Italy Forum

NUwildcat
Joined 2011
Posts: 13

13 years ago

Semi-retirement in Italy

13 years ago

We are hoping to make a successful relocation to Italy. Our situation is close to ideal. My wife and I are the type of people who are happiest with a solid plan. We wish to resolve most of the important issues before deciding to relocate.

We are a multicultural family and have been married for twenty-five years. My wife is an Italian native and a graduate of the University of Rome. I am a U.S. native and a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. We have been living in Chicago, Illinois for most of our marriage. We have three children who are now self sufficient with full-time careers. I am 54 years old.

My wife has elderly parents in Southern Italy. Her brother is an Engineer that lives near Rome.

We have always spoken about living in Italy. It has been my suggestion that we relocate while I’m young enough to learn a new language and adjust to a new culture. I’ve always been enthusiastic about Italy. I enjoy its family oriented culture, the healthy diet and lifestyle. I also enjoy outdoor recreation, including cycling and alpine skiing. I also know that Italy has social, political and economic issues. I hope to maintain a balanced opinion of my new home.

Several of the usual issues concerning relocation are non-issues for us. I will be applying for my Italian & E.U. citizenship six months before relocating. We plan to live with and provide care-giving to my wife’s parents. We will be able to adjust to our new life without any economic pressure. Her parents have always been very warm to me. They are retired teachers and very much loved in the community. The town is quiet, but diverse, with a small population of ex-pats, mostly from South America. The sea-side location brings some tourism during the summer, but the town is not economically dependent on tourism.

These are the issues I expect;

I will need to learn Italian. I expect that it will take six months to be able to speak with my in-laws and a year to communicate with strangers. I want to speak well enough to have a genuine rapport with anyone I meet. What is the best way to meet these goals?

I would like to earn enough income to be potentially self sufficient. I do not want to depend on retirement benefits or savings for another 15 years. My oldest daughter lived in Rome as an English language teacher and earned about 1,200 Euros a month for 30 hours of work per week. This would be adequate. As time goes on, I might eventually seek out better opportunities. Besides a college degree, what basic requirements need to be met to qualify to teach English as a second language?

I have been told that the Italian Social Services provides a stipend for family members who care for elderly family members. Is this a possibility? What are the requirements? Where can we learn more about this?

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Help others in Italy by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Italy.