I've Lived in Italy 3 Years. Here's My Advice to You.

Three years ago this week, I embarked on an adventure that I truly couldn't have imagined. After months of stress, figuring out how to ship my cats, ship my stuff, and...oh yea, apply for and get my visa, I landed in Italy.

The feeling was incredible. I felt truly alive.

It was the first time I'd decided where I wanted to live in decades...maybe in all of my life.

Was it scary? A little. Was it intimidating? You bet. But I wouldn't trade the experience for all the pizzas in the world.

If you're thinking about moving to Italy, here's my advice as a now-seasoned pro.

1. Start Your Planning Earlier Than You Think

You may be thinking about moving to Italy once you retire, or when your kids fly the nest for college (like me), and you may think you'll wait until closer to to begin your planning.

I encourage you to start sooner. Start traveling to Italy now so you can explore regions and towns to find where you want to move.

Start your Italian lessons now. I studied for 10 years before moving to Italy, and it's only now, three years after my move, that I feel fairly fluent.

If you're planning to apply for a visa, explore your options and make sure you qualify. You may need to change how you work in order to qualify. For example, with the digital nomad visa, you need to be established in your online work, so it's not something you can start the day before you apply for the visa.

Planning ahead minimizes the bumps in the road you'll have on your journey!

2. See Italy for What it Is

Instagram glamorizes Italy. Your life will be one aperitivo after another, won't it? You'll instantly have a great sense of style when you arrive (even if you currently dress like a schlub)!

Italy isn't one thing, and real life here is a far cry from what you see on social media. Yes, it's absolutely beautiful, but its beauty will unfold to you in unexpected ways. For me, I've waded through difficult bureaucracy, mind-numbing waits, and general inefficiency to find the bellezza of a newborn chick. Freshly-picked olives. Sunday lunches.

Italy will be something unique for you, and you can't yet anticipate what it will look like. Just be open to the magic.

3. Ask for Help

I know you're an independent person who is capable of doing so much on your own, but please, take it from someone who hated asking for help: you need it. Your life in Italy will be so much easier and enjoyable if you can be vulnerable enough to admit you're (literally) in foreign waters and need assistance.

Trust me: I did it all on my own. I wish I hadn't. I wish I'd known there were expat coaches who could guide me, cheer me on, and tell me my feelings of frustration were completely normal.

Having someone walk you through your visa options, for example, or who can help you with the permesso di soggiorno application, can make your life easier.

Because living in Italy isn't difficult...but the million little things you have to adjust to...the Italian penchant for getting things done as slow as possible, their delight at throwing extra hoops for you to jump through, the fact that offices and stores close for four hours in the middle of the day...there's going to be one straw that breaks your back. And you will want to give up.

But if you have a friend (maybe an expat who's been there) who can help you navigate this strange and wonderful world, you can push through the aggravation and stress that comes with culture shock.

Everyone here wants to help you. Everyone. But you have to ask for it.

Life in Italy is Ever-Evolving

I've settled into my life here nicely, but I'm wise enough to know that there's still room to change. For example, when I moved here, I wanted nothing more than to live in a mid-sized town by the sea. Well, I checked that off my list, and now I absolutely love living in a tiny town in the mountains.

I'm grateful for all the lessons that Italy has and continues to teach me. I'm humbled by all I don't know, and I'm a sponge, ready to soak up all that wisdom!