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Kristen Helmstetter

(Brisa Starr)

italy

Bank Account in Italy – Accomplished!

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jump
Jumping for Joy!

I have a bank account. In Italy.

I am happy and excited, because it was a weird process. I feel kind of cool, too. I mean, like, a bank account in a foreign country? Apart from the less-than-ideal flagging of myself to the IRS, I’m walking with a bit of swagger. Italian swagger that is.

Another step in becoming a part of this community and country.

I wouldn’t have opened an Italian bank account, but I needed to in order to have broadband internet at home. Apparently, they only let you pay for it with an Italian bank account.

Opening the account was touch-and-go for a while. I’m actually amazed it all went through. The bank wasn’t really prepared to make it happen. It’s possible I’m the first non-citizen the manager of this branch had ever helped open an account.

But, after two days of working and waiting – complete with multiple visits to the bank – we finally got it working. At least I got my steps in those days.

For starters, no one at the bank speaks much English, if any. Even armed with Google translate it was an uphill task. But, I figured I was in professional hands and I wasn’t at too much risk. At one point the banker called his wife, who’s an English teacher, to have her translate for me, which wasn’t really clear either because hearing an Italian speak rapid-fire English isn’t much clearer than if she’d been speaking Italian.

I’m getting better at just nodding my head – in a knowing way, smiling, and saying “Si. Si. Si.” Of course, I have no idea, but that doesn’t matter. I learned that when I say non capisco (“I don’t understand”), the Italians just keep repeating themselves and don’t skip a beat, and not a bit slower.

I read about other expats having similar experiences… it’s not just me.

So, I happily signed my name to about 48 Italian bank documents. I mean, it’s just a bank account, isn’t it?

Finished at last!

The banker and I both exhaled loudly once it all went through.

Then, he said in his limited English “your request was very strong for me.”

The bank account has fees, of course. So for our WiFi and SIM cards (totally about $50 a month), I’ll incur an additional ~$10 per month in bank fees. Which is great… sixty dollars for broadband and three mobile device accounts is way less than we ever paid in the U.S.

I wouldn’t have opened one but I needed to in order to have WiFi at home. Apparently, I could only pay for it if I had an Italian bank account. So for the monthly bill of WiFi and SIM cards (totaling about $50 a month), I’ll incur about $10 a month in bank fees on top of it.

But. I’m in Italy.

Living La-friggin’-dolce-vita. I’ve got zero complaints.

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Getting Internet in Italy – Our Expat Life

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Time for Internet in Our Apartment in Italy

Getting WiFi in our apartment in Italy is similar to the USA in that you need to make an appointment for the installation.

Based on horror stories I’d heard, I expected the process to take a month — an eternity when your livelihood depends on broadband internet access.

Yet I’m continually surprised at the efficiency in Italy. It’s not German efficiency, but it’s not Mexican either. The trains in Italy — mostly — run on time. (France, meanwhile…) Where is all the waiting in lines I read about? When I requested an appointment, I only had to wait a week. Sounds reasonable, right?

The day came and the cable guy arrived to hook up the cable. He was punctual, friendly, professional, and efficient. (And German, turns out.)

One Problem

Um… he didn’t bring the cable modem. You know, the one provided by the cable company that sent the technician to our home?

Basically, he just came to make sure I had the hookup. Well, we had the hookup. Apparently the modem would be delivered at some unknown future date. Maybe I will be waiting a month after all?

It’s always sometimes fun experiencing the different ways of having things done when traveling the world. However, I confess some things would benefit from a smattering of American-style urgency. I couldn’t wait for internet in our apartment. We needed it, like, yesterday.

[Read more…] about Getting Internet in Italy – Our Expat Life

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Forgetting an iPod on the Bus in Italy

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bus in italy
Kamea on a bus in Italy.

Public transportation in other countries is usually simple and wonderful. After that first ride.

The complication usually only comes in understanding the bus schedule and figuring out how to buy tickets. It’s not always the same in each country.

However, once you know the system, it’s friggin’ awesome.

Buying Bus Tickets

 

In Italy, you typically buy bus tickets at the Tabaccheria (tobacco shop), or you can pay cash on the bus. Paying cash slows the bus driver down especially if he/she has to make change, so getting tickets in advance is always a better idea.

In Rovigo, one bus ticket costs 1.30 euro. From the time you get on the bus, it’s good for unlimited rides for 75 minutes. Which means, if I can do my shopping and hop on a bus, I don’t pay for the return trip. Though this requires a certain degree of planning and efficiency, as the bus only stops at my store every 45 minutes or so.

The first time I braved the bus in Italy was with Kamea, as Greg had to stay home.

Through all our travels, I rely on Greg for logistics and navigation (my job is keeping my eye on Kamea). However, with his hip hurting he’s been staying home while I go out to explore either alone or with Kamea. Therefore, on my first bus outing, I had Greg figure out where I would pick up the bus and how I would get home. He studied the bus time tables online, hoping they were accurate.

Time to Try Our First Italian Bus

bus tickets
Buy bus tickets in bulk so you always have some.

I bought a bunch of tickets, and armed with a notepad detailing the times for the bus, as well as the names of the stops I needed, we headed out.

Our goal? Lidl grocery store. We needed beef, yogurt, olive oil, and much more.

We went to the bus stop and looked for bus #10 and it arrived – on time! Wow… this is all working out!

We stepped onto the bus, and I asked if the stop I was looking for was indeed on this route. In other words, am I on the right bus?

[Read more…] about Forgetting an iPod on the Bus in Italy

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Our Italian Apartment Is Now Home

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Aspiration – a lovely balcony in Italy (not mine… yet).

Finding an Italian Apartment

We knew we’d need an apartment lined up for us upon arrival in Italy.

After thinking about Italy for the past year, I was eager to settle down into an Italian apartment for awhile. Beyond the benefits of having a semi-permanent place to park our travel-weary bones for awhile, it’s important that we establish residency while applying for dual citizenship.

I guess it sort of means we’re going from digital nomads to expats. We’ll still explore the world, but at a slower pace and with a home-base in Italy.

Renting Sight Unseen

Some people land somewhere and then look for a place. But others like things lined up beforehand. I fall into the latter category and especially so because of our dual citizenship process. The sooner we had our name on a lease with utilities set up, the better.

I learned from reading about other people moving to Italy that it’s not uncommon to rent something sight-unseen, crazy as that might seem. Well, we were about to do that ourselves.

With help from ICA (the group guiding us through the citizenship process), we were offered the option for a 3-bedroom apartment. This was exciting because it meant more space and we could invite guests to stay. I always just imagined we’d end up in a 2-bedroom, but with a 3-bedroom option, I was cautiously giddy. Remember, it was sight unseen.

It was close to the town center (really important!), and it was only 700 euro a month plus utilities and internet. I wasn’t sure what to expect to pay, but I knew northern Italy could be more expensive than southern Italy. So far we’d been paying close to southern Italy prices (in Portugal and Croatia), and those weren’t three bedrooms. However, they were through Airbnb, which always costs more.

Our Italian Apartment

Via email, we received pictures of the kitchen and bathroom. It had a washing machine, and it was recently renovated. We didn’t see pictures of the bedrooms, but we were told there were beds, nightstands, and wardrobes. We were also told that a couch would be there by the time we moved in. But text-based assurances and two photos just couldn’t tell the whole story.

But, 3 bedrooms?!

I was excited. Like I said, that meant guests. I confidently started to invite people to come visit us in Italy!

This Italian apartment had promise. My gut said to throw caution to the wind – fuck it! – let’s do it. It would give us a place to land immediately upon arrival and should make things easier. We signed the 1-year lease and trusted that everything would work just fine.

Besides, I was eager to get this off my to-do list. I loved the idea of landing somewhere and being able to jump right into making our home.

How Did the Apartment Turn Out?

[Read more…] about Our Italian Apartment Is Now Home

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My First Visit to an Italian Hair Salon

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I haven’t had my hair done professionally in about 3 years. I’ve cut it myself a few times which I learned was a big mistake. I’ve sprouted some gray and in between trying to embrace aging, frugality, and traveling, I haven’t had my hair properly done.

But, dammit, it’s fucking time.

My hair is long and unruly, always in a bun.

I’m tweezing gray hairs, which is no different of an attitude than coloring them I now realize. I mean, if I want to embrace them, then let them be. The fact that I’m tweezing them means I don’t want them, and I’m not ready to get intimate with aging.

I started dreaming about getting my hair done.

As I walked around town, I noted salons and contemplated options.

I started getting more excited about the idea. There’s the whole la bella figura thing in Italy – first impressions being molto importante (very important). I find myself wearing makeup way more often here, and I’m rethinking my style and clothes. I bought pants that actually fit the other day – as in, you can see my butt in them because they’re not baggy or have an elastic waistband.

It made sense to do something about my hair.

Which salon do I go to?

Referrals are the answer when it comes to hair salons. Naturally, I asked our rock star law team (ICA) in Rovigo for a salon recommendation. They confidently answered, Jean Louis David.

It was time to get a proper style. I’m in Italy after all. They know a thing or two about that stuff.

Knowing they didn’t take appointments, I ventured over there today. They didn’t speak English, but with Google translate and my flexibility on what they did to my hair (nothing lasts forever, right?), I was comfortable that I was in good hands.

[Read more…] about My First Visit to an Italian Hair Salon

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