During my first trip to Italy 14 years ago, I fell in love.
Though a bit cliché, what I'm about to say is true.
I recall residing in a cramped apartment in Rome, just off Piazza Navona.
The Romans appeared incredibly glam in their white linen clothing and high heels because it was midsummer.
I had an epiphany as I was exploring the cobblestone alleyways, gazing up at the ivy-covered, worn ochre buildings, and hearing what sounded like small operas all around me: I needed to learn Italian and move back here.
Short version: Over the course of ten years, I did study Italian and relocate twice to Rome.
A Roman and I dated for five years before we got married this summer, making me a permanent resident.
You might be thinking about relocating to Italy as well.
All people have their own justifications, but here are some of mine.
It's perhaps of the most gorgeous country on the planet
It certainly goes without saying, but Italy is one of the world's most breathtakingly beautiful nations, and I've been to a lot of them.
Cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice are similar to outdoor museums with a treasure trove of Renaissance and Baroque artefacts.
Not to mention, the countryside and coastal scenery are also breathtaking.
While Umbria, Puglia, and Sicily are only a few, Tuscany's undulating hills and the Amalfi Coast's magnificent cliffs immediately spring to mind.
There are so many breathtaking locations to see in Italy.
It provides a little bit of everything.
bustling cities?
Check.
quaint tiny villages?
Yes, there are lots.
Beaches?
Of course, 4,723 miles to be exact.
Mountains?
It boasts some of the most stunning scenery in all of Europe.
I've made an effort to see as much of Italy as I can since my first trip there.
The variety of experiences you can have here never ceases to astound me.
I've visited a variety of museums in Florence, wandered through the canals of Venice, dined and wined along the Amalfi Coast, and lounged on Sicilian beaches.
I've done things like ski down a mountain in the Dolomites, go truffle hunting in Piedmont, tour vineyards in Emilia-Romagna, stay in historic trullo homes in Puglia, and explore innumerable little towns.
I still have a tonne of places I want to travel to despite all of these wonderful adventures.
Italy is a place where you might easily spend a lifetime without getting bored.
The food is amazing
Let's talk about the cuisine while we're talking about other experiences.
One of the best parts of exploring Italy is sampling the cuisine from every region, which has its own unique customs.
In addition to well-known foods like cacio e pepe and carbonara (try them in Rome), risotto alla Milanese, and authentic Neapolitan pizza, there are a tonne of lesser-known foods to try.
Get some zucchini and provolone cheese-topped spaghetti alla Nerano when visiting the Amalfi Coast.
Look for panelle (chickpea flour-based fritters) and sarde a beccafico in Sicily (sardines with pine nuts, raisins and breadcrumbs).
And while in Puglia, the region that produces the best burrata, be sure to sample some burrata and fresh mozzarella that have just been created.
Do not even begin to discuss the sweets with me.
Because every region has its particular pastry, it is always a good idea to stop by a bakery.
Rome offers the maritozzo, a cream-filled bun; Naples and the Amalfi Coast provide the sfogliatella, a shell-shaped pastry with layers of flaky dough and orange-scented ricotta; and Puglia offers the pasticciotto (oval pastries filled with creamy custard or ricotta).
Even better apple strudel can be found in the Dolomites, a mountain range near Austria's border with Italy.
It's generally simple to get around
The Frecciarossa and Frecciargento high-speed trains make it incredibly simple to travel between Italy's major cities.
These trains, which can travel up to 190 miles per hour, connect towns including Bologna, Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice. They are operated by Trenitalia, Italy's national rail company.
Smaller towns and cities can both be reached by regional commuter trains, while intercity trains can travel between larger cities.
I enjoy taking the Frecciarossa since it travels faster than a car to places like Florence and Venice.
Rome to Florence will take you an hour and a half, and Rome to Venice will take you three hours.
Also, I won't have to stress about where to park when I get there.
However, I also adore taking road trips in Italy.
There's something liberating about being able to make as many stops as you like and not having a set departure time.
Last year, my husband and I took a road trip around Sicily for our honeymoon and really enjoyed having a car.
We were able to visit many little villages without having to worry about train schedules because to this.
Additionally, driving is typically more convenient (and perhaps necessary) if you wish to explore small towns, beaches, or isolated areas of the countryside.
It serves as a fantastic base for traveling around Europe.
You'll discover that traveling throughout Europe is incredibly simple, in addition to navigating around Italy.
Rome has two airports, Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) and Rome Ciampino Airport (CIA), both of which offer a wide variety of flights on both traditional and low-cost airlines that travel throughout Europe.
Do you want to spend the weekend in Paris?
Nonstop flights that last little longer than two hours can be found for as cheap as 55 euros ($56).
Flying to Barcelona soon?
In a little less than two hours, you can accomplish this.
In reality, a three-hour flight will get you practically anyplace in Europe.
No matter where in Italy you are located, you will find it simple to travel to other regions of Europe. This is also true for other significant cities like Milan and Venice.
It costs little.
Please take this with a grain of salt because "affordable," "cheap," and "expensive" are all relative terms, but I find that Rome (and most of Italy) is more affordable than New York City and other popular U.S. travel destinations, especially now that the euro and the dollar are equal.
Of course, there are plenty of five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants catering to wealthy tourists in places like Rome and the Amalfi Coast, as well as other well-knownly opulent locales like Lake Como. However, the average cost of living is typically lower.
According to information from the cost-of-living database Numbeo, you can anticipate spending 16.10% less on living expenses in Italy than you would in the United States, with rent in Italy being roughly 54% cheaper than it is in the United States.
Additionally, according to Numbeo, a two-person, three-course meal at a mid range restaurant will run you between 40 and 85 euros, which works out to about $41 to $87. I found this to be a fairly accurate estimate and more reasonable than a comparable meal in the United States.
I just had dinner with a buddy at Da Enzo al 29, one of Rome's best traditional trattorias, and we split two fried starters, two pastas, one dessert, and a bottle of house wine for each of us for less than 26 euros (about 26 dollars).
Everyone can access healthcare, and it is not financially ruinous.
Health care is socialized in Italy, as it is in a large portion of Europe, which means that it is free for Italian citizens and legal immigrants.
You don't have to worry about insurance premiums and deductibles even though you can choose to visit a private clinic or doctor, in which case you will have to pay.
In addition, if you have an accident or require costly medical care for a major illness, you won't have to worry about becoming bankrupt.
The expense of giving birth is likewise far lower in Italy than it is in the United States.
According to Bloomberg, the average cost to give birth in a hospital in the United States is $18,865, with out-of-pocket expenses coming to $2,854.
However, in Italy, giving birth is free at a public hospital.
It makes sense why Italians find the price of hospital stays and medical expenses in the United States to be so perplexing.
The weather is usually pretty good.
The Mediterranean region's temperature is typically pleasant for a large portion of the year, despite the fact that this summer included a particularly severe heat wave.
The weather is typically very sunny in central and southern Italy.
Short and warm winters are also a common occurrence.
I wear a winter coat from December through February, but I rarely need to zip it up.
Although snow is infrequent in Rome and other southern cities, the Dolomites are a great place to practice winter sports if you enjoy them.
There is something wonderful about an Italian summer, despite the occasional heat that some areas of Italy endure.
People are out and about later into the evening because the days are longer.
There is also nothing better than spending a long, leisurely day at the beach.
It has a very rich cultural heritage.
A handful of the most famous artists in the world who once resided in Italy are Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Botticelli.
Italy is a veritable haven for art lovers thanks to the presence of numerous contemporary painters, such as Michelangelo Pistoletto, Maurizio Cattelan, and Francesco Clemente.
Amazing works of art may be seen all around Italy.
You can find beautiful pieces in addition to those that are displayed in top-notch museums in places like churches and galleries, as well as at international gatherings like the Venice Biennale.
Italy is known for its highly respected art, which goes beyond conventional forms.
Italians have left their stamp on everything, including design, literature, and movies.
By seeing movies by pioneering filmmakers like Federico Fellini and Paolo Sorrentino, you may fully immerse yourself in Italian culture.
The locals are friendly and welcoming.
Obviously, this is a generalization, but in my experience, Italians, and Romans in particular, tend to be quite kind and friendly people.
Despite the fact that I am a foreigner, I have discovered that my husband's family and friends welcomed and embraced me with ease.
I know a lot of Italians who work in the tourism sector, and they are among the best and most enthusiastic tour guides I've ever met.
They are always willing to have fun with you and are pleased to impart their knowledge.
In conclusion
Italy has a high standard of living for many reasons, but it's not the simplest country to move to because of the notoriously ineffective Italian bureaucracy.
Americans are permitted a 90-day stay in Italy, but if you wish to stay for longer, you'll need to apply for a visa.
A new "digital nomad visa" that was brought into law in March may make the procedure a little simpler, even though some visas are simpler to obtain than others.
The prerequisites or application procedure, however, are not yet known.
It might aid distant employees who want to settle in Italy and take advantage of everything the nation has to offer.
You will undoubtedly benefit from living in one of the most beautiful nations on Earth if you're ready and able to overcome the administrative obstacles.
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