205. Immigrating to Italy: Our First 2 Weeks!

Please follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! In this episode, Kimberly and Tommaso talk about their first two weeks in their new home in Italy. They share the joys and challenges of moving to a new country with a new language and new rules. Key Points: Setting Up a New Life in Italy: Kimberly and Tommaso record their first podcast from their new, unfurnished apartment in Italy. They describe the initial setup, including one bed, one table, two chairs, a kitchen, and many empty boxes. They express admiration for those who immigrate to new countries, especially with language barriers. Navigating Italian Bureaucracy: The process began with picking up an immigration application from the post office within eight business days of arrival. They found the process was what they had expected with Kimberly’s Italian language skills coming to the rescue. They recount a humorous experience at the post office involving a friendly, funny clerk. A local festival closing the post office caused a moment of panic about missing their eight-day deadline. A visit to La Questura (police station) revealed the need for a “declaration of entry” due to their indirect arrival through France. They discovered that all printers in Italy come with built-in scanners, highlighting the local need for frequent document scanning. Deliveries and Shopping Experiences: Delivery tracking in Italy is often inaccurate. Packages arrive unexpectedly, sometimes before they are even marked as shipped online. Kimberly and Tommaso joke that the only way to reliably receive a package is to stay home all day. Or all week! Shopping in Italian malls is a different experience than in the United States. Malls are vibrant, aesthetically pleasing, and full of people. They describe a first mall experience with an exquisite wine bar and restaurant, feeling like they were in Venice or Rome. The stores themselves offer a personalized, art-gallery-like experience with attentive staff. Despite visiting on weekdays, the malls were busy, indicating a thriving shopping culture, unlike the decline of malls in America. Recycling Rules: Italy has a thorough and strict recycling system, with daily pickups for specific items. Food scraps go into communal compost, used for local agriculture. The community effort for recycling is apparent everywhere. They appreciate that the Italian system explains where recycled materials go, fostering a sense of purpose. Ciao!