Step 1. Well done, you’re off to a great start by visiting our site!
We hope you find the information helpful, if there’s anything on your mind definitely let us know. And while there aren’t many official resources to help you through this process, which is one of our motivations for doing this, there are Facebook groups and other sites online with people sharing their personal stories.
Step 2. Make a list detailing what you want to experience.
For all of us, it was an opportunity to learn a language and travel as much as possible, as well as ski more (Lynn), cook/bake more (Ali), play soccer more (Kai), learn more about food and wine (Dave), and just tag along for the ride kicking and screaming (Joy).
What’s on your list? Share in the comments below.
Step 3. Think about where in the world would match up with your criteria.
Better yet, talk to anyone you might know who has lived in those places and try to visit to make sure they are a good fit for you. Before deciding on Turin, we thought about Switzerland, Amsterdam, Paris, and Lyon. We made two longish trips to Europe before our move to check out the places we were considering based on research and talking to friends. Luckily we did that because for a couple of years we definitely thought Lyon was going to be our new home and we were all taking French lessons in Chicago, but after spending two weeks there we realized it isn’t exactly what we were expecting. So we jumped to the other side of the Alps and discovered Turin, and couldn’t be happier with our choice.
Step 4. Figure out if your work can take you to this new location or if you are flying solo.
If you can get your job or find a job to move you to your desired location that would be ideal. We did it all on our own, but government bureaucracy can be really frustrating and time-consuming. If you can get someone to do the legwork for you, that would be our suggestion. This is particularly true if you’re also going to be working throughout the process. Luckily for us, we were able to take a good amount of time off from work until we got settled. This isn’t meant to discourage anyone, just realize that the Italian government makes the post office or DMV in the US seem like a well-oiled machine. But it is all doable and we are here to help!
Step 5. If you are doing the move on your own, start saving and planning. Now!
We would love to be the kind of people that just do things on a whim, but our engineering brains don’t allow for that. We are definitely planners. Even for those of you who are fortunate enough to be prepared on the financial side because you’re independently wealthy or retired with plenty of savings, there’s still a lot to do. We think it’s necessary for everyone to have an organized approach.
We went through our spending habits, researched relocation costs, rental prices, and school tuition. For five years we saved money so that we could take time off from work and cover the basic expenses and all of the fun stuff we wanted to do like travel and drink Barolo. Of course, if you’re doing this with a job or a pension or without kids, you probably don’t need as much time or money saved. It’s a very individual process. We also recommend allowing for some flexibility. We were certain that 2 years would be enough time abroad. However, once we arrived, we realized it would take 6 months or more just to get settled and organized. So we decided to stay for 3 years. Financially this required some extra organization, prioritizing, and finding a way to work a bit. Plus the kids switched to a public school after the first year and that obviously saved a lot and made for a better experience for us all.
About nine months before the move we started to more seriously understand all the big and small details that need to be considered:
- What is the visa application process for the location we have chosen?
- What are the requirements after arriving in Italy and can we work there?
- How will we learn the Italian language?
- Do we rent our house or sell it?
- Do we store our belongings/furniture or move them with us?
- Where will we live?
- What school will the kids attend?
- What activities will the kids do?
- Should we bring our car or buy or lease when we get there? And do I need a special driving license?
- What’s the best way to transport the dogs?
- European medical care is supposedly free, do we need insurance?
- Do we need Italian credit cards and bank accounts?
- Which providers should we use for our cell phones, internet, tv, utilities, and a VPN?
- How do we pay taxes?
- Do we need to maintain contact information (address, cell phone) for the US?
We detailed our responses to each of these questions here. We also discussed a bit about what we would have done differently if we could do it over.
Step 6. Go for it!
There are going to be many moments when you doubt whether or not it’s worth it, but trust us that the experience will be well worth it. At times you will definitely miss your friends and family and the comfort of life ‘back home,’ but the opportunity to live in a new culture is way different than the small sliver you get while on vacation.
It’s a big decision, so ask any questions and share your story.
The Avventura 