Is Living Abroad As Glamorous As One Might Expect?

Countless people have the “fantasy” of living outside of their country. I know I had. Don’t get me wrong, I am not regretting that I moved out of my country and came to Italy to study. I am generally happy.

However, I had problems that I didn’t expected to have and it really took toll on me.

First of all, I would like to say Italy is the third country I have been and the first country I have ever lived that long. Three years ago I had the amazing opportunity to live in Munich for two months for an internship. I don’t know was it because I am in love with Germany and German language or Munich was my “first love” as it was my first foreign city, I didn’t really have a lot of problems.

It was magical. I enjoyed the green streets, the language, NOT THE FOOD (sorry), the time I spent there. I remember every moment in Munich with love in my heart and maybe that’s why I thought it would be the same in Milan, Italy.

The biggest problem I had was the language barrier. Given that Germany has high number of English speakers, I didn’t really imagine that I would have communication problems with Milanese people. I mean, it is Milan right? One of the biggest and most famous cities on the face of the Earth. Well I did face really exhausting problems.

Going to banks for your cards, post offices and police stations for your resident permit applications, even supermarkets for purchasing goods and so on was insanely difficult. Italians are generally very sweet people. However, with my bad luck I ran into people who were not willing to communicate and make things easier for me. I remember having to leave the post office and cry right in front of the building, because I was exhausted as a foreigner. Exhausted because I couldn’t express myself. Exhausted because I felt like I am unwanted. I know it doesn't make so much sense, but I really did feel like that.

The simple things I could do without even thinking so much about it became things I am dreading to do. This made me feel so alienated.

By time I met tons of Italians who were open-heartedly offering me help, trying to get to know me, smiling at me when I was petting their dogs. Then I realized, I was not unwanted by this country but I was just rudely treated by some ill-mannered people.

Up to now I am running into those people who are giving me sour face when they realize I am foreigner. But in those times I remember the guy who was trying to communicate with me and asking about my country and my studies, even though he couldn’t speak fluent English. Whenever I ran into a rude post office worker, I remember the woman who is offering me to translate what the worker says, even though her turn in the line came. Whenever I remember the police officer who did his best to not to process my papers just because “he doesn’t really understand what do these paper mean”, I also remember another police officer who asks about the book in my hand and giving me compliments about how well I was doing in school based on my transcript of records.

Moral of my story is that, living abroad is hard. Not being able to speak or hear your language is difficult. You will receive racism or xenophobia or what not. DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. People are people and each to their own. One bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch.

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