Are there any pros or cons to signing on with a mail forwarding company as suggested on this website as opposed to going to UPS or PakMail for a US street address?

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Well, after years of thinking, wishing, hoping, planning...sono qui in Italia. There should be a happy exclamation point after that sentence, except that only 2 days in, I came down with the worst flu I have ever had. In fact, I haven't had the flu for several decades. Not because of vaccines, since I'm allergic to the flu vaccine. Who knows why I haven't gotten the flu. Anyway, I got dramatically ill. Called the house call doc service (MedInAction) in Rome, Dottore showed up on a motorbike (I think you'd have to have a death wish to ride a motorbike in Rome at night), took a history or tried to since I was coughing up my lungs, listened to my chest, eyebrows lifted, took my temp, eyebrows went higher. Temp was 104F! Not good for someone who's a couple months away from 65 yrs old. Prescribed a bunch of meds, charged me 140E. THEN, I had to get a taxi to take me to a farmacia that was open late. OMG I got so ripped off. I was so sick, I didn't care. Nearly puked in the cab. I should have. Would have served him right. Got my meds, finally hailed another cab, had barely enough euros to get back. What a nightmare. That was several days ago. I'm somewhat better today, but OMG I can't end up in the hospital! I have 3 dogs, no permanent or even semi-permanent place to live, don't know anyone, can't speak Italian well enough to do more than order an espresso. How the hell would I find someone to care for my dogs?? I think I've dodged the bullet, but this has been a huge welcome to your new reality. Another welcome to your new reality: I bought a SIM card for my second iPhone. Thought I was doing pretty good. Damn thing wouldn't work. I kept getting a long messaggio in Italiano veloce. What??! I finally figured out that the card the guy in the phone store handed me had a PIN number that I had to put in to lock the SIM card. Big sigh. I'm a technophile. I love gadgets. I've been playing with computers since they filled rooms. But in Italia, I'm probably a techno-novice. Partly because I can't read the damn instructions. I have to pick up a car at Fiumicino on Friday. I hope I'm well enough to do that. I've barely managed to stumble outside to let my dogs go pee. But I have to be out of the B&B on Friday anyway, so I don't have much choice. Then I head to Todi to learn how to speak Italiano. I hope. Welcome to your new reality! Any reassurances that this will get better are welcome!

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