the GYN or the time my husband’s uncle tried to cut his son from a tree or when I was offered fruit from my own garden.

Oh yes, being an expat in Italy is interesting, but somewhere along the way, between the three-hour lunches, homemade pistachio liquor and short, but stout, coffee shots, I became one of them.

Almost.

Post continues here …

Last week Emily of Don’t Call Me Gringa wrote about the overwhelming choices expat women face. No, not choices about where to live, which new cave to explore or which new food item to devour, but rather the overwhelming selections that welcome us back home.

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…

Maybe it is a gradual thing, like expat’s Stockholm, but I think we get used to the choices, or in many cases, lack of choices in our adopted countries, so much so that we don’t even realize what we are missing.

Post continues here.

About once a week I get an email from an expat-hopeful asking me about Italy, telling me about his or her dream to move abroad and thanking me for my positive and “inspirational” posts about living in a new country.

Gulp.

No pressure here …

So, last week over at ACC, we began a discussion on what it takes to be an expat and I shared some things I’ve noticed over the years that the most successful expats don’t do.

I’d like to continue that conversation today.

Post continues here.

Photo by Yan Pritzker Photo on Flickr

 
“How do you say that again?”
 
“I thought I’d be fluent by now.”
 
“I’m just not good with languages …”
 
One of the first things expats who move to non-English speaking countries are faced with is the 24-hour language fest-and if you are anything like me, you left your invitation at home.
 
Over the last year negative phrases like these have crept into my consciousness and crowded my mind with self-doubt and insecurities. I. Just. Can’t. Get. It.
 
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am perfectly conversational in Italian, can understand most people and accents and can basically get by in any situation.
 
But it ain’t purty.
 
Post continues here.
 

Long moonlit walks along the Mediterranean, candy-colored ice cream scoops with unpronounceable names and century after century after century of world history … just waiting outside your door step. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

Well, it is.

Italy is remarkable in more ways than I can count (at least in post) and I consider myself lucky to live among her residents. But it wasn’t isn’t always easy.

Post continues here with five tips and strategies for overcoming culture shock.

Back in my college days, before I’d ever worked for the mouse, lived overseas or, heck even flown on an airplane, I took a class that impacted my future experiences with every other city, state or country I’d ever live in. The class was called Cultural Communication and the professor, Dr. Larry King stood before our stuffy, poorly lit lecture hall and explained, in a series of words I can’t quite recall, the next 10 years of my life.

I can’t explain why this class-no, this lecture-grasped a prominent place in my memory like it did, especially at a time in my life when I had no intention of up and marryin’ some good-looking eye-talian and high tailin’ it to southern Italy. But it did.

The essential points in his lecture have rung true for me over the years and reminded me that every culture shock symptom I have experienced is not only normal, but expected.

And I’m going to share those points with you.

Post continues here with the stages of culture shock.

 
Hard to believe, but true. This weekend marks my THREE-YEAR anniversary in the Bel Paese. My oh my, how time does fly …
 
It seems like only yesterday I was packing boxes, overloading suitcases and stumbling my way through general greetings and basic Italian conversations and can I just say-I’m so glad that is a thing of the past.
 

My husband and me the weekend I moved to Calabria.

 
Right around the time of my one-year anniversary, I wrote a post describing the six things I love most about Italy and I’m happy to say not much has changed. I still get breathless at a new bella vista, enjoy a shot or three of limoncello every now and then and get outside for a peaceful passeggiata whenever I can.
 
But nothing stays the same. As time passes, our perspectives change and in amazement we wonder how we ever saw things differently. How we were different … how much we’ve changed.
 
Or in this particular instance-how much I’ve changed.
 
Since living in Italy, I don’t feel my temper flaring, my blood pressure rising, my blood boiling-quite like it used to. For the most part I’m more laid back … and I like that.
 
I’m not as materialistic. Don’t get me wrong-I still  lust for Manolo Blahniks, Prada and D&G but I don’t live for them and I certainly wouldn’t sacrifice anything to have them.
 
As lost as you can feel sometimes when living on foreign land, I somehow feel grounded. I have a good sense of where I’m going and an unending faith that I’ll get there. And I know that even when bad things happen, I’ll come through the other side … with a smile.
 
I can’t say what the future holds-all I can say that is that today I am happy to be here. I’m proud of what I’ve done and who I’ve become. And at the end of the day, could we really ask for more?
 
How do you think visiting or living in Italy-or any foreign country-has changed you? Would you do anything differently?
 
Buon Weekend!
 

 
We’ve discussed tips for packing light, packing well and packing internationally, but packing for the long haul, such as an overseas move or a long-term extended stay is a different story. Where do you begin? What do you take? What do you leave?
 
Argh! Just thinking about it is enough to make you want to throw in the towel and abandon your move, isn’t it?
 
It isn’t?
 
Ok, then. Here are a few tips I’ve collected over the years that served me well when I moved both to Paris and to Calabria. Use the tips you like and toss the rest. You’ll be throwing away enough of your own things soon enough …
 
To start with, I divided the types of things I would need into four categories 1) Attire, 2) Health Care, 3) Home Items and 4) Personal Items and went from there. If it didn’t fit into one of these categories, I didn’t take it. (Although, Wise Gal that I am, I made those categories pretty darn flexible.)
 

photo credit: Amy Loves Yah

 
Attire
Proponents of selling everything you own and replenishing your stock in your newly adopted country will tell you that you can buy new clothes when you arrive. While this is true, both of the international places I have moved to are much more expensive than Beaumont, Texas. Your personal circumstances, the weather, seasons and length of time you will be away will affect what you take with you, however I suggest you carry essentials, such as jeans and slacks, a few shirts, PJs and shoes. I am a recovering shoeaholic, so take that last piece of advice as needed and surge ahead.
 
I also brought accessories, such as handbags, jewelry, hats and scarves. For the most part they are small and can easily be tucked into empty spaces and well, heck, a girl’s gotta look cute in her new country … right?
 

photo credit: joguldi

 
Health Care
Before I moved to Paris, someone, who had supposedly lived there before, told me they couldn’t find American-quality tampons anywhere in the City of Lights. So I stocked up on a year’s supply of those babies and carried them with me in gallon-sized Ziploc bags. Ahem. You can imagine my surprise when I went on my first grocery run and found an entire aisle dedicated to Tampax.
 
The lesson here is to do your research. For people relocating to Italy, the forum at Expats in Italy is full of helpful advice and people willing to help you with your move or you can email me and I’ll help you out. And for what it is worth, finding tampons hasn’t really been an issue for me here in southern Italy, so save your suitcase space!
 
I do suggest, however that you pack any prescription drugs or over-the-counter medicine you can’t live without. It can be difficult-if not impossible-to have them mailed to you.
 

photo credit: redcherryhill

 
Home Items
Many soon-to-be-expats are consumed with bringing necessities such as clothes and shoes and don’t have much leftover space for home items. This is really a personal choice but on both of my international moves I carried my comforter. In Paris it was the one thing that was really mine in that fully furnished apartment I shared with three strangers and seeing it every day made me smile. Here in Italy it was a reminder that I wasn’t “that far” from where I’d been and it was comforting to sleep in something that reminded me of home.
 
If you don’t have room for a comforter, consider packing something smaller, such as your favorite coffee mug, soup bowl or decorative pillow. You will be happy to have that little reminder when homesickness sets in.
 

photo credit: michale

 
Personal Items
Many expats will agree that we love to have our personal pictures and momentos with us in our new countries. I filled an envelope with the drawings my nephew had given me and brought my favorite family photes. I left all frames behind and bought new frames here. If I was  moving today, I would scan all of my pictures and put them on a flash drive or CD and reprint them here in Italy. It is a great way to maximize space and still have your favorite personal photos with you.
 
Packing for an international move is one of the most difficult things many of us have done. If time and space allow, consider creating a box of other items you would like to take with you at some point in the future or even packing an additional suitcase for your family members or friends to bring when they visit you.
 
What do you think are the first things you would pack if you moved overseas? For those of you who have moved, what did you bring and why?
 
Be sure to visit Robinand see what she has going on for Travel Tip Tuesday.
 
Until next time … Buon Viaggio!
 

 
I’m closing in on my first full week back in the bel paese and have just finished unloading my loot. With my creative airline connections and day-long London-based layover, I not-so-voluntarily had to reduce my amount of American-flavored imports.
 
But some things always make the cut.
 
Here is a quick pic of some of the food items that made my list.
 

 
Earlier this week I was asked to report to you guys what American items I bring back with me when I visit Texas. Well, aside from the obligatory edibles, there are several other staples that will remain forever on my “to buy” list.
 
And I am not alone. Other American expats living in Italy stock up on their favorites when relatives visit, when friends send packages or when they are state-side and I asked them to weigh in.
 
Here are the Top Five Things American Expats in Italy Import from Home
 
Ziploc Bags – Oh yes, Italy has a version of the plastic sandwich-style bag that one could use for … well, for … for carrying peanuts to the beach, maybe? I don’t actually know what Italians use their little plastic bags for, but trust me, folks, these aren’t Ziploc. This was actually the #1 response from the people I polled and is always – always - on my list.
 

photo credit: tanakawho

 
English Language Literature – Or to quote one of my favorite American expats in Umbria “English language anything!” I know how you feel, Judith, I brought four books back this go around – and 3 mags.
 
Over-the-Counter Medicine – Pills such as Aleve, Advil and NyQuil, or generic versions of said meds, are a top priority for most American expats in Italy. Ibuprofen has recently hit the shelves of my neighborhood pharmacy here in Catanzaro disguised as Vicks Flu Medicine, but weighing in a whopping €12 euros (for 12 pills) importing these bad boys is still a money-wise option.
 

photo credit: kanonn

 
St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I have to admit I was surprised this one made the list. I mean, it is always on my list and I always bring an extra stash for my pal down the street, but I was surprised other American expats agreed. Long live St. Ives!
 
Clothes - I know. We live in Italy and Italy is one big fun-filled shopping experience, right? Well, uh no. Wrong. Many expats I know prefer to shop at home. Clothes here tend to be odd-fitting, too tight or hugely overpriced. Shoes are a priority for me and I have another expat friend who loads up on blue jeans when she is the states.
 

photo credit: Shaury

 
Other interesting items American expats like to bring back to Italy are regional food favorites, such as Velveeta cheese and chili powder for me, marshmallow cream for my pal, Michelle and Cream of Wheat packets for the globe-trottin’ Miss Expatria.
 
What about you? If you are an expat, what things do you bring from home? If you aren’t an expat, what would you miss the most? Please share … and have a great weekend!