“Take heart that every single ex-pat you meet was once as green as you are…” There seems to be no perfect label for a role that is both challenging and often overlooked in discussions about expat life...
Master the Art of “Fare Bella Figura” — Dressing to Impress, Italian-Style The key to Italian style is to strike a balance by incorporating bright colors without excess. Italians are known for their c...
Since 1977, March 8th has been celebrated as International Women’s Day, a United Nations sanctioned day of observance celebrating women’s contributions to society. In Italy, it is traditional to give ...
If you’re unfamiliar with the local language and culture, moving to a new city and adapting to a new culture might be intimidating. But rest assured you, with the right approach, you can meet any init...
Moving to a new city by yourself can be stressful, especially when it comes to meeting new people and making friends. Fortunately, there are countless opportunities to do just that, but where do you e...
Moving to a new city can be both exciting and daunting. One of the most challenging aspects is navigating the culture and finding your place within its community. If you’re an expat looking to find yo...
Moving to Milan brings excitement but also the challenge of adapting to a new language environment. This guide aims to provide insights and recommendations for those recently arrived in Milan and deal...
This article has been updated to include new information about heating regulations in 2022 Switching on the heating in Italy is controlled by regional regulations for centralized systems. Residents wi...
Italy is a beautiful country with so much to offer. From the food to the culture, there are many things that make Italy a great place to live. However, there are also a few things that can be challeng...
Living in a new culture presents challenges and surprises. Mary Catherine Holcomb, writer, teacher and seasoned expat is now living in Milan, Italy. In this article, she shares her views and insights ...
Moving to a new country can be tough for anyone, but it’s especially hard if you don’t know the culture. Adapting to living in Italy can be a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. Italians are la...
Living in Italy, not only in Milan where fashion and design are prominent, you will notice that Italians have a natural sense of style. As an expat coming from a culture that values comfort over coutu...
Living in Italy for many is a dream come true. After visiting the romantic villages of il bel paese, strolling the cobbled stoned streets of charming little hamlets of ancient, medieval towns or shopp...
What it means to be Milanese and how we as expats can adopt a Milanese lifestyle. If you do an image search for “Stile Milanese”, Google will show you a collage of elegant male models, expensive watch...
Even if you have been living in Italy for a short time, you will have noticed that the Italian language is complex. It encompasses verbal, facial and gestural communication. Communicating feelings and...
There are times in life when we all wish we could have a clean slate, a kind of “do over.” For those of you who have moved abroad and begun a whole new life, you know that’s exactly what you get: a co...
In Italy drinking coffee is a ritual. Italians love going to cafés for their coffee and if skipped they won’t survive the day. Before you order a coffee, let’s clarify first the difference between caf...
As an American who has lived in Italy for over 30 years, my Italian friends and family often say to me “ah, you are Italian now.” My mental reply is always “nope, I’m not.” The July 4 celebrations in ...
In part two of the series, we left off discussing stage three of cultural adjustment, adaptation, in which you were beginning to reach a place of understanding and acceptance of your new culture, and ...
When coming from America to live in Italy there are many differences between the two countries to adjust to. There are obvious ones that are known before coming such as it being much hotter in Italy d...
In part one, we left off discussing stage two of the process of cultural adjustment, in which you were experiencing full-blown culture shock and all the frustrations and challenges that go with it. Ag...
When thinking about and planning to move to a new country, the number of logistical preparations to take care of can seem endless. Especially if you are moving not just by yourself, but with a partne...
Among the numerous myths and legends about Milan there is a curious one that says that the devil lived in Corso di Porta Romana n. 3. Why? From 1629 through 1631, in northern Italy, there were a seri...
Ezio Barbieri and “La Banda della Aprilia Nera” A long time ago Milan’s neighborhood “Isola” (island) was isolated from the rest of the city – due to the railway crossing it – and it was inhabited by ...
Carlina was a young girl from the Lake of Como, more precisely from Schignano. At the time and in those areas, according to custom, young brides dressed in black – and not in white as you are used to ...
Have you ever noticed that many Italians have the same name and most of them are named after a Saint? It is not lack of imagination, but a strong influence of their tradition. As we all know, Italy is...
December is a very social month. You may have the perfect outfit for Christmas day, however it won’t do to re-use the same outfit for New Year’s Eve which will require something even more spectacular....
We all know better than to open an umbrella indoors, walk underneath a ladder, break a mirror and stay away from black cats. However, Italy has a few additions to this list. To help you prepare for li...
We have all enjoyed playing where is Waldo and it’s quite amusing, but there is a time and a place for everything. Sure, Italians are creative and that is a good thing, mostly, but when flushing the t...
