Caroline,

I am now following your husband's blog. Congratulations on your move.

I was just in Venice a few weeks ago with my Mom. We arrived on Friday morning and we were there to feel the first earthquake at 4 AM.

Had I been thinking before we left I would have contacted you. It would be lovely to meet you. Next time, sgroppinos, my treat.

I've enjoyed reading both your thread and your husbands blog. Both very interesting.

Thanks again for your good wishes, advice & kind words about DH's blog.

Tarquin, we had to bite the bullet and buy another camera for SIL's weddimg - so I expect the old one to turn up any time!

Ann, we haven't yet had an 'unofficial' discount anywhere other than our local bar. I did try asking if there was a discount for residents when requesting the bill at a local pizza place but was told no, although we did then get free limoncellos which I think our spending wouldn't otherwise have warranted. I think we need to wait & see where we become regulars, if anywhere, then maybe it will follow. We were quite excited with our free tickets stamped 'residente' for the Correr Museum etc, though!

TDudette, thanks for the advice. I think my natural way of speaking at present is slowly & haltingly anyway!

Padraig, LOL, neither of us had thought of that! (Would that we could afford a boat & a mooring, though!)

flygirl, sgroppinos would be lovely!

we haven't yet had an 'unofficial' discount anywhere other than our local bar. I did try asking if there was a discount for residents when requesting the bill at a local pizza place>>

perhaps try a different pizza place! though i suspect it is more a matter of them getting used to seeing you frequently, than producing any bits of paper. I also wonder if higher-end establishments have more scope for the "sconto" for residents?

Caroline

I had deregistered for some time and had missed this thread.

I am exteremely pleased that you took the plunge. Of each hundred that always talk of taking a break from our dull summers and dull banks only one makes it, you did and congratulations. Hats off to our heroine.

Am enjoying your DH's blog, caroline. It's like reading a good book!

agree with TDudette. Love the blog!

TTT

Again, thanks for the kind comments. DH is enjoying having a wider audience!

b_g: special thanks for the support of one who evidently knows what it's like! Sorry though, my brain's not working - who did you used to be, as it were?!

caroline - i think that if he tells us that, he'll have to shoot us afterwards.

Caroline
God Caroline, I have had so many logins over 5 years I don't know where to begin! Humptynumpty was the last one. Only reregistered now following janisj's visit to our village.

The usual merry go round starts with the odd post, then too many posts, then sheer boredom with the drivel in the lounge and the back to the real world. Usually ties with the cycles of our business which is seasonal.

I used to stare at spreadsheets for days on end wondering if mass murder and life imprisonment was a better option. Just walked out one day and set up our business.

It always gives me a warm feeling when someone is able to live out the dream I always had.

We have always had a block be it money, children, family, money, mortgages, jobs, businesses, money or a dog. As life progresses, the figures on the bank statements/mortgage just get larger, the kids bigger, the dog grumpier and the family more demanding. Just lives a ruin on a hill in Pienza that bit further away.

Always been so greatly heartened to see others achieve their dreams.

For people who stumble onto this thread, Phil's blog is here:

http://jonesesavenezia.blogspot.it/

and B.Galloway, JUST DO IT!

Cheers

Peter

I wish I wasn't out with my double knee replacements till September as I would have bid a VCE layover and called you for a mini GTG over proscecco? How exciting for you?

Caroline

Philip is an excellent writer. Very much enjoying his blog!

Me too!

Caroline, all the best to you. Chin up! I think the big move is more difficult for women than for men because of the social aspect. I say this after observing my very close friend who, with her husband, moved to Guatemala three years ago.
I've watched the challenges they have faced, and felt my friend's joys, fears, anticipation, and sometimes, disappointment.
I've learned that new friends are great, but they're not the same as old friends. I've observed that learning a new language is not Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day. I've seen that living in a new culture is not easy to adapt to when one is past 25 ( for an example). ;)

I'm also extremely proud of my friends' willingness to push past the 'comfortable and safe' life here in Canada and to meet that challenge; to have the spirit of adventure alive and well, and to see their satisfaction when they reach a new milestone.

Most likely, living in Guatemala has a few more challenges than Venice!

We have dreamed of doing the same when our time comes to hand over the reins of our business, ( or to just sell it and quit feeling responsible for 'half the world', (a slight exaggeration) and carry on).
In the meantime we are living vicariously through our friends and stories told, such as yours.

So glad you started this thread!

Hi all & thanks agin for all your good wishes.

bg/humpty/etc - hi! Wow, Janis visited your village? Impressed! Did you have a mini GTG then? As for achieving our dream - well, all we know is we'll have at least a year, but may find we can't make enough to live on & will have to move to a cheaper part of Italy or even give up altogether & go back to IT, God forbid. But we had to seize the opportunity when we could - it's the best chance we'll ever have to give it a go. Not having children does make it easier, I'll grant you - although Phil does have relatives in poor health, who have however been very supportive of our taking this chance. Mortgage & jobs are no longer a problem - we've burnt our bridges and have nothing else to lose! Our one foray into property ownership lost us money, so I think we just weren't cut out to be capitalists :-) And even if I'd stayed at the bank until I was 65, my pension would have been pathetic - much less than my state pension is meant to be (currently, although I daresay it will get worse...) Another consideration for me is that my father and 3 of my grandparents dies in their 60s, so I want to enjoy myself while I can! And there was one guy at our old office who was evidently bored witless, going out for a smoke every half an hour & just counting the days to retirement - and didn't make it.

sundriedpachino, thanks, some good observations there. Although this is the first time I've lived in a different country, I have now changed city 4 times in my life - at 18, 28, 38 & now - and it certainly gets harder with age and in particular takes longer to make new friends. But each move in the past has turned out to be for the better, based on what I needed at the time.

c_e, I enjoyed your husband's blog. Someone pointed me here because I have a similar story, only mine is not as advanced as yours and slightly different.

I, too, have spent the last 13 years in an IT-type job (payroll industry) and feel the job has turned to total crap. And now informed I have 6-9 months before I'm severed. (some people would cry... though I am mid-50's, I whooped!) I see this as my opportunity to try to achieve my dream... living in Italy for 2-3 years! ("Project Rome" here I come!") :)

Of course, I am an American, so a bit different. Looking for job there, but if that doesn't work out, hoping to apply for other type of Visa.

I will most likely end up in Rome. But I will certainly be spending some long weekends in Venice. I hope you and the hubs will let me buy you a spritz when I get there!

thanks for the insight and encouragement!!! Live the dream!!!

Topping for the newest blog posting, today. Behold one full year! Congratulations to Caroline and Philip.

http://jonesesavenezia.blogspot.com/...e-year-on.html