Ciao. I will turn 18 in January 2010 and I hope to move to Italy then. I speak some Italian and have studied the country quite a bit, so I decided to do a long visit.
One problem is that I can't decide where to go. I will do some travelling throughout some of the country while I am there, but where should I have my homebase?
Another problem is that I have never travelled overseas. I am still learning about all the permits, plane tickets, customs, etc. I would have to work in Italy, too. So if anyone has any advice for me (even advice I'm not asking for), please reply. Thanks in advance!

Il mio primo consiglio: Learn Italian, and well. Start now, and don't stop till you have it under your skin, senza pensarci. If you have the tenacity to pursue and learn the language (not just tourist Italian), you may have the determination to actually live here. It very curious to me the number of folks who show up expecting to make this country their home, yet not speaking a word of the local language.

Unless you are independently wealthy, I would come to study, not to "live." It will take lots of time to set up house, make friends, create a life (as, first of all, you will not be allowed to work). Studying here will give you the possibility to do some of that, and even to understand whether anywhere in Italy is the place for you. Being young and never having traveled abroad, you'll need to check it out!

Finally, your best online resource will be:

expatsinitaly.com

Auguri!

quote:

Originally posted by Sarabear:
One problem is that I can't decide where to go. I will do some travelling throughout some of the country while I am there, but where should I have my homebase?
Another problem is that I have never travelled overseas. I am still learning about all the permits, plane tickets, customs, etc. I would have to work in Italy, too.

Ciao,

I second Venexiananan's advice, as I often do.
Just want to add that travelling entails much more than just "permits, plane tickets, customs, etc.", and moving somewhere is much more than travelling.
My advice would be for you to take 3 steps to make your move.
1. First make a shorter "survey" trip around the country, to see if it is what you imagine and think you will like, and also to see which region fits your interest and inclinations best.
2. Then go back to the country, to the city/region that you like, for a study program.
3. Then you are ready to decide whether you want to move there and where exactly.

It is a fantastic idea for a person to travel young in an independent way. It forms your personality differently and positively, and this will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Hi Sara - My advice is do not set your sights too high and do not make your first visit too long. Since you are very young and have never traveled before I would suggest traveling with a friend for the first time and doing some SLOW exploring before taking the advice of strangers on the internet about where to settle. There are many issues that you will have to deal with that us "older" travelers do not; your social life is a big one. I have had many young American college students on our trips and I can tell you that American girls are popular with Italian boys. This is usually not a problem, but I have seen a few "dramas" develop. You will need to decide if you like city life or something rural or in between. Take a month or two and see what works for you. Working in Italy is not easy if you are non -EU and I would imagine it might be doubly hard for an eighteen year old with no special training. I wish you good luck.

A good way to experience Italian life without committing too much is to come over on a study program. Essentially, you will ganing your university degree while living in Italy for 6-12 months and going to the university here. Many available universities are located OFF the most popular tourist destinations. Places like Bologna, Perugia, Pisa, Genova, Catania, Pavia or Padova will allow you to experiment Italian life in a largish but not too big city or town, compact and at the same time large enough to offer you all of the required services and well-connected to many interesting places to visit.

I second Alice. You shuold go to a University town like Pisa, Siena or Bologna, where you will probably not have any trouble finding a seasonal job as a waitress in some pub or so.

Of course if you do not get a job,you will not be allowed to stay for more than 90 days. But while you are here you can look for a job and then apply for a work permit and stay longer.

One more thing that I forgot to mention, Sara, and I am guessing that I may be speaking for all who have replied to your post. I am thrilled by your adventurous spirit and very much support your aspirations. Please do not take the advice as negativity or discouragement. I am a parent and college prof, so that's the mindset where my advice comes from.

I second almost everything that has been said--most of all your desire to experience new things. Don't ever give the dreams away.

With that said, you need to follow the advice to go to Expats in Italy and learn about the requirements for long-term visits to Italy (and other EU countries). You will need to obtain a visa of one sort or another if you are planning on more than 90 days. The visa you will best qualify for is a student visa which fits right into the suggestions that you enroll in a college somewhere in Italy.

Tenacity will be the key to following this dream so stick with it.

What country are you coming from? Some countries have youth work programs. You're allowed to work for some months and play tourist for some months. If your country is on the list it's likely the best choice.

I'm curious, what sort of grades do you need to get into college?. As I understand it it's only the top 5% or so of students in Italy that go to college.It's unlike the USA which has hundreds of universities and thousands of colleges.

I assume therefore that its not just show up and enroll regardless of qualifications. I know that foreign college enrollment through US colleges is very competitive and basically takes a very high grade point average. RR

quote:

Originally posted by Robert Rainey:
I assume therefore that it's not just show up and enroll regardless of qualifications.

Only if it is a private language school, for example. Most have long-term students that stay 3-, 6-months, even a year.

Hi Sarabear, I just wrote to welcome you in another section of slowtrav and noticed this post. I know you are 16 presently and as you say you want to go to Italy in two years. So you have some time. I am very curious how you have come to desire this big adventure. How did you choose Italy? It's very relatable for many of us on these boards..we LOVE Italy too but I'm interested to know how you became so interested.
Everyone before me has given you good advice. Unless you have unlimited resources (money, relatives in Italy etc) I'm curious to know if you have plans on how to survive while you are there. As others have said there are many difficulties in obtaining employment. Definitely, knowing the language is very important for employment possibilities. I am currently taking italian language classes at the local city college. Many of the students are 18 years old and alot of them have similar dreams as you. They are wonderful dreams and I admire them. Alot of the students are planning on spending the summer in places like Florence and Sienna to continue studying the language in Italy. For many it will be their first trip. Housing and mini side trips to different areas of Italy are part of the programs. It's definitely one way of introducing yourself to the country before making a huge leap. The city colleges near me allow non-enrolled students to participate in a summer beginning italian course in Italy. So a just graduated high school senior could attend. You might check to see if your high school counselor knows of similar programs for you to take advantage of. Also there is a high school senior in my class at the college right now. She will graduate in June but her high school did not offer Italian as one of the language options. Therefore they allow students to go to the local city college to take a language like Italian and get credit for it. See if that is also a possibility if they do not offer Italian at your high school. Sounds like you are a very ambitious, independent and adventurous spirit. You are giving yourself two years of prep time before you begin your dream. Let us know how your plans evolve. Best of luck to you! Barb Cabot

I am homeschooled, so I am not very normal. In fact, I try not to be normal. I don't have any high school advisors or anything. I plan to take the GED test in 6 months. This is a test that will show my graduation of high school. I am not sure about college, here in the US or overseas in Italy.
My parents raised me to be independent. They taught me to make decisions with confidence, instead of fear. After making a decision, I prepare myself in totality (hence taking almost 2 years to plan it all out).
I have always been obsessed with Italy. I have studied the language on and off for close to 5 years. I have had penpals from the country, read the maps, done quite a bit of homework. I know all the complications involved in even taking a short trip overseas, let alone relocation.
I am not big into socialization. I wouldn't mind some friends, but it is not the main reason I want to go to Italy. I find that if I want to learn about something, it is best to dive in. For example: I have studied many religions by actually becoming a Christian, Pagan, Muslim, Jew, etc. This is my goal in Italy: to live as a local as much as possible in order to understand the people, culture and country better.
If anyone has more advice, besides the great advice already given, please don't hold back.
Thank all of you who replied!

Hi Sara,

Best of luck with your plans. As another young person who has lived/studied/travelled recently in Italy I feel I am well-qualified to put my oar in.

First let me tell you - no matter how much you think you know about a place, or how much you have studied it, the reality of living there is very different. This is the same for expats the world over, no matter what background you come from, as I'm sure many of our resident expats here will know! I am of Italian background, have visited Italy on numerous occaisions, speak the language and have many relatives in Italy. It still didn't prepare me for the reality of living there day in day out and having to deal with all those things that you deal with in real life, as opposed to on a holiday. Be prepared to have no expectations about what it will be like.

Second, I would suggest being realistic about the possiblity of finding work. Casual student work in Italy is something that just does not exist, and when it does it is so poorly paid it is hardly worth doing. In Italy, parents tend to support their kids fully until they are earning enough money to support themselves. I lived in a student town called Perugia, where typical student work involved handing out flyers for nightclubs for 5 hours a night, six nights a week... for a remuneration of 15E per night. I knew another student (she was actually Perugina) who worked nights in a call centre and was paid 200E a month for about 80 hours work - you do the maths. Cafe, restaurant and bar work is considered a career move and the chances of them hiring a young foreigner without perfect language skills are slim to none. Another possibility is au pair work, where you get your bed, board and a small allowance in exchange for baby sitting. My advice is to save up as much as you can now so that work is an optional extra rather than a necessity.

Third, take the chance to do something you've never done before. Be daring. Seeing as you've been homeschooled, enrolling in a language course at a place like the University for Foreigners in Perugia will be a great adventure for you. You will be with other young people, both Italian and foreigners, in a town where a quarter of the population are students. You will learn the language and get to live like Italians do. Here is a link to a long-running discussion about living in Perugia and learning Italian at the Uni for Foreigners. We cover lots of topics like visas, living expenses, the pros and cons of living with other foreign students vs with Italian students, finding accommodation etc.

I would jump at the chance to make friends in this way. My most precious moments away weren't the monuments I saw, but the experiences I shared with people I met - whether they were family, newly acquired friends or random people on a train.

Anyway, I hope this helps clarify some of your expectations. Let me know if you have any questions!

Buon viaggio, Claire.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert Rainey:
As I understand it it's only the top 5% or so of students in Italy that go to college.

That is no exact. The number of gratuates is arather low, but still in the 20% range. Twice as many as those do go to the unversity but drop out, like I did. Usually because Italian universites can absolutely suck. I got bred after followuing a second year English literatuure course during which I had to sit through lessons where the teacher read out aloud the Treasure Island with a disgusting accent and then translated it for the audience to keep up with the meaning of the text. After several of these lessons I asked myself "Well, I have already read this novel in high school in English and with nobody to translate it to me: do I really need to get this bored now?".

Thanks, Claire!

Your ambitions are interesting. As Claire has said, though, learning a country through research is very different from living that country. Italy is a land of quirks and bureaucracy that only in living there can you begin to understand its complexities--which are often very frustrating.

When you go, it will be very important to have some things settled before arriving. You need to begin fully exploring the Expats in Italy site. If you follow each of the topics and threads, you will begin to get a different feel than you have from the studies you have explored so far. You will read about the real life experiences that expats have on a daily basis. It will be a place where you can ask questions and get more answers from people like Claire who have gone before you.

The other issue you must deal with is the visa issue. Expats has all the information that you need to see how you qualify and for which type of visa. The reality is that you can't just go to another country and be welcomed with open arms. Just as people coming to the US must have appropriate visas and documentations so, too, do other countries. You do not want to be anywhere as an illegal immigrant. As an 18 year old, the type of visa which you can qualify for is very limited. You really need to start with that issue before attacking other areas.

Ciao Sarabear - In addition to a study program, which IMO should be numero uno, there are summer jobs to be found. Take a look at this blog post by a young American girl living in the Veneto:
http://abroadrview.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-break-free-from-your-cube.html

I found it very inspirational plus it sure looks like she's had some fun!

In bocca lupo - M

Lots of good info already. Like the others say, visa and monetary issues keep most of us from simply backing a bag and saying “I’m moving to Italy!” Going on some kind of program is very beneficial and makes things easier.

When I was 17, I went to Panama for one year as an exchange student. This is an excellent alternative because it is cheaper than a study abroad program, the families don’t get compensated (it is like a cultural exchange, they are supposed to be like a real family), you get totally immersed because you attend high school, and because the exchange student is young, he or she will find it easy to learn the language. I couldn’t believe how fast I learned Spanish that way! I went with AFS (American Field Service), but there are others as well, such as YFU (Youth for Understanding) that are also non-profit. The Rotary Clubs also have these programs. It is good to start looking into this now, for instance, if you want to travel with AFS to Italy in the fall of 2010, you should apply in the spring or summer of 2009.

Don’t worry about the fact that you will have graduated by then, in general Europeans graduate one year later than Americans, so you would probably be the same age as the Italian students in their last year of liceo.

Just my two cents! My exchange year was such an eye opener and has shaped me in so many ways: my love for travel, my curiosity about the world, my choice of work (international development), and my compassion for others all started with my year in a tiny town in Panama.

Thank you all for your wonderful advice!!