annakb

Snippylynn · December 2010

I was just reading another post of yours on the HM board. Would you really want to live in Venice??

I'm of the opinion that Italy is a great place to visit but it's a giant PITA to live there. Many of the people I know who have lived there agree with me. lol

(PS, I double majored in history and poli sci so I'm all over the historical aspect of it too)

annakb8 · December 2010

I think it is easy for me to say that because I would never actually be able to, but yes, I would. I know Italy is a bureaucratic nightmare and would probably get frustrating really fast but I love it. Plus, I don't mind the European bread and cheese breakfast haha.

I spent the summer of 09 in Germany but I wouldn't mind never going back, something about the whole country just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I think the Mediterranean lifestyle is something I could seriously get into though.

Where in Italy did you live? What do you like better, Italy or Sweden?

Snippylynn · December 2010

Oh god, I by far like Sweden. I lived in Modena, near Bologna. I can't imagine living in a really touristy place like Venice though. Where we lived there were no tourists at all basically, but a decent expat experience.

It's not even the beauracracy that gets you in Italy- it's the entire lifestyle. Want to go to the grocery store? Well, what day is it? If it's Sunday, Monday or Thursday- they're not open. Okay, it's not any of those days. Great! What time is it? Between 1 and 4, don't bother. And that's not just the grocery, that's everything.

Like AC? Doesn't exist anywhere. Not restaurants, shops, nothing.

Like convenience? Neep. Go elsewhere.

emilyinchile · December 2010

A Chilean friend HATED Italy when he went on vacation. His take was that it was just as third world, bureaucratic and inconvenient as Chile but at about 5 times the price.

Anna, I believe you if you say you'd love to live there, but I also feel like you'd have a lot of frustrations that you might not be able to imagine right now. At least, that's how I felt moving to Chile, and that's after I'd already lived here for 6 months on study abroad, since during study abroad I didn't really do normal grown-up things that are a pain in the ass and take twice as long as in the US.

ETA: I've been to Italy too, but only Rome, and did not hate it

Just thought it was funny that Chilean's take was "I could have stayed home and been just as annoyed without spending all this money."

Snippylynn · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:7ba6de78-7eca-4c65-b13a-afbe5a10b937">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]A Chilean friend HATED Italy when he went on vacation. His take was that it was just as third world, bureaucratic and inconvenient as Chile but at about 5 times the price.
Posted by emilyinchile[/QUOTE]

BAHAHAHAHAH!!! Um... H and I say that all the time, but never to anyone else.

annakb8 · December 2010

I guess when I say Venice I might actually prefer something in the Veneto, not in actual Venice. I have a friend who live in a town called Sacile about 45 minutes out and he loves it. Actually if someone offered me the chance to move pretty much anywhere in Italy north of Rome I would take it. Although no cars is also part of the appeal of Venice, I hate driving. Also, the only places I have ever lived are Orlando and DC so dodging tourists is something I'm used to.

Snippylynn · December 2010

That's good. I pretty much hated every minute of the 2.5 years I lived there. It was "better" once I learned Italian, but I couldn't stand being groped all the time by ridiculous men. And the people weren't the least bit friendly.

annakb8 · December 2010

Oh, I know it is very possible I'd end up hating it. Like I said before, there is about a 0% chance I would ever have the possibility to live abroad. I doubt I would ever be able to find substantial employment and I have student loan debt which mean that I will pretty much never be able to pick up and move anywhere. I would love to try it though if I ever had an opportunity. And from my experience in Germany I think I was more adaptable than other Americans I was with.

emilyinchile · December 2010

A buuunch of my gringo friends in Chile have student loan debt, so don't let that stop you! Especially if you'd be earning Euros with the Euro being stronger than the dollar.

Loopyseven · December 2010

My brother and SIL are living in Germany. They've been there 4 months. It's been interesting to hear their experiences. She gets frustruated with the tiny refrigerators that require grocery shopping every day.

I didn't want to move anywhere we went in Italy, though it was an amazing trip, but if I ever got the opportunity to spend an extended length of time in or near Paris I'd do everything I could to make it happen.

Snippylynn · December 2010

Oh, that's not true. Many people who move overseas teach english because they want to live abroad. It's not really hard to get a job doing that. But I'm hoping you're saying I'm not adaptable because I hated living there. Being adaptable has very little to do with it- it's all about persevering. I may have hated it, but I stuck it out and even decided to give a different country a try.

Birdie1483 · December 2010

Total threadjack, but Emily I was just reading your blog and I was curious if you and your H speak English or Spanish to each other?

annakb8 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:565c738b-e537-40e0-9e5a-f755322631d3">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]A buuunch of my gringo friends in Chile have student loan debt, so don't let that stop you! Especially if you'd be earning Euros with the Euro being stronger than the dollar.
Posted by emilyinchile[/QUOTE]

Really? That is nice to know. Maybe it is possible. FI is a lawyer though so I think it would be hard for him to find anything.

I wanted to get dual citizenship (US/Icelandic) but I think that ship has sailed. I didn't even know I was eligible until I was 22 or 23. I was never sure how much it would have helped because Iceland isn't part of the EU and I'm not terribly interested in living there. I think the sun not coming up all winter would bother me more than no AC.

annakb8 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:ddaa9109-dd3b-4809-a9fb-ac20d8fd4a7f">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]Oh, that's not true. Many people who move overseas teach english because they want to live abroad. It's not really hard to get a job doing that. <strong> But I'm hoping you're saying I'm not adaptable because I hated living there</strong>. Being adaptable has very little to do with it- it's all about persevering. I may have hated it, but I stuck it out and even decided to give a different country a try.
Posted by Snippylynn[/QUOTE]

No that isn't what I meant at all. Obviously you are if you have survived abroad for so long. I just meant that I think I could handle it better than most Americans who were surprised that they needed adapters and that people don't use ice.

doctabroccoli · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:65335657-8f8d-47e8-abbe-c7d1cc3e9eb5">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]That's good. I pretty much hated every minute of the 2.5 years I lived there. It was "better" once I learned Italian, but I couldn't stand being groped all the time by ridiculous men. And the people weren't the least bit friendly.
Posted by Snippylynn[/QUOTE]

Ciao bella!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Snippylynn · December 2010

hahaha... There was a girl in Modena who always asked for straws at restaurants and was a basic nuisance. I really disliked her.

Why aren't you eligible for an Icelandic passport? And you'd be surprised what kind of work your FI could get as a lawyer over here.

Snippylynn · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:0b4b2aa8-044b-4bde-8986-883b2a47eaa6">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: *annakb* : Ciao bella!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by doctabroccoli[/QUOTE]
GAH. Hate that. Especially when they do it by stroking my shoulder while I'm walking down the street holding hands with H.

doctabroccoli · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:912ef471-cd77-4faf-96d2-c561f1041ae2">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: *annakb* : GAH. Hate that. Especially when they do it by stroking my shoulder while I'm walking down the street holding hands with H.
Posted by Snippylynn[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure if being of Italian heritage makes them do it more or less to me.....

annakb8 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:f5a47f47-ba43-4ff4-a80c-f984516d0ec3">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]hahaha... There was a girl in Modena who always asked for straws at restaurants and was a basic nuisance. I really disliked her. Why aren't you eligible for an Icelandic passport? And you'd be surprised what kind of work your FI could get as a lawyer over here.
Posted by Snippylynn[/QUOTE]

I think I might just be getting too old. I don't know though, maybe I should look into it again before I get married. I'm sure it would be easier before than after, especially since I currently have a very Icelandic name.

What about lawyers that only speak English? He is a smart guy but language is not his strong point.

annakb8 · December 2010

I just looked again and apparently I would have gotten citizenship automatically if my parents had been married when I was born (they married about 6 weeks later) or if I had applied before age 18. Lame.

emilyinchile · December 2010

I know people who've gotten European passports in their mid-20s. It's usually several months of sending documents to the embassy and then waiting, but I don't think it's been particularly hard for any of them. Although yeah, not sure how much that'd help you with living in Italy

Here I know that many big law firms have one US lawyer to deal with international cases, but it's definitely not easy because obviously one job per company doesn't give you the best odds. I think your FI's job then would be the hardest part.

Birdie, we speak more Spanish but have integrated more English since H used to be a tour guide and wanted to practice, so now that he knows more it's less frustrating to me to say something in English vs. before when I'd have to repeat myself and it was quicker to just speak Spanish. I'm totally fluent, most people think I'm Chilean when they meet me because I have a good accent.

squirrly · December 2010

Anna, where in Germany? H lived there for a couple of years and LOVES it. He was there with the Army, but lived "on the economy" not on post or anything. It's pretty much the only place he might be willing to move at this point.

I, however, do not drink beer. Thus, the appeal of Germany drops REALLY quickly.

Snippylynn · December 2010

I'm sure you could get it if you wanted.

But yeah, probably not going to help a ton. lol

doctabroccoli · December 2010

I cannot deal with German food. Cannot.

emilyinchile · December 2010

Squirrly, I totally read "where IS Germany" rather than "where IN Germany" at first and was worried about the effect pregnancy hormones were having on your brain

squirrly · December 2010

Broccoli, my H is the pickiest eater EVER. Really. Ask around. I've told stories on here before. I think he subsisted on schnitzel, fries, and donners.

annakb8 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:5ebc4827-0314-4398-b607-6ec7f9286aa0">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]Anna, where in Germany? H lived there for a couple of years and LOVES it. He was there with the Army, but lived "on the economy" not on post or anything. It's pretty much the only place he might be willing to move at this point. I, however, do not drink beer. Thus, the appeal of Germany drops REALLY quickly. :D
Posted by squirrly[/QUOTE]

I lived in Freiburg which is in far south west Germany, in the Black Forest. There were good things about living there, it was really clean (except parts of Berlin), the countryside is beautiful, the trains run on time, things like that. I just found Germans to be very unfriendly. They were not willing to open up or help at all, even when I tried speaking in German. Usually this just made them shut down more and give one word answers in English. People were a little nicer in Bavaria, but not much.

I do like beer and the beer there is wonderful but overall the food was dissapointing. I lived on meat, potatoes, beer and bread the whole time I was there. I gained a ton of weight and actually didn't touch meat for a few months after I got back because I was so tired of it. This was probably partially because I was using a shared kitchen, but I had a hard time finding and eating as many fresh vegetables as I would have liked. I was also in a pretty small town, big cities may have more selection.

Also, it was cold. In the summer. In supposedly the warmest part of Germany. I am not ok with that. Even when it did warm up I got the dirtiest looks from people on the street when I wore a modest, knee-legnth sundress. People looked at me like I was a cheap hooker because I wasn't wearing pants and long sleeves.

Finally, I know this isn't the fault of the vast majority of people living in Germany today, but I hate that most of the historic sites and city centers are reconstructions and not the real thing because most were destroyed by bombing in WWII. It kind of ruins it for me and can sometimes feel more like Epcot than Europe.

doctabroccoli · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_annakb?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:48364aeb-22c3-4d62-a878-8e5792d5f7e7Post:a78d204e-0f22-4b17-81eb-bb800adb0600">Re: *annakb*</a>:
[QUOTE]Broccoli, my H is the pickiest eater EVER. Really. Ask around. I've told stories on here before. I think he subsisted on schnitzel, fries, and donners.
Posted by squirrly[/QUOTE]

I survived on McDonalds, but I was only there for a week.

Snippylynn · December 2010

Hm. I've met a few Germans and they were friendlier than the Italians in the north. I hear southern Italians are very different and much warmer.

mica178 · December 2010

My time in Italy taught me that Italy is great if you have a trust fund and will inherit your house. Otherwise, it's ridiculously expensive and inconvenient outside of the cities. Also, I hated being stared at all the time. Yes, I know. I'm Asian. Italy is a tourist destination, haven't you seen an Asian before?

So, if H has a long-lost Italian relative who wants to leave us a house in Le Marche, cool. I love the soft sausage they make there. Otherwise, I'll visit from time to time.

TatiMarie · December 2010

Snippy, is Modena known for their vinegar? Correct me if I'm wrong. Did you like anything about Italy?

Anna, do you speak Italian? Or would you want to live in any Mediterranean country? Spain's economy is not the best right now, but their government does a lot of "grants" where you get health insurance and paid in euros. I lived in two different areas (East coast and then SW coast) and I loved it. However, I did miss having 4 seasons.

annakb

Re: annakb

Choose Another Board

Search Boards