Saturday Chat with Inta from Curious Cat Expat
While Saturday Chat may be taking a little break, until I find time to send out more interview questions, I am happy I have had an inspiring chat with Inta from Curious Cat Expat about moving abroad, Italy and travel plans. Since I want to do things differently this week, I’ll let Inta introduce herself. 😀
Hi, I’m Inta. In 2010, I moved to Italy on my own … no spouse or partner, no job waiting for me, no fancy expat package – just me & my goals. Pairing my expat and travel experiences I created my Curious Cat Expat blog where I share my experiences of life overseas. My hopes are that my personal stories, travel experiences and photos may inspire others with their own ventures … may it be a move overseas, to enhance a vacation or simply expose others to new thoughts & sights.
1. How did your friends and family react when you told them you were moving abroad?
Overall, my friends and family were very positive and supportive. I had talked about wanting to move overseas for many years, so in that way it wasn’t shocking news to them. The surprise was more about how quickly I’d be moving. It all happened very fast – I think I even shocked myself, ha ha!
Everyone offered to help me in their own way, it was wonderful. From using family addresses for mail, letting me add them to accounts so I’d have a US person who could help me if needed, to friends helping me get my house and garden in perfect order so I could sell it for ‘top dollar’, they assisted with the many garage sales to clear out my house, they helped with loading my storage unit and so on. But, the most valuable assistance was their support – listening to my concerns – Am I nuts?, going to happy hours to de-stress, and simply…accepting my decision. (OK, I could’ve done without the ‘midlife crisis remark’ from someone but there’s always someone with a wise-a** remark 😉
My friends threw a huge ‘buon viaggio’ party for me and gifted me with a new iPhone to make my send-off memorable. The cherry on top – a dear friend of mine flew with me to Italy to help me get settled during my first week in my new ‘home’.
2. What are the best and the worst things about being an expat?
The highs have been higher, but the lows have been really low.
The best parts of being an expat and what keeps me motivated to make-it-work overseas is being challenged to learn new ways of doing things, truly learning about different cultures because I’m a part of it day-in & out. My surroundings are so different – I love being a tourist in my own town and surrounding areas. I’m fascinated by the architecture and the natural beauty of this country (and Europe). It’s all very mind stimulating. I’ve met so many incredible people – all ages, diverse cultures, from different backgrounds. And then there are the travel opportunities – I can hop on a train or take a short plane ride to explore a unique area or new country easily and relatively inexpensively!
There are many types of expats, I’m an expat who came solo, without a big bank account or a job waiting for me – this does add some extra challenges. I wanted and knew there’d be cultural changes, but I didn’t realize how extreme some things would be (low quality of life, bureaucracy). Adjusting to my new country’s norms were tough besides not having any language skills, I was starting from scratch with EVERYTHING – I had not one bit of ‘familiar’. I felt unintelligent and not capable to do anything for a long time.  I didn’t know where anything was or how to get daily & household things taken care of.  Since I knew no one, I had to invest A LOT of time finding networks, opportunities to socialize – the list could go on forever about challenges. What was especially a low for me was the discrimination from the locals in Rome. They were not very accepting of a single American woman, in her mid-40’s moving into their neighborhood and many made it clear how unwelcome I was, even as I tried to speak Italian, follow their routines and respect their culture.
From all of this, the challenges and the perks, I have learned so much about myself. Good and also, the not so good. It’s much more clear to me of what is important in my life, that I can be very strong and independent, and also that I am very sensitive to certain circumstances. Even though my life still is very unsettled in Europe, I have never felt as certain about many things in my life, my values. The biggest takeaway certainly has been my personal growth and as difficult as certain things have been, I don’t have any regrets and am grateful I took the leap.
 3. How do you pick Italy?
It wasn’t a very strategic decision for sure (something I would do differently in hindsight). I knew I wanted to move to Central Europe and somewhere it wasn’t too cold in the winter since I had lived in sunny California for the last 16 years. I didn’t speak any of the languages, and I didn’t really have any close contacts anywhere in Central EU.  I researched the VISA opportunities in various countries and figured out I could get a long-term VISA to Italy. I chose Rome because I thought there would be good networking opportunists since it’s the capital of Italy. That’s how I chose Rome, Italy – it doesn’t snow there and I can get a VISA – done!
4. What would you recommend to someone who has never been to Italy?
For a vacation – don’t try to see ‘everything’ in one trip. And, definitely see something besides the usual destinations of Rome, Florence and Venice. Italy is such a beautiful and diverse country. Mix up a visit to a big city with a stay in the country, mountains or beach. The cities are full of history and art, but the small villages and more natural areas are stunning and authentic. Some of my favorite areas of Italy: the Lake region (mountains and the lakes), Cinque Terre, Sperlonga is a great day trip from Rome, experiencing an Opera in Verona, everyone veers to Tuscany, but don’t overlook Umbria – lots to explore in Umbria and it’s not as touristy as Tuscany. Mix it up, don’t be afraid to hop on a train and spend a day in another town.  Go sit in the village piazza with the locals and enjoy a Prosecco and just take it in.
To live in Italy – that’s another story. Life is not Eat, Pray, Love for many who move here long-term. Italy is ridiculous with illogical bureaucracy and it’s archaic mindset.
5. Where are you heading in 2015?
I don’t have any particular trips planned for 2015, I rarely plan far in advance. Many of my trips are spur of the moment depending on travel deals and my work load. Currently, I have to focus a lot of my time & budget to build up my business so that I can establish a good foundation to stay in Europe longer.
As of now, I am booked to go to Spain in the spring for a travel conference. I hope to be able to go explore at least one new area in Europe come the summer. It would be wonderful to go back to the states this year to visit family & friends, it’s been over two years since I’ve been back (but half are east coast, the other west coast). In December, I always try to go to a new Christmas classic town for their Christmas Market.
Bonus question: if you could have just one for the rest of your life, which one would it be: pizza or pasta?
It’s a no brainer – Pizza! The classic thin Neapolitan style is the only way to go. Believe it or not, I could skip pasta for eternity, but Pizza is a necessity!