expat life: interview with kimberly menozzi

It's been a little while since we posted our last Expat Life interview. Sorry for the delay! I'm really happy to share today's heartfelt interview with Kimberly Menozzi, a writer living in Reggio Emilia.

When did you first step foot in Italy?
December 23rd, 2003.
 
Why did you come to Italy?
To make a long story short: I came here to be with the man who would become my husband just a few months later. We had gotten to know each other after meeting online in May of 2003, and he visited me in the US in August. Before he left for Italy, he invited me to see his home in Reggio Emilia. I accepted, and when I had been here a few weeks, he proposed. We married in February of 2004 and I've been here ever since.
 
Did you know right away that you wanted to stay here?
Yes. The prospect of being in a country I knew next to nothing about, where I didn't speak the language or understand some of the customs was enough to give me pause – but knowing I would be there with the love of my life was what made the place infinitely more appealing.
 
What have been some of the funniest/craziest/hardest things about adapting to a completely new culture?
I'm still getting used to the newsstands. The fact that one can step inside a newsstand and there is little more than a beaded curtain between the sports magazines, children's toys and the "adult" videos/magazines still takes me by surprise, as does the portrayal of women in the media. Sexism is so blatant here, it gets my blood boiling sometimes. That I can also go to the newsstand once in a while and find a nude calendar of some of the male actors/models helps calm me down though. LOL! God bless Luca Argentero and Raoul Bova for that! Here's to equal time!

Also I still haven't been able to buy clothes here. I have to purchase clothes whenever I'm in the US because, being a full-figured woman (ahem) I have difficulty finding affordable, well-made clothes for myself here. Then again, I don't really like the styles of clothes here to begin with. Yes, I'm quite strange, I know. I just don't care about fashion.

 
People always want to know how folks ended up in Italy and how they are able to stay. What do you do for a living that allows you such an international lifestyle?
I don't think I could call it a "lifestyle", as such. I married an Italian man and didn't expect him to go to the US. I chose to come here instead. I work for a language school and I write my novels when I'm not teaching, and that gives me the little bit of extra cash I need to go home to the US for a couple of months each summer to see family and friends. With careful budgeting and planning we get by – and we refresh our wardrobes each August when my husband joins me in the US because clothing is cheaper than in Italy. We save money in spite of buying two airline tickets! It's crazy!

How does Italy -- and where in particular you live in Italy -- influence your writing and what inspires you?
It influences me a great deal. I live in Reggio Emilia, as I've said, but my novel, Ask Me if I'm Happy, is set in Bologna.  I started writing it as a short story during a trip to the US when I was homesick for Italy, and it soon evolved into the novel it is today. Bologna is one of my favorite places in the world, and it's home to some of the most talented writers and musicians in Italy. Every page has some part of my life here in Italy on it – or some part of the lives of the Italians I love and cherish most; my friends and especially my family here.
 
What's the single best thing about your life in Italy? What do you wake up every day thankful for?
My husband, Alessandro. After him? I'm grateful every day for the chance to be inspired by what I see around me. I'll never get it all into my stories, no matter how hard I try.

If people could read only three posts from your blog, which three would you tell them to read?
The ones about dealing with the deaths of my father and my stepfather, and any of the photo blogs where I've shared pictures of Italy and my family here. The first two I would recommend because they touch on the darker side of living so far from home – on being surrounded by people I love, yet being so far away when losses come along, and how hard it really is. The photo blogs because you get a real, visual sense of what life is like here – it's not all Tuscan Sun and mandolins, after all. I'm happy with the life I have, though. It's probably not everyone's ideal, but it continues to amaze, confound and inspire me each and every day.

Learn more about Kimberly, her books and her blog by visiting: http://www.kmenozzi.com

expat life: interview with elizabeth minchilli

It's time for another edition of our popular Expat Life interview series, featuring interviews with current expats living in Italy. This series was born out of requests from readers to gain more diverse perspectives on living abroad. You can read previous installments by clicking here.

Elizabeth Minchilli is an American writer who divides her time between Rome and Umbria.

"I still have a hard time believing people actually pay me to write about the things I love: beautiful homes and hotels, delicious food and interesting people," says Elizabeth.

She's contributed to over forty magazines over the last fifteen years, and is the author of six books on the joys of Italian life. She reports on all the good stuff in Italy through her blog, apps, tv, radio and any other format you can think of.

If you're planning a trip to Rome or Florence soon, be sure to check out Elizabeth's fantastic iPhone apps: Eat Rome and Eat Florence.

When did you first step foot in Italy?
I first came to Italy when I was 12 years old. My parents had come to visit Italy (Florence, Venice and Rome) for two weeks. We were living in St. Louis at the time. They came back home, sold the house and business, and we moved to Italy for two years. We finally moved back to the States, but kept coming back for summer vacations. I eventually moved back permanently in 1988.

Why did you come to Italy?
I moved to Italy in 1988 to work on my PhD in Renaissance Garden Architecture. I was doing research in the Medici archives in Florence. Nearing the end of my research, I met my Italian architect husband, Domenico Minchilli, and here I am.

Did you know right away that you wanted to stay here?

I guess it was fate. Certainly living here as a child must have made me half (or more!) Italian.

What have been some of the funniest/craziest/hardest things about adapting to a completely new culture?
Since I've been coming here almost all my life, I think I take certain things for granted and am rarely shocked. That said, when I see a video on Youtube, of a Roman bus driver speaking on two mobile phones while driving the bus with his elbows, even I say "only in Italy!"

What do you do for a living that allows you such an international lifestyle?
Although I started out as an art historian, I soon turned to writing. I write for about 40 major magazines and newspapers. I also have written six books on Italian design and lifestyle. I've started my own custom publishing business, One Book Press, which produces image-driven books. I'm also the proud author of two apps: Eat Rome and Eat Florence which are doing really well.

You've been a traditional journalist for a bit, what made you get into blogging?
I started my blog last year, when my most recent book came out. With the changes in the publishing industry (lack of money for pr) and the changes in social media my publisher suggested the trifecta of blog/Facebook/twitter. The blog really took off right away, but has shifted from design more towards food and travel.

    

What's the single best thing about your life in Italy. What do you wake up every day thankful for?
Living in Rome. I live a block from the Coliseum and the city still takes my breath away. I can't imagine living anywhere else in the world.

If people could read only three posts from your blog, which three would you tell them to read?
Oh that's hard!! But I guess it would have to do with pastries, pizza and cappucino, so :

• http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/2011/03/switzerland-meets-sicily-in-rome.html
• http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/2011/01/making-pizza-dough-with-gabriele-bonci.html
• http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/2011/04/art-of-making-cappuccino-er-baretto-in.html

How to connect with Elizabeth:

• Her blog: http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/
• Her web site: http://www.elizabethminchilli.com/Home.html
• Her publishing company, One Book Press: http://www.1bookpress.com/
• Eat Rome: http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/p/food-guide-eat-rome.html
• Eat Florence: http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/2011/05/eat-florence-my-new-app-is-here.html
• Architect Domenico Minchilli (her talented husband!): http://www.domenicominchilli.com/

expat life: interview with sara rosso

We're excited to announce a new series for our blog, Expat Life, which features interviews with current expats living in Italy. This series was born out of requests from readers to gain more diverse perspectives on living abroad. You can read previous installments by clicking here.

Today's interview is with Sara Rosso of the popular Ms. Adventures in Italy blog. Sara is a writer, photographer, technology lover, and business & digital strategist living in Milan, Italy.

Sara and her work have appeared in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Wired Italy, Sky News 24LA Times, Brandweek, RAINews24, Italian Glamour and Vanity Fair. She writes about food, recipes and travel at Ms. Adventures in Italy, and she founded a popular all-Italy news, culture and travel podcast called Eye on Italy. She writes about technology and building a business at When I Have Time.

When did you first step foot in Italy?

I first visited in 1994 when I was on a student trip - we visited the famous three - Rome, Venice, and Florence, and I remember wanting to come back. I visited two other countries on that trip and stayed with host families, and I think it would have been great to do the same in Italy.

Why did you come to Italy?

After that first trip, I became pretty obsessed about spending more time here. I loved the people I met, and the language, too - I'm also half Italian-American so I wanted to learn more about my family and their culture. I chose my undergraduate university partly because they had an Italian study abroad program. Then in 1999 I studied abroad in a tiny town in Tuscany, and I became convinced I wanted to come back here to live. I was afraid to move after graduation and risk not using my degree at all so I stuck it out for a few more years. In 2002 I visited again for a few weeks, and finally in summer 2003 I was ready to make the leap.

    

Did you know right away that you wanted to stay here?

I knew I wanted to come back after 1994, but during my semester abroad was when I really decided. I spent a lot of time with Italians and learning the language (though my classes were in English), and I saw a lot of the country which further convinced me how beautiful it was.

What was the reaction of friends and family back home when you said "so, I'm moving to Italy"?

I don't think it was a big surprise when I finally decided to do it - I had been talking about it for a while. I also left California to go to university in Texas where I didn't know a single person so they are used to me taking leaps. My going into it was - if I don't like it, I'll come home. Pretty simple, right? I think a few might be a bit jealous because they imagine life in Italy is like what they see in movies - and most won't believe you when you tell them it isn't.

What have been some of the funniest/craziest/hardest things about adapting to a completely new culture?

Michelle from Bleeding Espresso mentioned the language and I second that. I think the finer point on this is waiting for the "Italian you" to catch up to the English you - You're more funny/smarter/intelligent in your native language, and it takes time to get comfortable in the new one, and until then, you feel a bit unlike yourself.

What do you do for a living that allows you such an international lifestyle?

I work in technology, which luckily is in demand everywhere, and in Italy, too. Recently I started working for a distributed company which means I can work from anywhere in the world since we don't have offices. I love it.

What's the single best thing about your life in Italy. What do you wake up every day thankful for?

Coffee. Ha. Actually yes - I never drank coffee living in America, and now I'm quite partial to my espresso shot in the morning. I would have to say I'm exceedingly thankful for (government) healthcare in Italy - I feel like my well-being will never be tied to my employment (as it was in the US) and this gives me a peace of mind that means I can change jobs and experiment more than I might be comfortable doing.

If people could read only three posts from your blog, which three would you tell them to read? My site isn't just about Italy - it's about travel and recipes, too. But for Italy lovers, I would suggest these three: two guides on understanding big food cultures in Italy (coffee and aperitivo) and one about understanding and making your way in life via networking:

• How to Order an Italian Coffee in Italy 
• The Guide to Italian Aperitivo and Drinks in Italy 
• How to Network for Life (And Why You Should)

Where to find Sara:

Sara Rosso - www.sararosso.com
Twitter - www.twitter.com/rosso
Ms. Adventures in Italy - Food, Recipes & Travel www.msadventuresinitaly.com
When I Have Time - Tech Talk & Growing a Business www.whenihavetime.com
Eye on Italy - The All-Italy Podcast - www.eyeonitaly.com/podcast
World Nutella Day (5 years going strong!) - www.nutelladay.com

A great little video by Sara:

expat life: interview with michelle fabio

We're excited to announce a new series for our blog, Expat Life, which features interviews with current expats living in Italy. This series was born out of requests from readers to gain more diverse perspectives on living abroad. Everyone comes to Italy for different reasons and with different expectations. We hope you enjoy this new series.

Today's Expat Life interview is with Michelle Fabio, the founder of BleedingEspresso.com, a very popular Italy expat blog. I've been reading Bleeding Espresso for a long time -- I found the blog about a year after I studied abroad in Italy and have been a regular reader ever since.

Michelle Fabio, an American attorney-turned-freelance writer, moved to her ancestors’ medieval hilltop village of Badolato in Calabria (the toe of Italy’s boot) in 2003.

A year and a half later, she fell in love with Paolo (known on the blog as P) and later adopted two of the cutest, sweetest dogs in the world (Luna and Stella) and goat Pasqualina, who gave birth to Pinta in March 2010; the brood has also included hens, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, and guinea pigs at various times. Michelle enjoys the simplicity of life in the south of Italy but also really, really loves her iPod and various Apple products.

She is currently the Guide to Law School for About.com (a New York Times company), official blogger for LegalZoom.com, and does a weekly podcast with fellow bloggers Sara Rosso and Jessica Spiegel at Eye on Italy. She is also the co-host of World Nutella Day.

When did you first step foot in Italy?

My first visit to Italy was in the summer of 2002. After a plane transfer in Rome or Milan (can't remember which), I came straight to Calabria.

Why did you come to Italy? 

I had always been into family genealogy, but after my Italian grandmother passed away, the desire to come over here and see the family's villages for myself got much stronger. And so less than a year after her death, I was in Italy. I moved here about a year later essentially because I wanted to. I've written more about this Breaking Up Isn't Hard to Do: My Decision to Leave the Law and You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello.

Did you know right away that you wanted to stay here?

While on vacation, I had been here a couple days when I started to imagine how life would/could be for me in this village. The following fall I would be looking for a new job anyway, so I started thinking that moving here for a year before really getting into the whole legal world might not be such a bad idea. After I had moved here, I went back to the States after six months, and realized while there that this is where I wanted to be.

What was the reaction of friends and family back home when you said "so, I'm moving to Italy"?

A lot of blank stares and dropped jaws, some excitement, but mostly the former. Many family and friends still don't get it, but that's not my problem ;)

What have been some of the funniest/craziest/hardest things about adapting to a completely new culture?

Without a doubt, the language has been the hardest adjustment; I only knew a few words of Italian before I came, and around here, the locals speak mostly Calabrese to one another, so training my ear to hear and understand two new languages was absolutely the most challenging.

You do a lot of writing all over the internet. What's it been like writing for a living?

I absolutely love being a freelance writer and can't imagine ever going back to working in an office with regular hours. It wasn't easy getting started, but I imagine it's like what many women say about childbirth -- that eventually you forget the pain. Hah! Seriously working freelance requires a lot of discipline and hard work, as well as the ability to handle the inevitable ebb and flow of work that happens at least in the beginning. It's not for the faint of heart or those who are paralyzed by the fear of failure, which is a very real possibility when starting out as a freelance writer.

What's the single best thing about your life in Italy. What do you wake up every day thankful for?

I'm so grateful that I even had the opportunity to come here and live this life. I often, and I mean probably on a weekly basis, just stop and think of what my ancestors who left here in search of a better life would think about my being able to return here -- by choice -- all because of their hard work, and all achieved within just a few generations. Truly humbling.

If people could read only three posts from your blog, which three would you tell them to read?

I have a list of my favorite posts on the blog, and I still love all those, but recently I've started writing more about how I've changed my lifestyle since I came here in a more profound way. As my mindset and focus has changed, so has my writing, and three of my recent favorites are the following:

• Life Lessons in Southern Italy: It's the Simple Stupid Exploring
• New Directions: The Making of a Mission Statement
• Defining Your Own Simplicity

Are you an expat living in Italy interested in sharing your story with our readers? Send us an email at hashconsulting {at} gmail {dot} com.

living in italy: the economics of availability

There is something beautiful (and maybe slightly unusual?!) about living in a country where a bottle of decent wine is less than half the cost of a pack of post-it notes.