I lived in Italy for over a year-here's what they don't you about living the Mediterranean dream - Silicon Canals

"When I stepped off the train in Florence with two suitcases and a shaky grasp of Italian, I thought I had it all figured out. After years in the corporate grind, I'd finally done it. I'd taken the leap everyone dreams about after watching one too many films set in Tuscany. The Mediterranean lifestyle was calling, and I was ready to answer. Leisurely lunches, afternoon naps, sun-soaked piazzas, maybe even learn to make pasta from a grandmother who'd take me under her wing."

"Getting anything official done in Italy requires a level of patience I didn't know existed. Want to open a bank account? That's three visits minimum, each requiring different documents that nobody mentioned the previous time. Need to register your address? Better clear your morning, because you'll be in that municipal office for hours, only to be told you're missing a photocopy of something you've never heard of."

"I once spent six weeks trying to get internet installed in my apartment. Six. Weeks. The technician came three times, each visit revealing a new "impossible" problem that required another department's approval. By the time I finally got connected, I'd memorized every coffee shop with WiFi in a two-mile radius. The locals navigate this with a resigned shrug and the phrase "È così" - it is what it is. They've learned to work around it, through it, despite it."

When moving to Florence with limited Italian and two suitcases, a person expected a Mediterranean lifestyle of leisurely lunches and sun-soaked piazzas. After fourteen months, the person returned to London with a different understanding: Italian life contains incredible moments but also frustrating realities. Official tasks require excessive patience, multiple visits, and inconsistent document demands. Internet installation took six weeks with repeated technician visits and interdepartmental approvals. Locals respond with resigned acceptance, using the phrase "È così" and learning informal workarounds to navigate persistent bureaucratic hurdles. Daily life includes small joys but requires flexibility, patience, and reliance on local networks to accomplish routine tasks.

Read at Silicon Canals