Since I joined this forum in 2005 I have wondered why people who made the effort to move to Italy leave? I realize there are various reasons related to work, family, health, etc but I would be curious for those who have left Italy to provide some insight as to why. I think this might help those who are looking to make the move here to better understand the issues they may be faced with when living in Italy.

I'm a rare case. I left Italy because I fell in love. That didn't go so well.

So far the people I know personally who have left Italy did so because they wanted to expand professionally, save up, etc... and it was easier to do that in the States.

I *would* leave to have better career prospects, be closer to my family and because I am a bit fed up of being a foreigner after 12 years here and, and, and .....

However, I am happily married to an Italian so I am staying here.....

Bryan if you are really interested the site www.britexpats.com has a forum for ALL british expats everywhere called Moving back to the UK. You can search for Italy on there as I know there are people on there who have done what you are talking about. They don't just discuss the ins and outs of moving back but also why they are doing so. It is also interesting to see the reasons people move home from any country after all the trouble they have to go to get there anyway. The number of Brits that make the move to Oz then come back less than a few years later, even when they have their full visa to stay, really surprised me.

I've been here for 21 years and that is only because I have created business interests in Italy and outside the country. Every person I've known that left did so because they couldn't make it economically. Just getting by because you love Italy is alright in your 20s, maybe even your 30s, but as you get older, you begin to realize that if you don't have a support system in Italy, you could end up in a bad way.

Just from memory, here on the board a couple of people have left from failed marriages/relationships, another couple had neighbor problems, one guy was unhappy with his job and life here in general.
Looking back, seems like pretty much the same reasons people move from one city or state to another.

I've left twice... once as a teenager - the nuns and I did not see eye to eye and more or less sent me back to the U.S. And once because my ex-husband wanted to move to France. Am going on 20 years this time around and think I'll stay, but never say never - right?

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I've left twice... once as a teenager - the nuns and I did not see eye to eye and more or less sent me back to the U.S.

This sounds like an interesting story- nuns sent you to America?

Let's just say my company was no longer desired in the boarding school run by nuns in Florence. To add a bit of context, it was 1970/71, Florence was not the most conservative town, and I was at an impressionable age. So they asked my parents to take me back. However, in my defense I was not the only persona non grata at the end of the school year.

Cool- a little hell-raisin' never hurt nobody.

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Originally posted by Vicky:
Let's just say my company was no longer desired in the boarding school run by nuns in Florence. To add a bit of context, it was 1970/71, Florence was not the most conservative town, and I was at an impressionable age. So they asked my parents to take me back. However, in my defense I was not the only persona non grata at the end of the school year.

Does the school still exist so I know not to send my daughter there?!

No Alyson, it does not exist(now part of the U. of Florence- was a Medici villa) and it was not the nuns fault, but mine and some of my companions. We did not appreciate prayers twice a day and were into some alternative things that the nuns did not appreciate...thank God most of the time they did not understand what we were doing. Unfortunately can't name names, lots of Florence's "per bene" were involved in our escapades...

This story gets better and better!

My coming and going involving Italy mirrors Vicky's only in terms of timing: I came to Italy in 1969 and left in late 1970 because, well, my year abroad was up. Unlike Vicky, I didn't get thrown out of a posh school, my mother bagged a 2nd class ticket on the Michelangelo, so you could say I returned to the US in possibly more style!

I was back 6 months later as Sadie Married Lady and stayed here until 1992, when we sold our farm and decided to move to Paris.

For anyone who's been watching, I got back this year and have no plans to leave, recession or no recession (it'll be bad everywhere, might as well be in a nice place!).

No cool stories, rather dull in fact, but still on topic.

Those that left because they didn't like the Italian lifestyle probably aren't still hanging around this forum...if there are any.

Economics and relationships do seem to be the main factors in leaving Italy.

Don't forget secondments and postings business and military too. GE plays a large part in the floating population here in Florence, as does education, like in Filomena's case. We get our fair share of students on this site.

I went to Italy after I graduated college in the states as sort of an adventure. I lived in Rome for a little over a year, taught English in a private institute, made several luke-warm friendships, and generally enjoyed myself getting to know the city and surrounding area. However, I never really felt like I was 'home' there, and when my sister was getting married, I felt a strong pull back to the other side of the Atlantic. Even though I had a boyfriend at the time (and still do), he was in Palermo (now Catania), so it was long-distance anyway and I found myself deeply lonely much of the time.

They say it takes about 3 years to really feel at home in a place like Rome (and probably others too), but I just didn't want to put in the time to do so if my heart was just not there.

That said, sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I'd stayed..if things would've gotten better...but no regrets! I'm close to my family and loving my job as a high school Italian teacher. Now if only we can find a way for my OH to come stateside..

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That said, sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I'd stayed..if things would've gotten better...but no regrets! I'm close to my family and loving my job as a high school Italian teacher.

Thanks SplitIndue. You've got your priorities right.

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Originally posted by Bryan S:
Those that left because they didn't like the Italian lifestyle probably aren't still hanging around this forum...if there are any.

We're planning to leave in a few years because we don't like the Italian 'lifestyle" (I guess you could call it that!) Does that count?

I guess for me the reasons we would like to leave are (and please don't flame me - these are my opinions in response to this post and yes I realise that some of this does not apply to many of the richer parts of Italy which are closer in culture to Northern Europe- and please note that we are in Rome):

-lack of honesty on every level of society - from the shop not paying its taxes, to the professor/notaio who got his position due to nepotism/cheating on the concorso to the fact that virtually every apartment I've seen is illegal in some way to Berlusconi and his cronies. I don't want to bring my daughter up to be furba.
-high taxes and few/no services. I paid over 1000 euro in medical bills for the birth of my child even though I did everything publicly and had no complications. The state of the roads, garbage and graffiti everywhere- the list goes on. Obviously this varies in some parts of the North.
-the driving and the general 'me first' attitude which goes with it.
-lack of opportunties for my daughter if we stay here. We're not well connected so forget it.
-the universities are a complete mess from what I understand - or at least La Sapienza is.
-bureaucratic inefficiency and rudeness
-racism. I don't want my child to be put in a separate class because she's 'foreign'. Or to be made to feel inferior in any way because of her non-Italian-ness.
-low salaries and high prices - it's very difficult to survive here without parental support which leads to very little social mobility. Apart from that I don't want to be still financially supporting my daughter when she's 25-40.

I moved here for a relationship and never had any particular interest in Italy (apart from as a tourist) before coming here. I came with an open mind but have been pretty shocked by a lot of things here. It reminds me more of Russia (where I've lived in the past) than of the rest of Europe (where we have relatives).

Those seem to me to be entirely reasonable and well-thought out reasons, Ramona.

I'm not sure how much longer I'll be here, but as I didn't come with any disatisfaction with where I was I'll go back with equanimity, although I'll no doubt miss things from here. My reasons would be family (ageing parent) and missing the sea. I'd like to do a bit of sailing before I get too old and that'll be easier back in my English seaside village. I think it more likely that I might find a partner in the UK, but that is a _very_ small consideration.

Economically it would be a more difficult call, as here I can get teaching work to supplement my pension. I have taught in the UK (EFL & Italian) but getting work was very hit and miss from one year to the next, and further education bureaucracy in the UK has to be seen to be believed!

Moving is always a pain, but within the EU it's not quite as bad as the trans-continental movers, so we probably regard it in a slightly more relaxed way. Not to say that I mightn't return to the UK and then come back again...

We've been here 7 years, and although not intending to move away permanently, are thinking of ways to live at least part of the year outside Italy. Reasons: to be able to travel and see a bit more, and to experience general efficiency elsewhere.

We both run online businesses and lack of decent, fast and reliable connections mean that our work is ultimately frustrating. Plus, being able to live in a different environment is very important - I find it increases creativity and broadens thoughts like nothing else.

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Originally posted by suefischio:


...... and missing the sea. I'd like to do a bit of sailing before I get too old and that'll be easier back in my English seaside village...
..

Hi!...I'm from a seaside town in the UK with great sailing ( although I'm not a sailor myself ) just wondered where the English village you hail from was...........

in 'Ampshire, near Portsmuff, although I'm actually a Saints supporter. Well, you'll probably understand that Valli!

No! Really?......well I be from "Darset"....... right next door! ....and my brother lives near Portsmuff....small world......