“The reality turned out to be completely different from what she imagined it to be,” the blogger explains. As a result, I had to make a decision to leave Italy and return to Russia. The reason for this was the following obstacles:
- Language: “I expected to learn the language in three months, but I was wrong. I found it difficult for me to communicate and this led to communication difficulties. Without friends, life in Italy has become lonely and boring,” the tourist explained. The situation was aggravated by the second factor.
- New way of life: “Italy was not the tourist paradise I had imagined. The city I moved to, Bologna, was a small town that was very different from the bustling city I was used to. I missed the scale and energy of Moscow. Lack of friends and difficult language made adaptation even more difficult,” the blogger explained.
- Cost of living: The bills, according to the blogger, were incredibly expensive and the rent exorbitant. “The apartment we rented was in the city center and the bills were over a thousand euros a month. We struggled to pay our bills and couldn't afford to move out of our apartment,” the blogger writes.
- Bureaucracy: “Italy is known for its complex bureaucracy and long queues at government offices. I needed to get a residence permit, a health insurance card and a tax code. Dealing with paperwork was unpleasant and took a lot of time to navigate the system,” the blogger said.
As a result, she learned from experience that “love of complexity has its limits” and “struggled to adapt and survive” – not what she dreamed of. The traveler even noted that she missed “the comfort and simple communication in my home country, Russia”, as well as her family and friends, food, language and culture. “I realized that I moved to Italy for the wrong reasons and I had to face the consequences of my decision. In the end, I decided to return to Russia. It was a difficult decision, but I knew it was the right one for me,” she said. She tells her colleagues who want to move out of Russia that “moving to a new country can be life-changing, but it's not always easy.”
“It takes courage, perseverance and an open mind. It is important to do research, learn the language and connect with the local community. It is also important to be aware of the problems and have realistic expectations,” the blogger said.
For those who care about a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “A nutritionist named 5 properties of bananas that are good for health.”