I moved to Rome. Too radical?

And feel free to ask any questions.

Hmmm I'll take Humblebrag for $2,000...

[quote]with young virile men

When in Rome...

I'm sorry for your loss. They could be jealous. You have a nice new life in a different country, outside of the crazy USA.

what kind of investments?

I look forward to reading your novel, Mrs. Stone.

It’s not a brag. I am still considered good looking. I am young looking. But people from the States snicker thinking I did something awful. I’ll get bored. I need a job etc. I don’t miss the States. At all.

Real estate investments. Stock market Annuities

Wow, OP, that’s amazing. Love and take extra care of your cat. I could understand making a radical change like that after so much loss. Best wishes to you.

I retired to the States several years ago and am thinking I'm heading back to Europe before I'm too old. This country sucks.

Misery loves company. People are jealous when they see others living life on their own terms.

Good on you OP. Rome is one of the greatest cities. I can see why you would up sticks and relocate having experienced those losses.

You're living my dream- minus the deceased parents and partner.

Are you on an official residence visa or just ‘fauxpatting’ and staying the max on regular tourist entries?

Tourist entries.....^^^ that's a job for the virile young men he mentioned.

You are my hero, OP. Can you do this with 2.5 Million?

I totally get that OP, in regards to your having no major ties and just leaving. Obviously you're enjoying a better quality of life, which in itself is sort of cathartic to dealing with 3 major losses. I assume as the former VP of a company, that you have a fair grasp of your finances and financial standing, and that you haven't dove in head first, even if it was a spur of the moment decision. So once you are aware of the risks of having no income from a job of sorts, then enjoy your life!

Investments like stocks, real estate; and annuities.

Living here legally.

My cat needed the adjustment after he died. He was everything to us.

And I was just going through the motions after they died. I could legally live in Italy and Europe and chose a capital city.

I speak fairly good Italian but it is difficult.

And I have sex whenever I want. It is really that easy. They love Americans and our accent. And I have that handsome face and good body. But I’m not connecting with anyone. I still think of him. And the life we had. Together.

Plus. I admit it. I am dating men in their 20s. Stroking the ego, I suppose. But it’s also the attraction.

Yet I still hear the gossip from home. Especially those thinking I’m an idiot for leaving such a cushy job.

But I like it here. Except for not being able to easily buy legal cannabis, this is the far better capital city.

What exactly is your immigration status? Can you use the national health service and other such social services?

I think its a brave thing to do. Do YOU feel like its too radical? Maybe your family is worried about you. What are your days like? For instance, do most people have dinner customs, what interesting historical things have you seen? What's surprised you most about living in Rome?

Where will you stay in Greece?

OP In his flat in Roma ( last month it was Paree, next month Bali)

I am renting a villa in Paros for a month. I stayed in Rome last year and it was brutally hot with nothing open.

I’m doing the Villa with a girlfriend I met here. Someone who has lived here for 8 years. She’s a stylist. And a beautiful person.

Jhumpa Lahiri did this too. She moved to Rome and learned the language and now mainly writes in Italian.

BTW what kind of book are you writing, OP?

OP, what's your favourite work of art/architecture in Rome? Are you a classical, Renaissance or Baroque guy?

And yes, you can EASILY do this with 2 million

I've always dreamed about going to Greece. I may have the chance this Fall. You are very fortunate OP.

Congrats on establishing your new life. A friend of mine lived many years in Rome; he, however, worked music and translating gigs -supported himself rather well, and traveled Europe extensively. He has, however, now returned to the States for retirement -probably not so financially sound as you, and has some family here. Tells many very amusing, and sometimes very frustrating, stories of life in Italy.

You are obviously loving your life in Rome, so good on you. Why come on DL, of all places, to ask if you made the right decision?

I want to know more about that cat.

With that life, I would have no time or interest for DL.

What a smell of sulphur.

I'm ESTatic for you!

[quote]I could legally live in Italy and Europe and chose a capital city.

So you hold a passport from a country in the EU?

Morrissey moved to Rome for a while. He too experienced the pleasure of lithe, virile young men.

Very curious about the young virile men. How do you meet them? Is it all apps, or gay clubs, or just talking in he street?

Are they cool with being flexible in bed or do they expect more rigid roles - ie you are Passive and they are Active, or you are older Daddy and they are younger Son, or whatever.

Curious what the culture there is like, far as sex goes.

If only more liberals would leave "the States."

I reckon many will do just that in the coming years, when the country goes full on conservative.

Good riddance!

Penthouse in DC is a bluff - no high rise buildings

I got sick about 8 yrs ago. I recovered, but it took that experience to realize I needed to move closer to my sister who lives in the South. (I was in Chicago.) When I got ready to move so many people thought I was wr ong! They were expressing their own fears. I am healthy, and successful and I have a beautiful 3 bedroom condo in a highrise with spectacular views. I can work from home and I have made some lovely friends. What's my point? OP I think lots of people fear change. It terrifies them. They's rather be miserable than do something. Your life sounds beautiful! I'm jealous. Good for you. Ignore the fearful, bitter clowns who can't get their head around it. I'm sorry for people who lost or never had a sense of adventure. My move was very different from yours, but I did face pushback from friends and co workers.

OP isn't Sessums? Writing and riding.

OP, Why are you concerned with what people back home think? Fuck them!

Have you met Fabio?

After reading a few of your posts, I'd suggest not putting much time or effort into the book you're "writing".

Just a suggestion.

Have fun in Rome!

Also, hang in there. I'm so sorry for the pain you're going through but I think it's kind of badass you took a bold step and are embracing life.

I lost someone and nearly curled up and died. A lot of years passed before I made a switch and started living again.

R36

Um.....you mean full-on dictatorship right?

This country is not going to go conservative. When they banned abortion, it lit a fire that is currently spreading. Give it a year or two after so many women will be dragged through hell. This is what kept us from going full conservative, thank god.

Keep it up, republicans!

OP, did those people home really use the word 'crazy'? I could see them calling your choice to move 'erratic' or 'financially reckless' if they cannot empathize with your emotional situation or don't know your financial state. But I assume that you are able to assess your finances quite well. And you wouldn't be the first to make radical changes in life after a radical change is thrown at you.

I'm really sorry for your tripple-loss. Things get easier with time. And at some point you'll wake up and realize that life can be good again. I'm sure your brain knows it. It's just your heart that's still a bit behind. If I could, I'd give you a big bear-hug.

Sounds wonderful, r22/OP.

Are you learning Italian?

One of many beautiful views.

I am learning Italian. 3 hours a day. Not weekends.

Yes it was a penthouse. An apartment in the top floor of a building. No other apartments but ours. 22’ ceiling heights. Roof terrace. Nice place.

Crazy is the word they’ve used. To leave an “easy” life.

Men here are easy. Instagram and for a while Tinder. They love feet. Big foot fetish here. They’re almost always uncut with nice and thick cocks. But finding a top is more difficult than I imagined. They see me naked and end up wanting me to fuck them. Submissive. But this is what I want now so the roles are more difficult than I assumed. And I am a neat freak. Super hygienic. Most smell like men down there. And they’re all mamma’s boys. But sexy as fuck. Sexy as fuck.

And the Pantheon is my favorite place. Anywhere.

Without the lines, of course.

Gay culture isn’t out and proud here. It isn’t. But it exists. It reminds me of 1990s America. You can legally get married via civil unions but not marriage due to my neighbor and his ilk. And weed and poppers are illegal here. And you can’t walk around without a shirt. You’ll be fined.

Not jealous.

I believed you until you said annuitieS.

I have annuities with two separate companies.

My cat is a Lykoi and yes she flew business class the day after me. She’s all I have.

Life can be lonely. It’s all so different. Italians can be rude too. They don’t smile at you on the street or move out or the way on the sidewalks.

I am actually watching Golden Girls on Disney+ in Italian now. It’s raining outside.

I just need some good cannabis and life would be ideal.

I turned down a second date with a 28 year old tattoo artist with a beautiful cock. I gave him a pompino the other day. Tasted delicious. But meh. He’s a one off I think.

"I just need some good cannabis and life would be ideal"

I was going to ask is there a drug scene in Rome, and then found this article.

Wow!

You're not crazy. They're jealous. Enjoy your dolce vita. I wish I could do something similar.

Speaking of dolce vita.....do caftans look good on the wearer when wet?

Sure, when I do it, I'm a scammer, grifter, flake, ad nauseam. But when OP does it, he's a fucking hero.

It's about the cat, isn't it?

OP could offer Shessie asylum when he's driven out of France. Two writers under one roof, shagging young men. I smell a sitcom!

Why don't you ask some of your many tricks where you can get hold of some pot?

Like someone posted earlier, if you're (almost) living your bliss, why do you need confirmation from strangers?

OP has turned this into a chat which always tends to alert my Trolldar.

"They smell like men down there" sounds like a bad imitation of a Tennessee Williams character.

R61 - you're being a bore, darling.

Are there a lot of American gays in Rome?

I love Italy and Rome. So much to see and do. Italian men are beautiful hot and horny. It seems OP made the right choice. I wish you the best.

OP, you said:

[quote] I am learning the language.

Then a bit later, you OP said:

[quote] I speak fairly good Italian

r66, it’s both. I can hold a conversation in Italian but I’m still learning the language. I am not yet fluent.

Italian men are sexy. And they cum quickly.

It sounds good so far, OP. It's a change for you with what you have gone through. You seem to be happy about the move. At least, you were brave enough to make a new life. If you didn't do this, that may be a regret later on. Really...life is about the regrets of things you never did. Good luck.

I first went to Rome in 1973 - before they pedestrianised the centre of the city (for tourists). It still had some of the dolce vita vibe when Rome was the center of the European movie industry. It was very chic and buzzy. In more recent times I felt the city had lost that buzz. Milan seemed more exciting, quite frankly.

*looking back on life could be about the regrets of things you have never done. Sorry...terribly worded. Lol..

Why did you choose Italy?

Now that you’ve left your job, are you living off your savings? How long will your savings take you?

How openly gay can you be in Italy?

[quote] I still cry daily for my soulmate. For him.

Even while you're going to town on all those mussies?

OP, I wonder if you are living too much in your own head. You could sign up to be a walking tour guide—hear me out—pick up a couple tours a month. You don’t need the money obv but it would be a way to socialize that’s not too demanding. Ok, let the scathing remarks begin.

How did your partner die?

Is Italian media overrun with promoting a pro-trans agenda?

This reminds me of the movie “The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone” which starred Vivien Lee as an aging movie star who’s husband died and she moves to Rome. It was one of my favorite films stylistically because of the scenery and the interior design. She would hire gorgeous italian men for sex but in the end it became dangerous for her because of the hustlers who were in for her fortune. Be careful who you bring home to your beautiful apartment!!

It’s not as comfortable being gay here in Rome as it was in DC.

I miss him. Every day. All the day. The men here just fill the time and satisfy the urge to be intimate. And it’s that easy. For me. They’re also suckers for Americans.

My husband died of sudden cardiac arrest. In front of me. In our bed. And I tried to save his life. But I failed.

And I think that often: do something. Any job.

But I worked since I was 17 and steadily once I was out of college.

I had a charmed life with him for 22 years.

And then losing him and both parents (70 and 73 when they died) and all close to his death. It has been awful.

But I recognize my fortunate life. I have watched seven episodes of season 1 Golden Girls (Cuore Senza Età) while it rains.

I’m taking a break from the men. I am writing more. And I am developing real friendships.

The language is harder than you’d imagine. So many rules.

Rome is home. And I wonder sometimes if this is really my life.

[quote]I am actually watching Golden Girls on Disney+ in Italian now. It’s raining outside.

Is Sophia dubbed with a Sicilian accent?

So sorry to hear about you partner and parents dying so close together. I’m glad you had a wonderful life with him.

Op, when you and your husband were together, did you have an open relationship? Threesomes together with others? Orgies?

r76, I have learned my lesson. A couple of men here basically asked about a sugar daddy set up once I brought them home.

This sounds pretentious. I know it does. But I don’t need to flaunt my alleged wealth when I look like I do. Even still, I am meeting the ones who are more than a one date experience at nearby restaurants (the food here is incredible. Even prepared food at Esselunga (supermarket) is like five star dining in the States)

[quote]And then losing him and both parents (70 and 73 when they died) and all close to his death. It has been awful.

My father died the day after my partner died. The following night. It was awful.

Is Rome overrun with Middle Eastern migrants in the same way manner other European cities now are?

There’s barely a laugh track in the Golden Girls dubbed in Italian. So it’s weird to see the pauses between lines.

My husband was everything to me. I still wear our wedding rings. I take them off, and after four hours or less, I put them on.

We did not have an open relationship. Did I cheat? Yes. Did we work through it? Yes. Did he die happy and did he live a good life? Yes. Of course we fought over the years. But we were good. Lifers. And he was so beautiful. In all ways.

I am so sorry r82. That is horrible to read. My dad 60 days later. The day after?! Just wow. You’re a survivor.

What age was your partner, R84?

We did have three ways. But only when we traveled overseas.

It happened infrequently. Madrid. London. Paris. Athens. Rio.

Are you independently wealthy? How did you get a visa to live in Rome?

Sorru for your losses, OP, but good for you for doing what you want. You're living a life many of us would envy.

Eat. Prey. Make up shit.

Yes, pray is spelled deliberately wrong!

At 21:25 switch to Rai 1 and watch "I Migliori Anni Dell'Estate".

It's an overview of summertime hit songs over the decades. It'll be a lot of fun.

If you want to get into the culture, watch the variety shows, game shows, cooking shows. Even if you don't understand much.

[quote]Why do people from “home” still consider me crazy for this?

Why do you consider where you used to live "home" and not where you are now?

Americans are taught to distrust foreign travel, let alone making a life outside the U.S. They long for the 'told you so' moment when you return 'home' to the U.S., tail between your legs. They think anywhere outside the U.S. is dangerous and varying degrees of primitive. They can't imagine giving up the prospect of shitty Medicare and Medicaid for a national health care system. They think all foreigners look to Americans only for green cards.

Stop watching American TV in Rome. Stop looking for affirmation from two groups of people least likely to give it to you: Americans and DLers.

OP is just watching Summertime and living out his Katharine Hepburn being fucked senseless by Rossano Brazzi fantasies.

If Hepburn had been fucked senseless by Brazzi, it would have been a VERY different movie.

Good Lord OP likes to talk about himself. Such a turn off. Good luck spending your money and annoying people.

^ jealous

^ OP

If Hepburn had been mindlessly fucked by Brazzi, she sure as hell would have heard a waltz.

People are: 1) jealous because they've defined their lives around work which will never return the same devotion 2) too stupid to realize how bad they have it in the US, but they think the opposite 3) too stupid to know there is a world outside 'Murica... and its better.

BULLSHIT.

I think what you’re doing is both brave and exciting. I would be interested to learn how you found your apartment. I’m interested in renting a place myself and Rome would be an option. I’m also interested in your opinion about whether shorter term rentals will work or whether you are faced with renting for a year. I kind of like the idea of moving around to different places in Europe. But there’s nothing like a homebase.

I think what you’re doing is both brave and exciting. I am very interested to hear how you found your apartment in Rome. I am interested in doing something similar. I also like the idea of moving to different cities in Europe. What are your experiences with renting?

OP, you do you. I'm sure many wish they had the means to do something like you did. Sounds like you may have some misgivings. But I don't think the move was inherently foolish or anything.

Tell me more about your Lykoi- I would love to have one someday, but it would have to be a rescue (I only adopt used cats, the current and last 4 are/were Bengals). Grayish? Blackish? Roan? Full monkey face? Nude body? Some hair?

I think Rome is a place you with love or hate. I went during the pandemic when things were relatively quiet, stayed at the new (at the time) Soho House and was not impressed with any of it, including the house. I felt like the hookups took so much time and back and forth. Plus weed is not the easiest thing to find. Since I was American with our shitty covid vaxx card compared to the more sophisticated Euro app, I was treated like Typhoid Mary at restaurants made to sit away from everyone else. Not into it. I much preferred Milan. With all that said, good for you! Rome isn't for me, but if I were in your shoes, I would absolutely move to Europe and start anew. What an adventure.

Milan is to Rome what NYC is to DC.

Well, most don't really have the option of picking up and moving somewhere and living on investments r99. Still, if you can, like OP, I can certainly see the appeal. And if he left a finance job to do it, even better, as those kinds of jobs tend to do more harm than good overall.

I would be curious about health care. Do you buy into the Italian health care system or have some kind of international insurance?

Everyone hates Milan, but I don't get it. It's so much more charming. Rome felt like a dump to me. it was not charming. I'm the minority who likes Milan, but am I weirdo I guess. Rome felt shabby as fuck andt this is including the more exclusive areas of town.

I was last in Rome maybe 5 years ago for work. I found it splendid.

But Milan...wow...the center is so luxurious. The city has energy and elegance.

From my experience, many Americans and many gay Americans prefer Milan to Rome.

Maybe in part it's the industry town aspect that makes it easy to grasp, but for me there's aspect of too much organization and presentation, a bit like a shopping mall has a logic to it. Rome isn't organized in a logical series of zones, its treasures not ordered as a logical route or cluster. Rome embraces chaos and layers and Milan has a more ordered quality, for Americans it seems they can feel part of it where in Rome they feel cut off from why (ostensibly) they are there.

I prefer Rome, and prefer Turin to Milan in many ways, both quite unlike Rome.

Shopping is a bore (I'm a bad gay man that way). I suspect I'd prefer Rome, for the history especially. Not that Milan wouldn't have that too, but I suspect it's more hidden behind stores and fashion houses and all that. In Rome you are walking in almost 3000 years of history, and I remember that from the one time I visited.

I feel bad for the weedheads, but as an alcoholic, that would be fine too. Although I think they tend not to be big heavy drinkers I believe, wine seemed ubiquitous, as it should be.

Rome makes me want to roam around the world.

The ancient Romans felt the same way r112.

What I love about Milan is that it's a showcase for Italian creativity. I worked in fashion, home decor and furniture in Italy so the city means something to me. Fashion week, the various shows for industrial design...eveything from kitchen design, bathrooms, eyewear, textiles. The spectacular Salone del Mobile for furniture. The city is forward thinking but holds on to tradition. What they've done with the whole Porta Nuova district. The city is a happening place.

BUT as far as living goes...give me a small town/city in Tuscany.

The nouveau riche have flooded the thread.

Milan is better cause y'know, fashion and bathroom decor and eyewear......

Idiot alert at R116

OP, have you gone to any of the American functions in Rome? I like the diplomatic crowd and the overseas American gatherings can be great fun. Lots of gays as well.

Have you hooked up in the woods behind the gay / nude Beach in Ostia?

Another 3000-year-old tradition no doubt r119.

OP, during covid I retreated to my Schloss in Styria to hunt and work remotely. I grew bored and disillusioned. I quit my job and then my remaining family was devastated when I sold the ancestral Schloss in 2022 for 34 million. I quietly said goodbye. I've now shuttered my garçonnières in Cairo and Shanghai, and hired professional management for my vineyard. I now dedicate myself to my classical musical education from my villa on Lac Leman, designed by Adolf Loos. I'm 64 look 51 and have a line of fine young studs, most nights, snaking down the cypress lined path to my dock. Word is out about my magnificent 25cms. I’ve made a circle of 3 good friends here. People visit me often. This is my life. Why do people from “home” still consider me crazy for this?

R121. Ciao, amore. Let's do lunch. Kindly bring your curling iron.

That's Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen, my dear.

My dear, you have 2 billion CHF. Why not have Gérard down from La Réserve to style both of us? And have him bring along Hakim, that delicious Ethiopian masseur.

OP, how have you / will you handle healthcare? Not just access to it but the cost of it? Any since the US Medicare system doesn't usually cover costs abroad (once you are eligible), what's your plan, or will your investments be adequate for the longhair? I spent 30 years traveling Asia for my employer and would consider moving there in retirement except for the healthcare / Medicare issue.

one of the most air polluted nasty citys i ever visited..

OP, Haven't read the posts but the move sounds wonderful and something I would love to do.

Is it me or are the health care questions being ignored?

Healthcare is dirt cheap here. I paid $700 a month for insurance in the US. To get any doctor visit with prescriptions or check ups is less than $100. Major surgery is less than $5K.

But I have international health care with a British company. $110 for the year!

My cat lost her hair. Don’t get a Lykoi. The secret is most lose their wolf hair after the 2-3 year and then skin complications. And she’s been to all the vets. Including here.

You haven’t traveled to many places if you think Rome is that polluted r126.

I am answering questions. Explaining myself to an anonymous board so yeah, I am looking for validation.

Exploring the city by foot is therapeutic. I walk on average 13 km a day.

And the trains here are dirt cheap and very functional. I’m at a real beach is less than an hour. It in Napoli in less than 2 hours.

The men are gorgeous. Gorgeous. But closeted. If one more says he’s “bisex”. Ugh. It’s annoying. But they are horny. A lot. And so easy. Just say “sono Italo americano ma abito qui adesso a Roma” and they’re already deciding to meet. I just want someone for my new mate. And I recognize it sounds weird but I function best when I am with someone.

Yet I find myself attracted to men in their 20s and I’m hurting people so I am trying to just have a moratorium on sex. For a month.

I am here for the long term. I have a 3+2 lease. 3 years fixed rent. With the option of renewing for 2 more. I am paying a premium but it’s a larger apartment completely redone to my liking. Historic yet modern. Courtyard and cobblestone street views. End, corner residence. With elevator. I feel home.

And I don’t miss the States. Yet.

An ex (well someone I had sex with and good conversation three different times) will take care of the cat when I’m in August.

The book is a fictional account of my real life events. The signs I receive. His prediction of his human death just days before it happened. I’m just putting it all in paper. It helps my own mind comprehend my life over these last couple of years.

Sono molto felice per te, OP. Ti auguro una vita bellissima, ora e sempre. Fanculo a questi sciocchi.

Hi, OP. First, I am sorry for your loss and commend you for changing your life. I've been a digital nomad for 12 years, and Rome has always been a port of call, living in Prati or Ludovisi for a few months a year. However, we've kind of given up on it because Rome has degraded so much in the last few years, with the graffiti, piled-up garbage and rental bikes and scooters on the sidewalks, etc. Additionally, the lavish aperos etc have disappeared since Covid ended; they learned that people would accept a bowl of potato chips instead of a mini-meal. So we live in Paris during the spring, which has none of the problems mentioned above. The only bad thing is the Metro.

My suggestion to you is to check out other places if you start to get bored with Rome. It's a big world.

Except for Manhattanites, giving up their car to live in a big European city is a big no for most Americans.

You haven't mentioned if you have one. If so, adjusting to the traffic must be maddening.

Is this a Shirley Valentine story arc or a Gore Vidal story arc?

Anyway, seriously OP, you are 53 not 83, there is plenty of time to go home later if you decide you need to. In the meantime, enjoy this huge opportunity. Everyone should experience living in a radically different culture at least once, but most do not. If you want to meet more people, try a language exchange group, there will be plenty in a big city like Rome.

Good luck OP! I'd love to be able to live in Rome and learn Italian. You might also want to look into grief counselling.

Oh, OP, I am completely jealous. It sounds wonderful. I spent a short time in Rome some time ago, partly on business which I extended for some down time. Besides the business part which introduced me and reconnected me with some great people, I had a friend who grew up there and lived in Trastevere. I was lucky that these friends and colleagues took me all over and I had a ball and got to see many things and places a vacationer might not have had access to. I said at the time that I could easily live there. There was this down to earth sophistication which I appreciated. It was as if they felt that they'd been there for thousands of years and, well, no matter what happens we'll still be here tomorrow.

One of the reasons one of my favorite movies is La Grande Bellezza.

I hope you have a grand life.

I think it's good to shake things up when things become bleak. You're forcing yourself to focus on the present when you jump into such an ordeal. Maybe it would be helpful to still get teletherapy from a therapist in the US? You want to enjoy your life and distract yourself a bit, but it's still a good idea to process such a traumatic experience. The pain can really stick around in your body and cause emotional, mental, or even physical troubles. It's probably a good idea to find some type of work, volunteering, club, etc. Some kind of commitment or community that gives your daily life some kind of structure would be very beneficial. Enjoy the pasta and the young dick!

[quote] BULLSHIT

Isn’t it though R100 Dutchie? This thread is a convergence of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ fantasists.

Juts Googled a 'Lykoi' cat.

The gay bit of this story checks out anyway.

[quote]It’s not a brag.

It is a brag, though, and it's also Hallmark-level fanfiction that sounds like it's written by a 50-something housewife.

[quote]The book is a fictional account of my real life events. The signs I receive. His prediction of his human death just days before it happened. I’m just putting it all in paper.

Hoo boy.

r138 and others, none of this is fiction. What I write here. On this anonymous board. I wanted to get a consensus, and I did.

And r138, jealousy is an ugly thing. And so are you in anything backless.

OP, we'll always have Paris.

r140, wow. Just wow.

Which British company offers international health care for $110 a year?

OP = FANTASY = Lives in Rome.

OP = REALITY = 55. Lives in Tulsa with his mother in a trailer park.

r142, it is through the language school I’m enrolled.

OP, posting from his van down by the river in Poughkeepsie.

I'm not sure why some people posting here think it's difficult for an American to go and live in Rome. If OP has an EU passport, which a lot of Americans can easily get thanks to ancestry, then it's very easy to just go and live in Rome or Florence or Paris or Berlin. These places are full of American expats.

"These places are full of American expats".

Unfortunately.

I agree with you guys. OP is a good fiction writer.

Yes, it's a moveable feast! See you in Burgos, darlings.

When OP couldn't decide between L.A. or San Fran.

"And they cum quicky"

You say that like it's a good thing.

R22 Are you a guy or a a woman?

OP are you good at male prostitution? Do you accept pesos? You could move to Puerto Vallarta and live on dollars a day. Some old queens from America go there to sell their worn asses. Be sure and get your MPOX vaccine.

[quote]Yes, it's a moveable feast! See you in Burgos, darlings.

Yes, R149, come for the toreros, stay for the cathedrals.

I was in Rome for a year, it is a special place and I remember my time there fondly. My situation was different than OP's and while my life there was nice, it wasn't as glam as OP's and I wasn't single, so I wasn't getting all that Roman dick. But after a year, I was ready to come back to the US. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be an expat. Scruggs emoji.

Love this, OP. Good for you! And so glad you brought your cat instead of dumping him at a shelter.

Writing a book for the enjoyment? Definitely the life.

R34 Morrissey and lithe young Italian men….that’s so hot! Thanks for that useful mental image!

I can't believe I got sucked in. You're scum, OP.

R104 marry me

"[R22] Are you a guy or a a woman?"

Eurgh....stealth frau thread!!!!!

How did you meet all the horny men? When I was there the gay bar wasn't all that

[quote]Writing a book for the enjoyment? Definitely the life.

Really?

The only kind of writing I'd enjoy would have a generous advance attached to it.

He's British and posts compulsively on the BRF threads. He's never lived in either Washington or Rome.

This troll OP obviously is catching the small fry with its little trot line here.

Funny how the posting account was created solely for this thread, so that past posts couldn't be seen to show the lie.

There's not one word about the reality of living in Rome - other than "I love the Pantheon."

Phony, lazy-ass trolls who pretend to loss and grief as part of the lure are especially revolting. There's no humor in it - only the pussy-like pleasure of suckers on the line.

r164, I am not a troll. I am a real person who lives in Rome. Everything I’ve written is true.

It’s weird that some of you fools project on an anonymous site your own misgivings. For it is you who is minuscule in life to not think one of a million who come to this site would have his life in Rome.

Small minds.

I was having a “wtf” moment. I gave up a lot. Everything I had. But it was with him. And he’s gone. So why the fuck not?

And aside from the jealous beasts here, I thank the others for the well wishes. I am so lucky. But with much sadness too.

"For it is you who is minuscule in life to not think one of a million who come to this site would have his life in Rome."

Chat GPT meets haiku?

So it is a woman posting this shit here. Or an 80-year-old man living in his sister's basement. Because this is classic troll bullshit:

It’s weird that some of you fools project on an anonymous site your own misgivings. For it is you who is minuscule in life to not think one of a million who come to this site would have his life in Rome.

Small minds.

I was having a “wtf” moment. I gave up a lot. Everything I had. But it was with him. And he’s gone. So why the fuck not?

And aside from the jealous beasts here, I thank the others for the well wishes. I am so lucky. But with much sadness too.

This is not just Rome, but Milan, but does it feel every man is closeted? When I was in both Rome and Milan everyone was on the DL. Milan had no gay specific bars. There were bars that had gay nights or were gay friendly. It's like the fashion center of the world and there are no gay bars. I went to the gay section of Rome, which is literally like half a side street near the coliseum and it wasn't very gay. I think there is still shame around homosexuality there, which is another con.

I lived in Bergamo about ten years ago, and Milan did have a small strip of bars right by the train station. Not sure that still exists.

I was there in 2016 and they told me there were no gay specific bars. I met a local while I was there, my very own Roman Holiday (except not in Rome) and he was telling he that everything was mixed with some gay nights. There is an artist district that is more gay friendly. That was 8 years ago so things might have changed since then.

Don’t bathe the dirty whores, one may knife you.

I just finished Anthony Doerr’s Four Seasons of Rome about living there for a year on a fellowship. It was lovely.

Rome, if you want to.

OP, will the book be written in staccato sentences the same way your posts are?

The OP's prose often suggests English as a second language.

I know what you're getting at, R175.

R53 you sound like a not so nice person. Uggh!

For years, r173, I thought that song was by the Go-Gos.

I'm crying right now into my Hermes scarves on my cashmere-blanketed bed, while I am serviced by several young handsome italian men!

Please feel sorry for me!

That sounds nice but you can't buy guns there like here in America.

Do the young and virile bisexuals who cum quickly enjoy your prune and cod dish in Italy, OP?

OP, prove you're real by actually naming the language school in Britain that charges you only $110 for Italian healthcare.

Aspettiamo!

It's probably something like this, r182, although GuardMe is a Canadian company (I can't think of any similar British companies). I'd prefer to take out medical insurance with a company like Generali and register in the Italian health service, but it does make me wonder if OP got temporary legal residency in Italy by applying to a language school.

I believe OP. He writes DC nouveaux-riche. The type of Middle American who believes Rome or Paris are the epitome of class. The type who flies home with their big orange-yellow Vuitton bags to let everyone know they went *shopping* while in Europe. Eat, Pray, Love sub-fantasy.

Lazy, poor American staycationers would be unable to come up with these types of details.

But what's with the unhygienic 20somethings? Even in Third World countries, most gay men with eyes on sex will clean up. Just nasty.

That's where I judge OP.

Or he just likes Rome and likes living there r184. Why does it have to be about some "epitome of class" in your mind? Is that how you operate? Is that your first consideration in every situation, is this "classy" and will my idiot friends admire me for my "classiness" if I do this thing?

R185 Most Americans think about *class* in this way.

My idiot friends and family think having a macaroon from La Duree or throwing a coin in the Trevi fountain is the epitome of *making it.*

OPs dropping of wealth and status here and there show he thinks about things this way.

Please.

OP, go look up Judy Harris and take her to lunch or for a drink. Decades ago, I met her husband in Washington - very handsome Italian legislator, Aldo Ajello - when he came to DC as part of an Italian delegation on a woman's human rights issue. I worked on women's reproductive rights in the developing world. When I went to Rome for a UN conference, I met him again at a reception and he introduced me to Judy. She was fabulous and she took me around Rome and to their home - an out of this world condo apartment in an old palazzo. I still remember their TV room with a 13 foot ceiling with a fresco on the ceiling. And from her bedroom window you could see the rooms where they tried Galileo for one of his misgivings. I think it was near or in the Jesuit square or whatever they call it and their building had a big art gallery in it which she insisted I visit. It was very nice. We also tried to go to the Red Brigade trial (for the murder of Aldo Moro) across the river but IIRC it was in recess. Twitter would have been helpful back then. We sadly fell out of touch after she visited Washington sometime later.

Anyway, I came across her business card a while back and looked her up online and was happy to see her still alive and thriving. Not sure if she still is but her twitter account seems to indicate she is. @judyinrome

OP sounds like the perfect mash-up of a whorish Auntie Mame and Charlene without the stupid navel-gazing regret!

I'm here for it.

Big deal.

[Quote]The type who flies home with their big orange-yellow Vuitton bags

Oh, dear how gauche you are. And your friends and family believe lobbing a coin into the Trevi is klassy.? Oh, dear oh, dear. You and yours are trash, darlin'.

Congrats OP on your new adventure.

This thread is a dystopian nightmare come to life.

[quote]This thread is a dystopian nightmare come to life.

Yeah. I was thinking "bunch of old gay drunks." What happened to you people to make you such nasty bitches? You went from pointless bitchery to vicious cuntery a hundred posts ago.

Was Op raped by a tranny?

R192 YES! New level unlocked! 😁

Is this a Shirley Valentine story arc or a Gore Vidal story arc?

Sounds like my story arc.

^^ too late.

[quote] nd your friends and family believe lobbing a coin into the Trevi is klassy.?

Did their wishes come true at least?

Surely, a DL'er from Rome can volunteer to find OP and see if he's really in Rome. OP just needs to set a meeting point and time.

It’s a cooler morning here in Rome. I find it hysterical that some of you think that I would waste time with making up a story.

But I’m glad my life is serving you a purpose.

I’m going to do some stretching and push ups, eat an orange. And then write.

I’ll go for a walk later, maybe only three miles today. I’m waiting for an HDMI cable for my living room’s Apple TV.

My sister in law messaged me on WhatsApp last night: thinking of you. Wishing you were here. Close to us.

They still think this is a one year adventure.

GuardMe. And I’m not legally here in a student visa. But if you’re living in a country where English isn’t widely spoken, it makes sense to learn the language.

OP, will Julia Roberts be playing you in Eat, Pray, Love 2 once you sell the screenplay?

OP did “the Gore Vidal”. More power to you.

[quote]Healthcare is dirt cheap here. I paid $700 a month for insurance in the US

Why in the world are you paying $700 a month for health insurance when you were a VP at a corporation and it sounds like you are very wealthy. What company doesn't provide health insurance that cost less than $700 a month for the employee contribution? You could've got a way cheaper plan buying a Cadillac plan on the marketplace or privately. I've worked with health insurance data for years and never seen a premium that high.

But… I'm more concerned about the "Was it a rescue cat?" poster.

Have they posted here and I must've blocked them? Should we file a police report for a missing person?

This concerns me.

Oh, 0P I do believe your story, but repeating how handsome you are tends to decrease your credibility a little bit. I'm not being critical, Be handsome, just don't say it out loud, because people will instantly jump to the conclusion that you are lying.

[quote] GuardMe. And I’m not legally here in a student visa. But if you’re living in a country where English isn’t widely spoken, it makes sense to learn the language.

We're at 200 responses and you still haven't explained how you are legally living in Italy as American.

I believe he did, that he had an Italian grandparent.

[quote] But… I'm more concerned about the "Was it a rescue cat?" poster.

I don’t see a post asking if the cat was a rescue cat.

[quote] But… I'm more concerned about the "Was it a rescue cat?" poster.

Are you referring to my R29 post?

[quote] I want to know more about that cat.

I don't think he said that, r204.

Why do I feel that that orange OP is going to eat will be a blood orange?

Milan has a full gay neighborhood, just by Porta Venezia.

Did you dig out your 1992 copy of The Spartacus Travel Guide for that titbit R209?

[quote] Do the young and virile bisexuals who cum quickly enjoy your prune and cod dish in Italy, OP?

R181, do you think you’re clever? You sound juvenile.

People with good taste would definitely enjoy my cod loin with tomato sauce and prunes. It’s reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance.

R203 there are so many gullible people on this thread…probably been watching too much Emily in Paris. Here are the tells that the story doesn’t add up.

-No mention of legal residence status right from the start. Anyone who has truly moved abroad will instantly tell about the legal, bureaucratic and time consuming and expensive hurdles of needing to set up life in another country especially Italy. No mention of things like not being able to get set up as an American (even if you’re dual) for a bank account due to the onerous FBAR reporting requirements by the US government for nationals abroad. It’s all rainbows and blowjobs.

-Needing to go to Greece for a month in the heat of summer coming from another hot country. This sounds like day counting to me based on entry requirements stay limitations of someone who does not have right of residence.

-The £100-something UK health insurance is about what you pay for international travel health insurance. I know this because I have some myself. It’s void if you’re a resident and not on a traveller entry status.

Who us this Emily and why us she in Paris?

R212, I also call bullshit on the $110 a year international health insurance from a British company. I speak from experience here as I work for a large UK based multinational company, and as an SVP on regular 2 year international assignments (my 3rd one so far, always in Asia), I do have international health insurance from Bupa, a British company. It is the gold standard in its field, and costs my company $4k per year. No way this could be reduced to $110 through some shitty local language school. OP is just a troll probably living in some shitty basement in Flyoverstan .

Has he responded to any post with his working knowledge of Italian, other than the Italian title for GGs?!

Oy vey!—as they say in the Jewish quarter

Not sure why, but OP reeks of DeFacto

I love that OP deigns to share the minutiae of his life. We desperately need to know how many pushups you did, along with what type of stretches. Also where did you purchase this orange? Is it organic?

OP, why did you choose to live near the Vatican rather than in Trastevere, for example. And have you "met" any Swiss guards?

If my longtime (40 year) partner passed away, I might consider something similar, though probably in London....

De facho?! Is Gerg in Italy. Or just cosplaying?

Good for you - I don't think what you've done is too radical, as opposed to unrealistic for most people. As much as I would want to sell up everything and move to another country if I had been in a similar situation to you, on a practical level I just don't know how it would work - especially since Brexit ended free movement for us in EU countries.

I've never been to Italy, but I've been in an Italian. Not bad, but not the cleanest 'down there' and paint me once, shame on you; paint me twice, shame on me.

OP= definitely humblebragging.

Do you think he REALLY started this thread to hear, "Yeah, OP. Your friends at home are right. The move was simply too radical. Pack your things and move back to the states as soon as possible." Would he ever take that advice if that was the response he got?

I rate this post: One giant eyeroll plus a guilty charge for humblebragging.

"People with good taste would definitely enjoy my cod loin with tomato sauce and prunes. It’s reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance."

Yeah. The bubonic plague.

Money changes EVERYTHING. OP, you must surely realize, the average American cannot simply up and leave the US.

You left because you were financially able to. PERIOD.

So, yes, dear, you ARE bragging.

Or this is yet another in a looooong line of DL ESTs.

What a laughable humblebrag, OP. You should be embarrassed.

I'm jealous OP. Kudos.

"For it is you who is minuscule in life to not think one of a million who come to this site would have his life in Rome."

You may well be a real person, but Gore Vidal you ain't. Be glad you're not going to have to rely on advances and royalties to fund your lifestyle.

[quote]Are you referring to my [R29] post?

No, Greg. There's a poster hear that posts whenever somebody mentions a cat "was it a rescue cat?" and signs it "the DL rescue cat brigade, seconded to the DL rescue dog brigade".

If I ever need a recipe involving cats, I'll summon you.

Fuck! Hear=here. Using text to talk again.

Gee, no one would have figured that out, Mary Lou.

Some of us really do inherit ancestral Schloss in the Tyrol, lunch at The Plaza, ski in Saint Moritz, buy expensive furs every year, and live in Rome on a whim. We're sorry you live such hardscrabble lives, but no need to be bitchy about it!

[quote] No, Greg. There's a poster hear that posts whenever somebody mentions a cat "was it a rescue cat?" and signs it "the DL rescue cat brigade, seconded to the DL rescue dog brigade". If I ever need a recipe involving cats, I'll summon you.

Thanks, R227, please do. I have quite a few recipes involving cats that I think you'd like.

Do you have an Instant Pot?

[quote] De facho?! Is Gerg in Italy. Or just cosplaying?

Greg is in Boston.

Way TO GO! OP. I moved to Rome too, but going on two years now. I would love to compare notes. I live near Monti near Esquilino. Are you learning the language yourself? Or are you taking class? Do you have an elective visa? I have a student visa so it's been school. I just celebrated 48 years myself. You're not crazy. But I love when people ask "ARE YOU LOVING IT!!!" I never know how to answer that. No one loves every second of everyday. But now I say I feel alive like I haven't in a long time. And I do really like the life here.

Oh, i tuoi amici sono americani o italiani? Devo trovare gli amici italiani con cui parlare solo in Italiano. Mi sono trasferito qui con mio marito e parliamo sempre in inglese a casa. Sono sicuro che parlerei meglio con gli amici italiani dopo due anni. Ma non è facile trovarli.

OP doesn’t actually know Italian —so you’re just making a greater fool of him…^

OP needs to tell us how handsome he is one more time so we don't forget.

[quote] I believe he did, that he had an Italian grandparent.

No he did not. I searched the entire thread and no mention.

[quote] -No mention of legal residence status right from the start. Anyone who has truly moved abroad will instantly tell about the legal, bureaucratic and time consuming and expensive hurdles of needing to set up life in another country especially Italy. No mention of things like not being able to get set up as an American (even if you’re dual) for a bank account due to the onerous FBAR reporting requirements by the US government for nationals abroad. It’s all rainbows and blowjobs.

This 100X. I believed him at first but he glossed over this. I've been researching moving to Europe so I know you can't just "do it."

Of course now he's been given some hints to come back with, but he would've stated it upfront or when asked the first time.

Also the casual self-compliments were suspicious. The $ part not so much. Though he didn't say how much hes' paying n rent.

I think the DC "penthouse" was also a backpedal. People don't really say that anymore even in NYC.

But wherever she went... she finally realised Buenos Aires was her own private prison, so she ran away.

She got a job singing in a club in Montevideo. She started divorce proceedings, and met a man.

Answer the tele...phone.

Hello? Yes, this is Ship to shore? All right, I'll take it.

Daphne? It's that naughty boy again. You know - Osgood? ln the elevator? You slapped my face? - Who is this?

- This is her roommate. Daphne can't talk right now. ls it urgent?

Well, it is to me. Will you give her a message? Tell her I'd like her to have supper with me on my yacht after the show tonight.

Got it. Supper, yacht, after the show. I'll tell her. - Your yacht?

- The New Caledonia. That's its name. The Old Caledonia went down during a wild party off Cape Hatteras. But tell her not to worry. This'll be a quiet little midnight snack, just the two of us.

Just the two of you? What about the crew?

That's all been taken care of. I'm giving them shore leave. We'll have cold pheasant with champagne. I've checked with the coastguard. There's gonna be a full moon tonight. And tell her I've got a new batch of Rudy Vallee records.

That's good thinking. Daphne's a pushover for him.

[quote]-No mention of legal residence status right from the start. Anyone who has truly moved abroad will instantly tell about the legal, bureaucratic and time consuming and expensive hurdles of needing to set up life in another country especially Italy. No mention of things like not being able to get set up as an American (even if you’re dual) for a bank account due to the onerous FBAR reporting requirements by the US government for nationals abroad. It’s all rainbows and blowjobs.

Having done it myself, it is hard, but not impossible. It also depends on the state you live in. Some states consulates are ball busters and others are pleasant and a walk in the park. The hurdles aren't expensive, just time consuming. I haven't read the entire thread, but I am guessing the OP might have an Elective Visa. I am not sure of his finances, but this is a "retirement" visa you can obtain if you have proof of passive income - pension, rental properties, investments that pay you monthly over a certain amount. BUT you cannot work once you move. It doesn't matter if you have 1 million in the bank, if you don't have passive income over a certain amount you won't be approved for it. This may also come down to the consulate you are going through. I originally tried this through NYC with just savings and got declined.

The easiest way is to get a study Visa through a language school. This visa allows you to work 20 hours a week. This is the visa I have, so I have been going to language school - even though I haven't needed to. Once you have your Visa, there isn't much they will say or do if you don't go. But I have used it to really learn Italian. My partner and I had to set up residency in PA first. He is from there, so it wasn't as hard transferring back and we applied through the consulate there. I read online the previous year they had 2,500 applications and denied one. NYC will not approve student visas for language courses. Once you have your visa, here in Italy you have to immediately apply for your promesso di sorggiorno that is your actually permit to stay for a year which you renew every year. We applied for residency as well to get the health coverage. So I have three cards - permesso, residency and tessera sanitaria. Public health insurance for a year is like $179 a year for a student. No deductible, very low cost if not free prescriptions, and of course free emergency care if needed. You can go to private doctors of your choice as well that you pay for. Oddly enough private doctors costs are about what you pay in the states with all of your insurance. And sometimes private doctors will refer your prescription through a public doctor so you get it super cheap.

If you are seriously thinking of moving here, I would get your codice fiscale first there in the states through the consulate. You will need it for everything here and it's easier to get there than once you are here.

The bureaucracy isn't as bad as everyone says. Things take time, but the process is smooth and people are helpful if you can stumble through some Italian. They like Americans too. Right now with the Ukrainian immigrants the works are jammed for months and things are much much slower.

^"permesso di soggiorno" mi dispiace... before I get eviscerated.

Let's get back to the virile dirty-holed 20 year olds. Who knew Italians were disgusting? Bigoted and close-minded, yes, but no douching?

Mamma mia!

Why would they clean their holes before butt fucking which they can't even admit to themselves they are planning to do.

[quote]Thanks, [R227], please do. I have quite a few recipes involving cats that I think you'd like.Do you have an Instant Pot?

I do, but just a 6 quart, and my cats are at least 8 quart or greater.

OP, I really wanna know why you were spending $700 a month on health insurance when you were employed. Can you please explain that?

That's very unusual.

[quote] Why would they clean their holes before butt fucking which they can't even admit to themselves they are planning to do.

Are we back to talking about the cats?

I have fucked several Italians and they have never served brownies. They are obsessed with clean asses. They literally wash their holes every time they shit, with like a cloth and soap.

Italy is more antiLGBT than Florida were you can at least get married.

Good luck

We had an Italian tour guide at the internment camp in Terezin just outside of Prague. Young, in his 20s, with a Czech partner and a kid that apparently likes to bite other kids.

He swore he'd rather die than go back to Italy.

^gay Italian, that is.

Don't know about his hole cleanliness though.

[quote]Italy is more antiLGBT than Florida were you can at least get married.

There are actual laws on the books here in Italy where if someone says anything anti-gay in public they can be fined, ticketed by the police. Any anti-discriminatory public speech is not allowed. There is nothing like that in the states. So you can keep pretending. I have had zero problems being gay AND I live in Rome, the seat of the Catholic Church. But Rome at heart is more Roman than Christian. Ancient traditions do run deep.

Americans stand on ten years of legal marriage and act as if were written into the Constitution. It wasn't. There are Civil Unions in Italy just as there were in America not so long ago. And is debatable whether legal gay marriage in the states will be able to last the next administration or not. The ground work for overturning it is being laid as we speak. So you might be speaking from a soapbox that sits atop quicksand. One thing Italy hasn't done is take away rights.

Sex was invented by Greeks and Italians taught it to women

R251 , as interpreted by the Supreme Court (me), it was written into the Constitution—by the 5th and 14th Amendments. Your argument is faulty.

The opposition leader in Italy, Elly Schlein, is a lesbian (calls herself bisexual so as not to frighten off the straights). She'll ensure that Meloni is in power for years.

Italy had the first Transgender member of Parliament in Europe. Someone elected her...

And the President of Sicily was an out gay man

good luck with those investments in a year or 2. lol

Thank you for all that detail, R239. It was very helpful. Good thinking on the language school strategy. How much does that cost per year and is there a cap on how long you could stay? Also, how is it getting a job with a student visa. I had a student visa in the UK and when university was done, you had to leave. I fond it very hard to find a job that wasn't service industry with a student visa. Do you know if the language school route is an in with other countries like Germany or Spain? I'm going to do some googling. I loved having the NHS when I was a student. Prescription were 4 or 5 pounds.

[quote]Why would they clean their holes before butt fucking which they can't even admit to themselves they are planning to do.

[quote]Are we back to talking about the cats?

GREG. Stay in your lane!

To answer some questions:

I am a dual citizen. Lawyers help.

My hygiene is so important. My husband was clean everywhere. Always. Younger Italian men are beautiful to behold. Their skin. Their sizable and beautiful cocks. But many have smelled muskier down there and some don’t use deodorant. Last august while taking the metro, as I was getting off the Termini station to catch a train to the beach, I said loudly (but in English) “does anyone in this country use deodorant?!” It was rude. Yes. But the smell.

They also smoke. A lot.

But when you hear an Italian man speak Italian or English, with that accent? Instant wood.

It was a penthouse. The only apartment on that floor. The only entrance was to our place on that floor. Our apartment was different to the rest of the building. It was a penthouse. I was trying to explain my previous life.

Same thing with stating I’m handsome. Merely to illustrate who I was. And yeah, it matters in the gay world. So while I had nothing to do with it, my looks helped pave the way to my successes in life.

The language school is well known. I enrolled because I want to learn the language. And I’m older so I’m less of a sponge. I also watch tv almost always in Italian, except for the Housewives.

I’ve seen all the sites here. The Pantheon is awe inspiring. You feel the Roman Empire when you walk in its doors. It’s hard to explain.

I wake up early. With the loud seagulls in the courtyard.

I then crave him. His voice. His laugh. Him.

So to the poster above who wrote how lucky etc etc., I would give all of this up. In an instant. To be with him again. In flesh and bone.

"I’ll go for a walk later, maybe only three miles today. I’m waiting for an HDMI cable for my living room’s Apple TV."

Screams of autism.

^^^^^ And chat GPT. The whole thing is so 'structured sentences with just enough specific detail'.

OP's book will be like reading a manual for operating a air fryer.- "Open drawer. Insert food here".

R260, were you a dual citizen by birth? Or did you apply for citizenship when you moved?

[quote]If you are an EU citizen you can apply for Italian citizenship by residency after 4 years of legal residency in Italy; on the other hand, [bold]if you are a non-EU citizen you can apply after having resided in Italy for at least 10 years. However, some categories of individuals can apply after 3 years of legal residency; this applies to foreigners whose parents or grandparents were Italian by birth and to foreigners who were born in Italy and did not apply for Italian citizenship when they reached the age of 18.[/bold]

Having trouble figuring out how you became a dual citizen in one year. Even with lawyers.

R239, you can renew a language school every year up to five years I believe. After five years you can apply for permanent resident status which means you don't have to renew your permesso every year. After ten years you can go for citizenship.

R260, I agree with you on the boys here. I feel like such an old perv, because some of them are young but so attractive - 17-25 years old. They remind you have your favorite high school crush. They are nice to look at. And they all wear white sneakers. I am starting to develop a fetish for beat up white sneakers.

OP have you walked through Palatine Hill as part of the Parco Archeologico? You usually have to pay but every first Sunday, all of the museums owned by the city are free. It is kind of my new obsession. It's much bigger than it looks from the outside looking in. And there are some quiet, tranquil parts as beautiful as Villa Borghese. There is a pass for 80 euros a year that gives you access to the Palatine, Colosseum, Roman and the Imperial Forum.

OP is annoying and shallow. No wonder his parents and husband couldn't wait any more to get away from him.

[quote] I am a dual citizen. Lawyers help.

That's a non answer. Sounds suspicioius.

[quote]can apply after 3 years of legal residency; this applies to foreigners whose parents or grandparents were Italian by birth

WOW! That's me. I have 2 grandparents born in Italy. Does that mean I'd get taxed twice?

He might have been a dual citizen of the US and some other EU country, r267. It's not that difficult t to get EU citizenship if you can show your parents, grandparents or even great-great-grandparents or even further back migrated to the US from an EU country.

Then he could've simply said that. "Lawyers help" is a vague, semi-sarcastic reply.

R268, if you have two grandparents born in Italy (who were/are Italian citizens) then you don't even need to reside in Italy to apply for Italian citizenship. Just visit the nearest Italian consulate. If you moved to the EU, or any other country in the world, and worked there, then, yes, you would need to pay US taxes too. This is because of strict US tax laws. If you remained in the US, you would not have to pay Italian tax, though.

I don't know OP's exact circumstances, rr270, he might have dual citizenship another way. To get EU citizenship by descent, what you really need more than lawyers is your ancestor's birth certificate.

Yes, and the fact that OP emphasises lawyers makes me suspicious. Or should I say

[quote] Yes. But OP emphasised something else. Lawyers. Made me suspicious.

“ Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Maybe I just went deeper than you, R246

OP has a future in writing romance novels. His memoir potential is nil.

[quote] I do, but just a 6 quart, and my cats are at least 8 quart or greater.

R227/R243: Okay, we’ll have to go with Plan B.

Do you have a really sharp knife and a large cutting board?

[quote][R227]/[R243]: Okay, we’ll have to go with Plan B. Do you have a really sharp knife and a large cutting board?

Of course. What kind of homosexual serial killer doesn’t?

[quote]He might have been a dual citizen of the US and some other EU country, [R267]. It's not that difficult t to get EU citizenship if you can show your parents, grandparents or even great-great-grandparents or even further back migrated to the US from an EU country.

Then he still would’ve had to wait 4 years.

OP, did you start the thread?

[quote][bold]If he survives this…[bold]

Trump will win.

Excellent, R278. We'll also need some antiseptic and sterile bandages for the inevitable flesh wounds we'll sustain.

No, he wouldn't r279 because citizenship by descent is based on descent, not whether you've lived in a country for x years and can show you are dedicated to it and have a job that supports you and pay taxes. All you need for citizenship by descent is to be able to show that your parent/grandparent/great-grandparent, depending on the specific laws to each country, was born a citizen of that state. You don't even ever have to visit a country that has citizenship by descent to claim its citizenship. There was a whole thread about Franke Grande getting Italian citizenship this year thanks to his Italian great-grandparents, without ever having to go to Italy. He just went to the Italian consulate in NYC or wherever it is that he lives.

R282, it does say in that same article that : [quote]Foreigners whose parents or grandparents were Italian by birth or foreigners who were born in Italy and hadn’t applied for Italian citizenship until they were mature are eligible to obtain citizenship even after three years of legal residency.

Are you suggesting that OP has even more influence than MISTER Frankie Grande?

If I was as wealthy as the OP I'd live in the Parioli district near the Pincian Hill (Villa Borghese) rather than Rione Borgo.

Greg/r281,

My cats are both rescue cats but one looks like a harlequin cat (close to a tuxedo cat) and the other looks like a Russian blue. Neither are purebred (imagine having to shop at Kroger instead of a Whole Foods).

What kind of dish are you suggesting?

Frankie Grande never lived in Italy, r283. He got citizenship by descent. He doesn't have to live in Italy for that. I posted that link because it has social media comments complaining about exactly that.

[quote]An American who does not speak Italian, has never lived in Italy, has never attended Italian schools is considered more Italian than a person of Ghanaian origin born and raised in Italy only because the former has great-grandparents from Molise,” a comment reads.

Initially I believed OP's opening gambit. Now he's totally gone off the boil with half-hearted answers, I'm calling EST on it all.

The 'too radical' prompt is intentional and designed to agitate. It's all so half-baked. The only location he seems to have mentioned is the Pantheon?

[quote] My cats are both rescue cats but one looks like a harlequin cat (close to a tuxedo cat) and the other looks like a Russian blue. Neither are purebred (imagine having to shop at Kroger instead of a Whole Foods). What kind of dish are you suggesting?

I'm thinking of a CATciatore.

The closest OP has been to 'Rome, is getting 5 dollar hand-jobs from the ethnic bellhops at Caesars Palace.

My grandmother was a modest woman but her father encouraged her intellectually and she attended Vassar. She fell in with a glittery crowd and became BFFs with an Italian countess who summered in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. When I was a teen I visited often with my grandmother, the Countess and Gayatri Devi, their dear friend, the 3rd Maharani of Jaipur. I became very close with her nieces and nephews, and then extra extra close with a Saudi Prince. It was decided that I should become one of the Prince's travelling companions, and so it was done, for two happy years between London, Geneva, Paris, Marbella and the Côte d'Azur. Someone purchased for me a Monégasque passport, one of less than 10K in existence, and which I still hold, in addition to others. Remind me to recount my youthful adventures, and look for my memoirs coming in 2027. I shall hold a book signing at Le Deli Robuchon Saint-Laurent. Ta!

Isn't it time for the OP to tell us how handsome he is again??

I’m handsome, I was paying $700 a month in health insurance as a VP at my executive job, I’m rich and I had started studying Italian and then became fluent about 40 posts later. And I became an Italian citizen in a year. Because lawyers.

Happy now, r291?

Yeah, the biggest problem for me about Italian guys is they're almost all closeted. I had an Italian bf for a few years. At least his family tolerated him (probably because he became successful) and he had a gay brother which helped. But the straight brother was Mama's preference by far. Family is everything in Italy so to feel rejected there is soul-crushing.

A big story in Italy for some years is that of Rosalinda Celintano, the lesbian daughter of two huge Italian stars, Adriano Celintano and Claudia Morri.

The girl's mother said to her when she found out she was gay "Better an empty room than a lesbian daughter.". The father disowned her. This is shameful coming fthrre two artists who must know 100s of gays. But this is Italy.

Rosalinda left home and became an alcoholic for some time. Journalists sought her out for interviews because she'd share all kinds of dirt like her affairs with Monica Belluci and Asia Argento. tw

I wish some drunken Italian celeb would blow Italian gay and bi male celebs out of the water.

OP moved to 'Rome', is nailing 20 something guys, lives in a swish apartment, has language classes numerous times per week.

But comes on DL to ask if this is all too 'radical'.....

Bee to the You to the Ell to the Ell

Ess to the Aitch to the Eye to the Tee

^^^ BTW Rosalinda Celintano played Satan in Mel Gibson's passion of the Christ.

Roberto Bolle coming out was almost painful, it took years and he's a ballet dancer ffs.

Seems OK about it now (he's nearly 50) and has been dating Brit designer Daniel Lee for about 5 years.

Article in English that mentions his journey out of the closet here.

OP is so imaginative!

R297, what’s next?

An openly gay figure skater?

[quote]An openly gay figure skater?

GREG! Again? How many times must I say it? Unless you have a recipe for gay figure skaters, you’re not helping!

Still waiting on a better suggestion than CATciatore…

[quote]Yeah, the biggest problem for me about Italian guys is they're almost all closeted. I had an Italian bf for a few years. At least his family tolerated him (probably because he became successful) and he had a gay brother which helped. But the straight brother was Mama's preference by far. Family is everything in Italy so to feel rejected there is soul-crushing.

Not that this makes it any better. But I have noticed that since family is so important in Italy, they don't care what you are sexually as long as you get married and have kids. It's like your job, your civic duty, to grow up and get married and have kids. Then you can be anything you want to be. There doesn't seem to be the heavy religious "you're going to hell," if you're are gay aspect or being grossed out by gay sex. Actually they seem rather comfortable with that part. There are more gay bath houses in Rome than I remember being in NYC - openly gay bath houses. There is one down my block and at least three others within walking distance.

And the gay dance club is still very strong - even though Rome only have one really big one, but that is more than most cities in the states these days. The shows are over the top, broadway level productions. If you are on instagram, follow them. Muccassassina.

And what passes for entertainment in Italy is decidedly gay. The members of the biggest group in Italy, Maneskin are gay or identify as queer. And another huge artist Mahmood has no problem showing exactly who he is. When I first saw this video when I moved here, I said, I think I'll be ok. It's been a long time since I got a boner watching a music video.

and they definitely have no problem with this being plastered all over the subway station walls - Blanco's Latest album.

R301. VERY nice. Plenty of straights in that club too, I would imagine.

I hope you will be near the sea in Greece, August is really hot there. Or you could go to Paris, the parisians leave Paris in August?

I spent 3 Augusts in Paris over the years. It's HOT, and calm, emptied out away from the tourist traps. Kind of lovely.

R260 writes like a child trying to sound adult: The words are in the right order but the meaning is clouded. Everything reads slightly false.

Is OP using AI? Or is he just that bad of a writer?

OP trying to be a romance writer in real life

I called Chat GPT (AI) on this ages ago R307.

This isn't A.I. text. A.I. text is not clearly bad in style. If you prompt AI to produce bad writing style and give examples of humans with bad style to imitate, it still can't do it.

The revolting and lacking character of a person creates such style.

R93 Summertime takes place in Venice.

[quote] Hmmm I'll take Humblebrag for $2,000...

Ha ha I missed this thread when it was first posted and after I read it my first thought was to ask if the book is a humblebrag how-to, but of course the DL beat me to the punch.

Even OP's headline begs for him to be admired for his luxurious audacity.

Just signed a contract for an apartment rental in Florence in the Ognissanti area. My husband and I just celebrated our second year here in Rome, but it's time for a move. Rome is a beautiful city but it's sprawling and hard to get a handle of. The major parts of the center are gorgeous monuments and historical sites. But everyday life can't be lived in these places. The city is beautifully chaotic and takes a lot of energy to move about, with all of the hills if you don't have a Moto or a car. So many parts of the city are breathtaking and the history does take your breath away. The garbage can take your breath away sometimes too. And I never knew seagulls were so fucking savage. I have seen a seagull swallow a rat whole and I have seen a seagull tearing into the back of a bloody pigeon. I kid you not, I have been walking down the street minding my business and a pigeon carcass will fall from the sky right in front of you.

By all accounts, for Italians, Rome marks the border where the country begins to fall apart. People north of us usually ask - why did you move there. But I think any new life in Italy must start in Rome. You have to do it. My Italian in two years is very good for an American. I was forced to learn it and bang my head up against a wall trying to understand the Roman dialect. I feel like I have been training with weights on for our move to Florence. It is so easy to get by with English in Florence that I know in comparison I will be speaking circles around a lot of Americans who just never had to move past a basic functioning level of Italian. I hope this will serve as in with the Fiorintini who are notoriously closed off in the beginning. Florence is like little America for those who don't bother to scratch deeper. I want to go deeper.

Go to bed, R314.

It's 11:34 am here r315. You won't get anything done in life sleeping past noon.

[quote]I want to go deeper.

Any deeper and you’re in your intestinal tract.

Wouldn't mind that r317. It's healthy and thriving.

Florence is too touristy. You'll hate it after one month.

OP still hasn't provided proof he's actually living g in Rime and not in his mother's basement in LAwrence, Kansas.

I think Rome would be a great place to end up. OP's circumstances, to me, seem to indicate he is making a good decision.

How is 5K for surgery considered “dirt cheap?”.

[quote]Florence is too touristy. You'll hate it after one month.

There are about 30 square feet of Florence that is touristy and the rest they seem to stay out of. The benefit of Florence over Rome is that the touristy stuff is all pretty self contained. Tourist seem to be under the misconception that you can do Florence in a day and just go see the David and the Duomo. Maybe they go to the Uffizi Gallery to see the Botticelli's Birth of Venice or Primavera. But their movements are pretty much contained to the very center of town. Whereas in Rome all of the sites of interest are spread out all over the town. Tourist tend to spend 4/5 days in Rome constantly milling about all over. They are everywhere and can make getting around difficult. Whether I will become bored or not remains to be seen. But I found an apartment in the Ognissanti area to start and will continue to look when the market cools down in December and January.

[quote]It’s not a brag. I am still considered good looking. I am young looking.

Yes, OP, your humility is Mother Theresian.

Good luck, fuck what everybody else thinks, and shut the fuck up.

Also, use this time to deal with your insecurity.

Greece in August is a nightmare of heat and drunken tourists. A bit suprised the circle of three friends didn't know this.

Looking around on Reddit, people who've just returned from Rome are saying it's so hot over there, the birds on the street are panting. And now it's going to be 49°C this week, I can't even imagine that kind of heat. With the added humidity, it's going to be an absolute nightmare.

[quote]And now it's going to be 49°C this week, I can't even imagine that kind of heat. With the added humidity, it's going to be an absolute nightmare.

It is going to be 108 degrees on Tuesday. When it's hot like that, you treat it as if there is a blizzard outside - you just stay in doors all day. I feel bad for the tourist who have paid for their trip and have to be outside. But it's the kind of intense sun where you can feel your skin burning. It's shame because relatively speaking Italy didn't contribute half as much to global warming as other countries. But it's definitely paying the price for it.

is the air pollution still horrid there in the summer. 5 yrs ago we had to leave early, the air sucked.

OP, you are not even one tiny little bit crazy or too radical or any of that stuff.

Your life has another chapter and it's in Rome. If people don't understand that, be kind to them but don't spend any time worrying about it or explaining yourself.

You are living your best life (god, I hate that phrase) and it turns out to be in Rome. Good for you.

Don't let the bastards get you down!

OP, Tennessee Williams would say you're having a Roman Spring.

Life is short. My younger husband got diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer six months ago. His prospects, despite great health prior to this diagnosis, are iffy.

I think every day where I am going to live if he dies, and what I will want to do. I lived in Asia and in Europe prior to settling down in Manhattan, and part of me thinks I will need to leave the city if my husband passes. Too many memories, too much sadness.

So I applaud you, and wish you well as you work through the grief in this next chapter of your life.