8 Painfully Obvious, Yet Profoundly Impactful, Things to Consider When Moving to Venice
1. Make sure that you like the climate of the lagoon.
2. Venetian basic equipment, are you ready to own it?
3. This is "slow living", like it or not.
| |
Welcome to slow living! Grab your wheeling cart. Start walking.
4. Venice really is a small town.
When you leave the house in the morning, everyone who happens to be out at the time will greet you and expect a greeting in return. Everyone. The ladies in the bakery, the neighbor out walking dog, the guy who begs on the bridge, the workmen restoring the house on the corner, the guy who rents the storeroom downstairs, the lady who sells vintage Murano glass, even the neighbors' kids will mumble “Ciao” as they scurry past on their way to school.
5. Make sure that you like the food.
In every day life, you will run into chefs at the fish market, see the vegetable boats from Sant'Erasmo dropping off crates for your neighbors and your neighborhood trattoria, and smell the scent of fresh bread as a baker wheels bye with a cart full of deliveries for the bars and restaurants. There really isn't much not to like.
6. Expats are always foreigners.
Some encouraging things to remember when these emotional crises strike: 1. Venetians will only discuss these things with you if they believe that you are receptive and helpful. They are not blaming you. They are inviting you to empathize. 2. Frequent visitors are recognized, welcomed back and, incidentally, have the most positive impact on the street-level economy of any of the millions who visit each year. 3. Becoming "Venetian-by-choice" by moving to, and actually living in, Venice is a huge positive investment in the City.
7. Are you ready to be famous?!
8. Make sure that you can stand the crowds.
You too will begin to recognize not only your neighbors, but also the people who visit your neighborhood most often. And, you will be so glad to see those familiar faces in the midst of what, on the most crowded days of the year, sometimes looks and feels like a zombie invasion.
One of them might even be you.