When she was a student, one fine day she was crossing the square in front of the duomo at the same time a young Italian man was crossing from another direction. She accosted him, suggested a coffee and conversation. Not long after, a wedding in Corciano, followed by a 5 year stint in Vancouver, Canada, from whence we came, where they bore us two grandchildren. The moved back to the Gualdo area and "forced" us to uproot ourselves. Who says septuagenarians are too old for such an upheaval. It's tonic for the soul.
Good piece, Cheryl. My wife and I were lucky to find Perugia many years ago because our daughter attended the Universita per Stranieri and later the Universita di Perugia. When we moved here last year (a year ago tomorrow), on a permanent basis, we settled in a rural area south of Gualdo Tadino, a small town on the eastern edge of Umbria. Suits us fine. One of the things I realized after reading your article is that we are immigrants and not expats in the sense of the words you use. I have, however, been referring to myself as an expat. Not now. Immigrant it is. And yes, I am changed and changing.
Thanks, Vian. How nice that you got to know the area via your daughter and very cool that she made the leap from Stranieri to the Università di Perugia—brava! Y'all sound like very good immigrants; keep up the good work!
I’m thrilled to have just discovered your newsletter and am making my way though past ones. I too am a SF native (also with a large dog!) hoping to relocate to Umbria when my youngest graduates from college in two years, so everything you are writing about your experience feels like it might be coming from my future self!
Hi Elizabeth, welcome! I'm not a SF native, but I lived there for 30+ years, so close enough. Good luck with your planning and (hopefully) move! Buon Anno!
We love Lucca! But I can see why it closed in on you. Waaaaaaay too many tourists. It makes me feel bad, as an American, like I’m part of the problem. That’s why I always let John beard me with his far superior Italian :-) Easier to hide that way.
Perugia’s fantastic, especially if you’re not smack-dab in the city center. You were smart. And if you ever find yourself in Amelia, which is not too far, there’s a coffee and a convo in it for you, from one crusty hermit to another.
I'm in centro but on the periphery—feels like I'm in a small town, but it's a 7-minute walk (climb) to the Duomo. Best of both worlds! Watch out, I need to explore more, so I may hit Amelia and make you make good on that offer of coffee! We hermits have got to stick together—oh wait, that's oxymoron-ish.
I think moving anywhere in a foreign country means being open to the possibility that the place you think you're moving to may not be that place. Until you're in a space and get a sense of it, you can't know if it's what you're looking for. That requires understanding that it may not be what you've believed it to be.
Once you're on the ground and you can try a place on and see if it works for you, then you can determine what the long-term possibilities are. I think your approach and your mindset were solid. You can't know what you're getting into until you're there, and then you learn things you can't know until you experience them for yourself.
It's not easy moving halfway around the world. Congratulations on finding a place that fits!
Well said, Jack. That's why I marvel at people who buy property in their ancestral (or not) towns without having spent at least 3 months there, and preferably at least a few seasons. Either they have more self-awareness than most or they're in for some surprises. Thanks, Perugia is a good fit for me, but I will never stop saying, "Oh, maybe I should live here!" when I'm traveling. I've learned to tame that impulse with the recognition that I love my home and can always spend time in other places.
Love your articles. Question a little off the beaten path but how did you get your dog to Italy? My wife and I are constantly stopped by how to get our dogs, 2 small Jack Russell terriers, safely to Italy. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks
Hi Tim, thanks for reading and I'm glad to hear you enjoy them. I flew my dog on Lufthansa, which has (or had; not sure how it's rated now) a good reputation for animal care on flights. She was too big to go in the cabin with me (and besides, I also had a cat with me), so she was in a crate in the hold. A Jack Russell might be small enough to go in the cabin, and since there are two of you, two dogs might be possible (though there's a limit, and it's small, to the number of pets allowed in the cabin on each flight). In any case, it's definitely doable one way or the other. I also know people who have come over on the QE2, but if that interests you, get on the waiting list asap. The hard part in all of this is the pet passport, because the timing is tricky. There are also services that will handle everything for you, at a pretty steep price, I think. This link has the info you need to do it yourself. Good luck!
Another great article! It's so true that at least one - - and maybe more - - moves between towns and regions are to be factored into the reality of moving to Italy.
Glad you enjoyed it, Ellen! Yes, I really discourage people from buying immediately. You just can't know a place until you've been there for a while. Thanks for commenting!
When she was a student, one fine day she was crossing the square in front of the duomo at the same time a young Italian man was crossing from another direction. She accosted him, suggested a coffee and conversation. Not long after, a wedding in Corciano, followed by a 5 year stint in Vancouver, Canada, from whence we came, where they bore us two grandchildren. The moved back to the Gualdo area and "forced" us to uproot ourselves. Who says septuagenarians are too old for such an upheaval. It's tonic for the soul.
Love it! Great story.
Good piece, Cheryl. My wife and I were lucky to find Perugia many years ago because our daughter attended the Universita per Stranieri and later the Universita di Perugia. When we moved here last year (a year ago tomorrow), on a permanent basis, we settled in a rural area south of Gualdo Tadino, a small town on the eastern edge of Umbria. Suits us fine. One of the things I realized after reading your article is that we are immigrants and not expats in the sense of the words you use. I have, however, been referring to myself as an expat. Not now. Immigrant it is. And yes, I am changed and changing.
Thanks, Vian. How nice that you got to know the area via your daughter and very cool that she made the leap from Stranieri to the Università di Perugia—brava! Y'all sound like very good immigrants; keep up the good work!
I’m thrilled to have just discovered your newsletter and am making my way though past ones. I too am a SF native (also with a large dog!) hoping to relocate to Umbria when my youngest graduates from college in two years, so everything you are writing about your experience feels like it might be coming from my future self!
Hi Elizabeth, welcome! I'm not a SF native, but I lived there for 30+ years, so close enough. Good luck with your planning and (hopefully) move! Buon Anno!
We love Lucca! But I can see why it closed in on you. Waaaaaaay too many tourists. It makes me feel bad, as an American, like I’m part of the problem. That’s why I always let John beard me with his far superior Italian :-) Easier to hide that way.
Perugia’s fantastic, especially if you’re not smack-dab in the city center. You were smart. And if you ever find yourself in Amelia, which is not too far, there’s a coffee and a convo in it for you, from one crusty hermit to another.
I'm in centro but on the periphery—feels like I'm in a small town, but it's a 7-minute walk (climb) to the Duomo. Best of both worlds! Watch out, I need to explore more, so I may hit Amelia and make you make good on that offer of coffee! We hermits have got to stick together—oh wait, that's oxymoron-ish.
I think moving anywhere in a foreign country means being open to the possibility that the place you think you're moving to may not be that place. Until you're in a space and get a sense of it, you can't know if it's what you're looking for. That requires understanding that it may not be what you've believed it to be.
Once you're on the ground and you can try a place on and see if it works for you, then you can determine what the long-term possibilities are. I think your approach and your mindset were solid. You can't know what you're getting into until you're there, and then you learn things you can't know until you experience them for yourself.
It's not easy moving halfway around the world. Congratulations on finding a place that fits!
Well said, Jack. That's why I marvel at people who buy property in their ancestral (or not) towns without having spent at least 3 months there, and preferably at least a few seasons. Either they have more self-awareness than most or they're in for some surprises. Thanks, Perugia is a good fit for me, but I will never stop saying, "Oh, maybe I should live here!" when I'm traveling. I've learned to tame that impulse with the recognition that I love my home and can always spend time in other places.
Thanks for sharing your story! I look forward to reading more.
Thank you so much, Frances! I appreciate your taking the time to tell me.
To paraphrase another movie, Jerry Maguire, you had me at "better train service."
Ha! Mind you, not "Freccia quality" better train service!
Love your articles. Question a little off the beaten path but how did you get your dog to Italy? My wife and I are constantly stopped by how to get our dogs, 2 small Jack Russell terriers, safely to Italy. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks
Hi Tim, thanks for reading and I'm glad to hear you enjoy them. I flew my dog on Lufthansa, which has (or had; not sure how it's rated now) a good reputation for animal care on flights. She was too big to go in the cabin with me (and besides, I also had a cat with me), so she was in a crate in the hold. A Jack Russell might be small enough to go in the cabin, and since there are two of you, two dogs might be possible (though there's a limit, and it's small, to the number of pets allowed in the cabin on each flight). In any case, it's definitely doable one way or the other. I also know people who have come over on the QE2, but if that interests you, get on the waiting list asap. The hard part in all of this is the pet passport, because the timing is tricky. There are also services that will handle everything for you, at a pretty steep price, I think. This link has the info you need to do it yourself. Good luck!
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/take-pet-to-foreign-country
Thank you so much
Wanted you to know that my wife and I fully agree and back you article about “How Not
To Be an Expat” Non vac people are idiots
Thanks, Tim, I appreciate your support. Best of luck with your move-to-Italy planning!
Another great article! It's so true that at least one - - and maybe more - - moves between towns and regions are to be factored into the reality of moving to Italy.
Glad you enjoyed it, Ellen! Yes, I really discourage people from buying immediately. You just can't know a place until you've been there for a while. Thanks for commenting!