Year in Italy

[NewYearsRevolution2020]

If you were mid 40's (OK, late) no children, no mortgage/house as rent, no partner, no significant private pension (just state contributions but have a 'nest' pension which I could contribute to for part of the year, no fixed career but some freelance work and were offered a year in Italy working in an art-based place (excellent international reputation, paid internship about 1200 euro a month) would you be unreasonable to go?

My head says knuckle down here and do the sensible thing. My heart which I have not listened to for a long time says go. Have one last fling with the world before you come back and settle down and do the mortgage/pension/9-5 job thing.

I would get Italian language classes, too. It is in the area of my career and would be very good experience.

I am feeling old, tired and jaded. AIBU to say yes to it?

What would make you say no in my situation?

You’ve got to go!

The voting makes me laugh. It keeps fluctuating between 97 and 99%.

Some of you are being sensible...

I would say "andiamo!" (let's go!)

I'm older than you and learning Italian. It's tough (at my age) but not a hard language to learn - as languages go - for English speakers. And you'll have the advantage of being there!

Do it.

I think you have all persuaded me. It could be really great.

Not sure why you're even considering saying no to this. And you never know what "sensible" thing may come out of the opportunity. You can't have too many contacts.

Go - I'll help you pack. Only danger is that you might love it too much and not want to come back. I went for a year in my early twenties and ended up staying for nearly 5. Left part of my heart there and have a huge soft spot for all things Italian. Lovely language to learn too.

@deepflatflyer why did you come back if you don't mind me asking?

See, in a year you would see the surface of a place, visit the key sites, get a sense of the lifestyle but what if I get too relaxed and chilled and just can't get back into London life?

Yabu to even give it a 2nd thought. Do it 😊

Vai! Vai!
If I could do it, I totally would (I'm not long home from an Italian class, but that's for the holidays). I've never had a year out... It's the kind of opportunity that will come up all too rarely in future (RIP Erasmus and its like) so you should take it while you can and get all the enjoyment out of it possible. Firenze é bellissimo!

si, Firenze sembra bella!

With a little help from babelfish

I came back because of the hand-to-mouth existence of being a TEFL teacher and I felt by the age of 28 I needed to embark on a proper career with some stability etc etc. Also I had broken up with a boyfriend of about 2 years and just thought it was good timing to get out. I was a bit over emotional about everything. Looking back, I should have just chilled and enjoyed the culture / food etc and not worry about the future which is what I'd do now!

I still toy with the idea of going back but I'm stuck here with mortgage and 2 teenagers....

You will regret it if you don't give it a go. You're getting paid while there, your'e single and renting here....its a total no-brainer!! As you get older, time seems to go quicker so do it now, while you have this amazing chance!

Yeah, it not as though I have anything here to hold on to (nice rental room?)

Perhaps I have deliberately made it that way...one last adventure, one giant yawp with the unknown.

Pleeeeeease go (and update the thread with regular Italy exploits)!
If anything over the last year, I’ve learned life is short and so precious.
Don’t get to 80 and regret not going-left with ifs, buts and maybes.

You can come back at anytime and (mostly) everything will just be ticking along. That scary excitement is THE best feeling, pushing yourself in the best way possible.

Do it!

Is your accommodation provided as part of the internship. As 1200 euro per month will not get you very far in Florence if it has to cover rent and utilities. I spent 3 years living and working in different parts of Italy, 2011-2014. My wage was not dissimilar and it covered day to day living expenses, budget travel in my free time (trains, hostels etc) and flights back to the uk when necessary. I remember it being quite tight? Rent / utilities were covered separately. Obviously the weather will still be lovely and you can wander along the banks of the Arno for free but a lot of what is lovely about Italy costs.

@Enough yes, I would have to take that into consideration. And supplement it with savings. But I think that before I go, I will organise some online teaching work so that I have something consistent in terms of income along with the freelance work I can do (which brings in very little in money over the course of the year but is good for CV, etc)

Go. Just go. You really don’t want to spend the rest of your life in regret. Most regret is for the road not taken. Incidentally, I’m deeply envious.

I think if you can save enough to cover your rent (which will largely depend on whether you are happy to share, and how close you want to be to the pretty old parts of the city) you could have a lovely time on 1200 euro. Online teaching while you are there is also good, you would need to factor in a good internet connection. These were not the norm in my Italian days but the world has moved on since then.

Interestingly, my experience was v similar to someone above in that at first it was an absolute dream. By 2 years in the shine had well and truly worn off. By the time I left, I was absolutely sick of Italy and all things italian. I've since been back a few times and refund my appreciation. I dont think I'd live there long term again.

Ps on the language side, you could make some serious progress towards fluency in a year with time and the right attitude.

*refound

@Enough I joke about things but at this stage I am quite serious about how I use my time. I would need the structure of daily work so am happy to spend free time learning Italian and using it. I can speak some French & Spanish and the little Italian I have looked at seems phonetically and grammatically straight forward (at conversational level). I would love to learn to cook a bit better (pastries, etc) and I draw, so, for me, a sketchbook and coffee is all I need to keep me happy.

I want to see the art so to be able to see the galleries, over time, not just on a rushed holiday would be heaven for me and it would be a chance to create a base to explore the rest of Italy & Sardinia.

I love the outdoors and nature so my days out would be walking if possible. I have modest tastes.

My dream is to travel back across Europe by train (Orient Express might be out of the question but you get the gist).

Now, I will have to check out the man in seat sixty one site!

Of course you should do it. We only get one life, and we should grasp opportunities like this with both hands! Who wants to stagnate and die of boredom? I emigrated to Oz when I was 43 never having set foot in the place, and it was the best decision I ever made. Fortune favours the brave after all, just do it, and good luck!

@always

Yes, fortunes favours the brave. I just have to find my bravery!

I am committing the cardinal sin of not RTWT because I was going to live in Italy for a year in my twenties with a boyfriend who was pretty blah but could work remotely from anywhere. I had a bit of inheritance that would have tidied me through for the year rent-wise. But then got a job offer I would never have got at another time so took that. And now I’m 31 and engaged to a wonderful wonderful man and have a step child and I wouldn’t change it for the world, but I wish I’d done my year in Italy.

@user1473878824 so many choices, it's hard not to think of the other paths we could take.

You have something real now though. xx

Oh gosh absolutely but I wish I’d done it so if you have the chance do do do! I reckon if I can do it again it’ll be when I’m in my mid fifties and I’m going to JUMP on it.