Really want to move abroad

[M.Picken]

Ok so we have two young children (1 and 3) and desperatly want to move to italy. We have been to rome, florence and pisa and we just love the country and the people.
I think what we are worried about is the first integral steps to moving abroad. Are there any suggestions to steps to consider. We want to be as organised as possible.
For example any areas ideal for families and any hints to employment issues.
Also property buying and any personal stories of how you made the first steps to becoming an italian citizen.
thank you v much
maggie

[dario]

Originally Posted by M.Picken

Ok so we have two young children (1 and 3) and desperatly want to move to italy. We have been to rome, florence and pisa and we just love the country and the people.
I think what we are worried about is the first integral steps to moving abroad. Are there any suggestions to steps to consider. We want to be as organised as possible.
For example any areas ideal for families and any hints to employment issues.
Also property buying and any personal stories of how you made the first steps to becoming an italian citizen.
thank you v much
maggie

Where to start?
First, its one thing to go on holiday, its another kettle of fish living here.

Italy and italians have a very laid back way of life which is anti rat-race, if compared to London or the likes (I take it your from UK) but to quote a scottish friend of mine who has just bought a seaside flat here to get away from his thameside mayhem workplace, "I'd love to live in Italy but work in England". That more or less sums it up.

If you want that laid back way of life, then the country is ideal, better if away from the city. Then again Italy coutryside means not having all the advantages of the city plus, generally speaking, italian countryside dwellers are not highly cultured, so their ignorance can be an obstacle.
On the up side, I know a few expats with small children who are delighted at the way their children are treated at school, especially in the countryside areas.
On the whole, as in UK, countryside areas are family friendly compared to alineating cities such as Rome or Florence.

There would perhaps be a million things to say and I don't know where to start.
If in need get back to me here and we could decide a better means of comunicating, like on Yahoo or similiar.
One thing though. Are you sure you want to make the move? If your in a well paid job, I'd say think not twice but a hundred times before moving.

dario

[M.Picken]

Hi there,
Thanks for the response.
Well laid back life is our ideal to be honest. We hate the rat race and we want to see each other a little more. We keep chickens at the mo and love growing veg. I dont work at the moment and my husband is well paid but you can have all the money in the world but not necessarily be happy.
We want to settle into a community and work but not live to work. I'd be happy to do anything.
My one and only concern is my children. As long as they would be able to go to an italian school then i would be happy. It's also hard to gage where abouts to live.
We spent some time in france this year as it was our secong option but we didn't enjoy the french life as much as we did italy. My husband also used to work in italy a lot and so he has always loved it.
I picked up the language a little and that was 4 days so im sure i can pick it up relatively easy if i was there much longer!
I would love to talk more..
get in touch and tell me how you'd like to talk
maggie

[funkydoll]

We have been planning our move for 2 years and getting more and more frustrated, we had a buyer for our restaurant and house both backed out hence our move has taken so long in the process, now the "Credit Crunch", we have decided to rent our our porperty here in the uk but still need to sell the business alothough we have said that we will take the option B because whether or not it is sold we are leaving in April 09.

We have out son who is 7 in Feb, my husband is Italian and we go home alot to the south so Italy for us is home rather than the uk and for all the points you have raised regarding the reasons for going ours are exactly the same, we want a calmer life with quality and most certainly want to escape the fast lane here, you are absolutely right with all the money it doesn't bring happiness just pain.

We spent about 6 months last year taking flights every 4 weeks to view properties and find where we would like to settle, Palaia or San miniato, we are just trying to gather as much information as possible on the schools, we want our son to engage into Main stream rather than international but I want to get theright school for him, the information provided on the web is far and few between so if you know of any sites I could look at that can provide me with more infomration i would be very interested.

For me Italy offers the whole package, ok all countries have a plus and negative but on paper Italy has more +, the family enviroment is so important to us and ther perception on children is greater than any where else, you know what you can plan as much as possible but it will never be the righ time, you just have to bite the bullet and go as long as you have a base for the first 6 months everything with follow suit.

Where about are you considering moving to?

Larane