Month 3 | Vietri sul Mare, Italy
Where this month found me
Month three? Already?! It’s absolutely crazy to think that this has been our “new normal” for three months now! It feels like we were boxing up our apartment in Toronto last week, and yet here we are. We finally settled into a groove, just in time to enjoy the first full month of hot Italian summer weather. We had visitors from home, connected with some of our new friends, and made the most of living in Europe with a few trips: exploring more of the Amalfi Coast, Rome, and London. Finding ways to cool off – gelato, AC, swimming, and some crisp glasses of falanghina – was essential to acclimatizing!
The admin & logistics chapter
This month the beast to face was: Italian public transport. Navigating the buses, trains, and ferries was essential with us not having a car here, and we were finally settled in enough to start exploring a little more.
Buses proved to be both our closest ally and our biggest nemesis at times. They go everywhere, and once we figured out the Campania App, we were able to discern which tickets we needed for each ride: helpful. On the other side of the coin, anything along the coast in peak season is a nightmare (stuffed in like sardines and full buses will drive right past you without batting an eye). Oh, and schedules? More of a loose suggestion than a promise. My extremely hungover self was devastated when three buses drove by without slowing in Praiano. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully forgive them.
It was definitely a learning curve and taught us that patience is key in surviving public transportation here!
Language & learning
For the first half of the month, we had a pretty solid run, setting aside an hour each day for studying. The second half of month three brought a lot of guests, which made committing to a routine a little difficult. All in all, though, progress has been made! I am pretty capable in transactional situations (think: ordering at a restaurant, picking up prosciutto at the deli, getting a cappuccino to go), but it’s the casual conversation that leaves something to be desired.
A moment that entirely caught me off guard was during a day when my brain simply wasn’t capable of thinking in another language. We went to a shop, and without thinking, I asked a question in full English. The employee looked me dead in the eyes, gave me a (somewhat condescending?) smile and said, “I think is better if we speak English.” I’ve never been “Englished” so fast in my life. Let alone when I was speaking English! It will haunt me forever, I’m sure of it.
People & connection
In other news, we have a favourite shop in town, made our favourite entirely thanks to the owners, Imma and Antonio, who are so sweet. They don’t speak much English, and we definitely don’t speak much Italian, but they are so patient. They’ve taught us new words and phrases, and always greet us with a smile and plenty of ciaos. It’s an experience that makes us feel at home in a place that we’re still figuring out!
Mio fratello minore (little brother) and his friend came to Italy and stayed with us for two nights as our first guests in Italy. We brought them around Vietri and then spent the day in Amalfi, Atrani and Ravello. If you ever consider walking from Ravello down to Atrani as we did, this is your warning: the stairs are relentless, uneven and steep. Plan to question your choices the next day when your legs are shaking with every step you take!
Right after my brother left, one of our good friends, who’s a flight attendant, was coming to Rome for work and had an overnight turnaround. Tys and I hopped un treno to Roma and met up with her for an evening. Ancient ruins, architectural marvels and delicious carbonara made the perfect visit!
Then the following week, some of our old coworkers (e buoni amici) came to the Amalfi Coast for a couple of nights. We met up with them in Amalfi for a boat day, showed them around to some of our favourite stops in the area and went back to their place in Praiano for the evening. And thus was the cause of my hungover adventure home the next day!
We spent an evening on the beach with a few of the people we’ve met here and had a little picnic, enjoying drinks, snacks, endless fireworks — a night without the sound of fireworks almost feels wrong now — and the crisp evening ocean air.
This month felt like a revolving door of loved ones and connections to home — albeit exhausting at times. The familiar faces were such a welcome and grounding change of pace.
Then on the first weekend of August, we hopped a flight to London for the Oasis concert at Wembley! Meeting up with a group of friends from back home, we explored London (the second time in a year for us) and had one of the best concert experiences of our lives thus far. I will also add, a few days of being able to speak in our first language as the default was such a nice break for my brain. To every person out there speaking a second language daily, you’re doing great!
While we were in London, we snuck in a lunch with our friend, Sal, who we met in our Italian classes during our first month in Italy. It was so nice to see her and catch up!
Small joys
Two days ago I celebrated my 30th! We kept it low key, and just enjoyed the day. Having a “big” birthday while living abroad means that there’s no big party, but there was a quiet reflection on everything I’m thankful for and everything I’m looking forward to. How many people can say that they had their 30th birthday while living a year abroad?
What this month taught me
This month I learned the importance of living in the present and enjoying the little moments. We’ve decided to lean into the slowness of it all – a page from the Italians. Whether it be walking down the sidewalk, enjoying a long dinner out with friends, or dealing with official documents, one thing is certain: the Italians will take their time with it!
Looking ahead
Next up we have a few more visitors, we’re planning a trip to somewhere new and Ferragosto — a nationwide day of rest during the blistering heat of summer — is coming up!
Since moving abroad, I’ve had a lot of people ask how we managed visas, work, and housing logistics. We figured most of it out ourselves — but in hindsight, having support would’ve saved a lot of stress.
I’ve recently partnered with Languages Canada, who help Canadians apply for Youth Mobility Visas, find work, and get settled abroad. If you apply through them using my referral link, you’ll receive a $200 Air Canada voucher. I didn’t use this service personally, but something like this would’ve been so helpful during our planning stage.
If you’re in the “thinking about it” phase, this might be a good place to start.
