A few weekends ago, I had the opportunity to join eight other expat girls on a hike in Mandello del Lario, a town I had no idea existed since it was my first time going past Lecco, a major city on the other side of Lake Como.
Ticket à la Trenord
I am no expert in sports, except running. I guess I could also throw tennis in there since it was a large part of my high school years, but don’t ask me about anything else, haha!
When it comes to hiking, I’ve always enjoyed the thought of it. Unfortunately, it’s only stayed as a thought because my close circle of friends and family aren’t exactly outdoor types. While they do enjoy the occasional walk for “fresh air”, I’m sure they would have been ANGRY with me if they had joined me on this particular hike…
Sliding down in mud, steep “rock climbing”, gripping onto chains for dear life, almost falling into rapid-flowing streams…
I was a bit nervous too at first, but by the end of the day, I felt like a total bad-a**, frankly speaking!
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The day started at a “decent” hour in the morning. I personally would not have minded if we left at the crack of dawn, but I don’t expect Italians to favor that request—even if they are expats!
Most of the girls caught the train from Milano Centrale, but since I recently moved to Monza, I was able to save an extra 15 minutes in travel (well, sitting in anticipation on the train…I still had to walk over from my apartment 😅).
I met a girl who was originally from Peru at Monza Station who was also joining the hike. We had a nice chat about our life experiences in Italy and she casually mentioned she did part of this hike before with her CHOW CHOW DOG (I was literally squealing with excitement).
The train ride was about 20 minutes (time flies by when you’re talking up a storm!) and we met the other seven girls when we got off. There were some awkward silences here and there as we all tried to figure out how to get to the trails, but someone mentioned coffee and that helped break the ice!
We found a small café and got ourselves together. One of the girls (who is Italian) spoke with a local and figured out exactly where to go. That helped.
Trail start: we went on the “del fiume” path
It took us about 20 minutes to get to the trail start—and off we went! We officially “clocked in” at around 10:45/11:00. I’m actually not sure of the exact time because I was already in deep conversation with the Italian (working as a post-doc) and a master’s student from Dubai about the toxicity of academia 😅. Oh the things that bond humanity!
Starting off the hike
The first two hours or so felt like a walk in nature. There were some steep parts, but nothing one would call difficult. I had enough energy to keep conversations going, and snap pics along the way—including one of this local:
Donkey pal!
We stopped for “lunch”/a break when we got to the first main waterfall (which some of the girl’s cutely referred to as “cascade”). I brought a simple, ready-to-eat deli sandwich, yogurt, and chips—not my first choice, but your options for ready-meals suitable for hiking are limited for a vegetarian in Italy!
Group pic at the first “cascade”
We definitely needed the rest because the next segment of the hike would require ALL of our energy (and bravery)! One of the hardest parts of the hike had us literally rock climbing. There was a chain strewn across a row of boulders, and we had to hold onto it for dear life while climbing sideways à la Spiderman.
It took us a bit longer to get past this, even more steep climbs, and rocky, narrow paths (I lost my water bottle at this point which I had filled with fresh water from the cascade! Darn!), but we waited for everyone to finish before moving onto our real rest spot.
Steep climbs!
No one was getting left behind.
At this point, we all settled in in the grass. Some girls had their “real” lunches while others napped. I tried not to be annoying while crunching on the rest of my BBQ chips!
Views from the “real” rest stopSo “Heidi”-like
We stayed for a full hour, and then decided to head back to avoid getting back too late/past sunset. The hike back was more on the annoying side, only because we were all starting to fall from our endorphin high and knew it would take us at least two hours to get back, even on the “easy, shortcut” paths. I had brought old running shoes for the hike, and had to be very careful since the tread had mostly worn down and I found myself slipping in some areas…
I also found myself a lot more quiet on this leg of the hike. I was hyperfocused on not falling, while also consumed in my own thoughts while some of the girls who still had energy chatted around me.
Views on level land: can’t leave without seeing a cat!Spot the doggo
When we got back into the city of MdL, it felt nice to walk on flat roads again. Some of the girls were in awe when I told them I was doing a long run the next day (had to fit it in before a half marathon the following week…), and to be honest, my legs were totally fine! My arms were the ones feeling all the DOMS the next day…
Cool shot from the hike 😁
We took the train back after 6pm, and I got back home a little before 7.
The train station 😅
I was able to get off in Monza and avoid the Saturday night craziness of Milan. Needless to say, the physical activity of the day left me a good kind of tired and I slept well that night.
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MdL was a great day experience, but I honestly don’t know when and if I’ll be going on another similar hike anytime soon with “winter” approaching (quotes because ya’ll…I’m still wearing shorts in October…I see Italians bundled up already like we’re in the North Pole but I think it’s out of habit vs. necessity!). Eventually, it would be nice to hike the Dolomites, but I’m also not in a rush.
It kind of looked like the Dolomites anyways…
The next couple weeks will be insanely busy, so it was nice that I was able to take a break early on and finally enjoy what (Italy’s) nature has to offer.
If curiosity has led you to inquire about the Italian immigration process, any expat (or immigrant, if you see yourself living in Italy for an indeterminate amount of time) will tell you immigration is, quite frankly, a long-a** nightmare.
I suppose bureaucracy in any country can be deemed as such, but when you go through the process yourself, it can be frustrating to know that steps A, B, C, and D can all be streamlined and become one easy-peasy step A.
But by now, we should all know that “why make it easy for everyone?” is the motto of governments worldwide…
My experience with Italian immigration has been full of frustrations, but it has also been a slightly unique experience compared to most. A lot of expats I’ve met usually ended up in Italy because of love, and hence, stay in the country through marriage/family permits which (can) eventually lead to work permits.
Others end up here via the student route, for example, by completing a master’s program and (hopefully) finding work soon after.
The following is my personal experience with obtaining an EU Blue Card to work in Italy. Please read for insight but understand every experience is unique and not all the steps I had to do may match your EU Blue Card journey. When it comes to government paperwork and steps, things are always changing, so brace yourself for any surprises that may be thrown your way!
There are also many resources online that go into the nitty-gritty about Italian visas, permits, citizenship, etc. and I am not an expert in this realm. I am only writing about my experience in the hope that it helps someone get an idea about the process (especially what they need to be prepared for and how long it takes)!
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What is the EU Blue Card?
This official site gives you all the deets (and this one for Italy) but generally speaking, the EU Blue Card is probably the smoothest of all permit options in Europe available to non-EU professionals with post-graduate degrees (master’s or PhD programs at least 3 years in length). And smooth in this case means a good 6-8 months before the card is to hand.
Given Italian bureaucracy, I’d say 6-8 months is lightning speed.
While the links above give more information, one perk of the Blue Card is that while you do have to work in the same country/job that your applied for for 18 months, after this period, you can move to another European country for work if that’s in your plans, or be on track for permanent residency in the country you got your EU Blue Card in.
The EU Blue Card in Italy is not treated like a special card lol. The template for the card is the standard “permesso di soggiorno” and it differs from other permits only in the “type of permit”/
How can I get an EU Blue Card?
One thing to make clear about Italy is that in order to (legally) work in the country with a standard work permit, you have to already have a job offer (if you currently reside outside of Italy—this step is different for non-Italian students who studied in Italy, for example).
When I came to Italy originally, I was doing a postdoctoral fellowship under the ricerca permit as mentioned earlier. I already had my PhD (a terminal, post-grad degree). Looking back, if I had known about the EU Blue Card, I probably would have insisted on this path instead of naively accepting the ricerca permit, now knowing the benefits the EU Blue Card comes with.
When I transitioned to an industry position within the pharma sector, pushing for the EU Blue Card benefited both me and my employer. I should also note that my path to this position started with a cold email (while I was in Italy during my fellowship), followed by interviews where both my future employer and I saw mutual benefits in my hire. I acknowledge that this opportunity was incredibly unique and based on the fact that 1) I had experience in the company’s line of work through my PhD and 2) had the initiative to reach out on my own, and not follow a job listing.
I encourage anyone with post-grad degrees (terminal ones especially, like PhD, MD, JD, PharmD, master’s is often fine too if it’s at least 3 years in length) to look into the Blue Card as an option for a permit, since they are considered degrees needed for “highly qualified professions”. The list is surprisingly quite broad for what is considered as such, especially for Italy.
It’s critical to have an (future) employer assist you in the process for the EU Blue Card since a work offer is needed just to get started. Finding an employer to help you with this can be an obstacle, as for a lot of Italian companies, it can take some convincing to explain why they should hire a non-EU citizen over a local Italian. But I recommend trying and keeping the following in mind:
[x] Seek a job in industry with a company that works internationally. If you are a native English speaker, this can help if the company does business with English-speaking countries and wants to build rapport with English-speaking clients (especially the US, because that is honestly where a lot of profits come from for Italian companies that do business abroad…)
[x] If you do come from academia, you can always try reaching out to “top” research institutions and proposing that you come under an EU Blue Card versus a ricerca permit and collaboration contract (the cococo, which was what I was under when I did my fellowship, is a bit more restrictive than the contract that comes with the Blue Card). In this case, coming in with a fellowship can be a huge advantage when you make your proposal, as it shows you are coming in with your own funding and can be self-sufficient to a certain extent.
[x] Don’t be afraid of cold emails. Sell your skillset confidently. That’s how I found my job.
[x] While knowledge of Italian may help, I got my job without being fluent in Italian. You can always say you are learning and would appreciate the opportunity to rapidly improve your skills in a workplace environment. Oftentimes companies willing to take on foreigners offer assistance such as with language classes, etc.
Why should I get an EU Blue Card?
An interesting observation I’ve noted while in Italy is that I have not met too many expats with an EU Blue Card. I believe it is because not too many people are aware of it, and even if one qualifies, their career goals may not include a stint abroad.
For example, a lot of post-doc fellows (people who finished their PhD and are continuing to do research) come to the US for their abroad experience. Rarely do you ever hear of an American scientist going abroad for a post-doc. If they do, it’s usually to another English-speaking country or Northern Europe. Even when I did my fellowship in Italy, I was the only American in my co-hort.
I also think I don’t hear of many expat Blue Card holders in Italy because of this sentiment – as an American, Canadian, or other citizen of a “developed” country, why should I bother with this?
Even if you’re not sure how long you plan to be abroad, insisting that this is the best option for you and your potential employer could be incredibly beneficial in the long run. It’s ultimately a great way to live in another country in the short-term, while progressing in your career. True, the pay may not match what you can get in the US for example, but if you’ve always wanted to experience life abroad, this could be a great option if you’ve “suffered” through many years of education, and now want to “experiment” with a new life and cultural experience…
So, what are the steps?
In general, this is what it was like for me before I got to hold my physical EU Blue Card:
Step 1: Employer sends in application request to Italian government (they ask for a Nulla Osta, which authorizes non-EU citizens to apply for a work visa at their home country’s Italian consulate).
My timeline: December 2021
Step 2: I had to collect the following in order to complete the application for the Nulla Osta:
1) Copy of Passport (duh.)
2) Job Offer from Company
3) Declaration of Value (the most difficult to obtain from the list)
Step 2.5: Assembling the Declaration of Value:
This is the most nightmare-ish part of the entire process, as it depends on what your local consulate* wants from you. The Declaration of Value is a document that states how your post-graduate education translates to the Italian education system.
*And your local consulate will be the one in the state where you completed your final degree. For me, this was the one in Los Angeles, even though I left LA years ago!
For the Declaration of Value, the LA consulate required that I send them:
1) A copy of my diploma declared authentic by my university’s registrar. His/her signature had to be notarized by a notary public (normally, universities get requests for this a lot if they have a large international student body, so they often have a campus notary or partnership).
2) The notarized document then had to be sealed with an “apostille” by the Secretary of State (in my case, in California).
3) A translation (from English to Italian) of my diploma AND transcripts. The consulate in LA was okay with me using a third-party translation service or even using Google translate. I assume because the lady who was in charge of Declaration of Value requests also certified the translations…
4) Passport copy (just make 10 copies and carry them around with you, to be honest…)
5) Information about my university (whether it was public or private, degree admission requirements, how long it takes for degree…)
My timeline: January – February 2022 (~5 weeks to assemble everything for Declaration of Value)
Step 3: Once I received the Declaration of Value from the LA consulate (they sent it to me via a pre-paid FedEx envelope), I handed the original copies to my employer during a business trip, and received the Nulla Osta from the government about 30 days later!
My timeline: End of March 2022
Step 4: Then I had to get back in communication with the consulate stateside (this time, the one closest to my current residence, so I didn’t have to get in touch with LA thankfully!) and ask for a long-term visa. I had to send my physical passport along with more photocopies of documents they specifically requested (i.e. local driver’s license/state ID, flight reservation, etc.). But this was more straight-forward and faster to accomplish than with the Declaration of Value.
My timeline: Sent out everything early April 2022 and received everything back within a week.
Step 5: I sent photocopies of my visa and the passport stamp* of my arrival into Italy/the first EU country I transited through before Italy to my employer, who then forwarded this information to request an appointment at the Prefeturra.
*Make sure you get this stamp!! Do not go through electronic screening at the airport, because getting that physical stamp is necessary for the next step. The airport workers may laugh at you for your odd request, but ignore them and get that stamp. It’ll save you so much trouble at the Prefeturra!
My timeline: Sent photocopies to my company early May 2022. Was scheduled an appointment at Prefeturra at end of May 2022.
Step 6: Next, I was given an appointment* at the Prefeturra to get my “contratto di soggiorno” (contract of stay). They also provide your tax code “codice fiscale” at this appointment too. In my case, I already had a codice fiscale so I gave the officials that number.
*I had the appointment end of May, but of course in pure Italian fashion, there was an issue with the office’s printer so I had to reschedule. Luckily, I was with someone from my company and they were able to help me communicate and reconfigure things. I ended up rescheduling for early July…
Step 7: In the Prefeturra “re-do” appointment, I received an appointment for the Questura (police/ immigration office, essentially) to “give” my fingerprints. Before that, I had to go to the post office to send off the forms that were completed at the Prefeturra. Why can’t the Prefeturra do that themselves? Beat’s me.
My timeline: early July 2022
Step 8: I go to the Questura a month later and get my fingerprints taken, along with having to submit a few more docs (like a passport photo and yet another passport copy). I then get instructions to come back within 25 days to pick up the card.
My timeline: early August 2022
Step 9: It indeed takes more than 25 days (probably because of this), and I actually came back six weeks later to finally get my EU Blue Card.
My timeline: Mid-September 2022.
This entire process took 9 months. Technically, you can start legally working after completing the Prefeturra appointment (you do not have to wait until you get the physical card).
But I mean, PHEW! Did you get all that? If it was a doozy to read all that, then you now understand that that is how getting to Italy is. The hard stuff happens WAY before you enter the country!
So I hope this post gives *some* idea and perspective about one “easier” option (as easy as it can get, which still isn’t easy…) to seek work opportunities in Italy if you are a non-EU citizen with a post-graduate degree yearning for a “life abroad” experience.
It can take a lot of planning, researching, sweat, and grit, but if your curiosity for life abroad won’t stop bugging you until you actually take the leap, there is nothing wrong with giving it a try. If you end up enjoying the experience and wanting to work in the country forever, then renewals and path to permanent residency should only get easier if you started off with a Blue Card.
And if you’ve never been an expat or immigrant, at least this post gives a glimpse as to how much hard work it is. Be kind to others going through the process, because it requires a lot of strength, bravery, and putting up with things they really shouldn’t have to 😉.
…is a classic blog prompt from the 2010s, the golden era of blogging 😁! The way these posts go is the blogger brings up items from their life that have happened since their last post. Usually these posts appear when a blogger has been absent for a while and they want to catch their readers up in a summary form.
This—along with the many surveys that circulated in the blogging community—is one of my favorite prompts when I feel like catching up in a casual way.
So, get yourself some coffee (or tea or water? That’s good too, haha) to pair with this read 😊.
⭐The Italian government has officially declared that we are no longer in a “COVID emergency” (whatever that means at this point), and so companies are now left to decide whether or not to continue with remote working (otherwise known as “smartworking”, lol).
The company I work for implemented a really great hybrid mode (2 days remote, 3 days in the office), but suspended it the beginning of September until they prepare an “official smartworking contract”. I don’t see why we have to pause such a good thing, but at least we are not pushing the brakes, as the majority is in favor of continuing hybrid work. It’s only a matter of time…can you even say you’re in Italy if you’re not forced to wait for something?
⭐The annoying thing about this though is that we still have to wear masks in the office, but literally nowhere else in Italy except medical centers (vestigial rules I’m not sure will ever go away) require it. Yo, I thought you said the “emergency” was over?Make it make sense…
⭐I also recently accompanied my boyfriend to a local race track so he could race his car and geek out over car things (lol). That was an interesting experience in itself, and I took the opportunity to “lament” on Yelp:
One of my many candid reviews on Yelp about things in Italy
Let’s just say you can take the truck out of Texas, but Italians can never replace Texans 🤣.
…I’d tell you that social media continues to be sucky. Anytime someone forwards me an “expat in…” video or “American in…” post, I roll my eyes so hard they almost pop out! When I was on Instagram, I used to mutually follow some mild-mannered, practical women who shared pragmatic content about life in Italy, but it’s crazy how luck and “starting out at the right time” can make a random person skyrocket in fame and “influence”.
⭐It makes me upset when I see people who amass huge followings out of pure luck “hijack” the stories and experiences of others with a smaller following, even though these “smaller” accounts have useful content and stories to share.
They’re just not busting out videos everyday 🙄.
⭐For example, someone “goes viral on TikTok” because they have a quirky audio or make a series of videos that “are just too funny”. It’s probably cliché, but they get lucky and the followers pour in. They build a huge following from that, and then are able to talk about anything they want and get engagement because now they have an audience. This is “the system” in play, and it really is unfair. And if we were having coffee, I’d be calling it out in more detail, big time.
☕ If we were having coffee…
…I’d tell you work has been super busy lately! I got assigned projects that could lead me to San Francisco (‼) for a showcase at the end of October! A lot of steps have to be put in place first (out of my control and at company level), but I’m really hoping that it works out because even though flying out to the West Coast is a nightmare on the legs, any excuse to travel back home is worth it.
Making long slide decks is literally part of the job lol
⭐I do know I will be back in Vegas (for the third time this year, lol) for an exhibition, and I am way too excited for that than I should be 😂.
⭐I’ve also enrolled in some free NIH clinical research courses and I try to post about clinical trials when I can. I know I said I don’t do Instagram anymore, but this account is explicitly for science education outreach. I have been feeling less motivated to be consistent with it lately though, because I know our society as a whole still has a long way to go before science is seen as something worth seeking out and interesting vs. something to fear and hate, unfortunately…
☕ If we were having coffee…
… I’d tell you my running has been going great! My coach out of Houston is awesome and I love the workouts he has me do. I always get nervous on interval days, but then when I crush my HARD pace, I feel amazing. I’m hoping to PR in Monza this October (in the half) and then of course at the marathon in Houston in January.
⭐The running group I organized has been going alright, even though I’ve only met 3 girls through it. It’s better than nothing though, and every time I run with them it’s a lot of fun.
When I do my solo runs, I always stop for cats if I’m not in the middle of a speed interval. If I am, I finish said interval and then walk back to the cat.
And yes, I listen to some hardcore hip hop when I do speed workouts 😅. It’s what gets me to a speedy 7:00min/mi pace so, it works!
☕ If we were having coffee…
…I’d tell you I just cannot avoid living in a city where the rent is just atrocious. First it was LA, and now Milan has caught up to match in ridiculousness. When I was in Milan 2020-2021, the rent was decent. Now it’s gotten so bad because there just aren’t that many vacancies (and ok, blame the geopolitical situation if you want, but I feel businesses often use that as an excuse way too much, like COVID).
⭐So, I’ll be little miss commuter again when I move to Monza next month. It definitely won’t be crazy like my two-hour one-way treks from Anaheim to LA, but it will be somewhat of a pain if we don’t get our remote working situation sorted!
…I’d reveal that things have felt stagnant creatively for me lately. When it comes to my ongoing writing projects, I have days where I pop out a really great piece/excerpt within an hour. And other days where I have major writer’s block and feel “forced” to write.
⭐It’s the shared experience of most writers, but I’ve also had the urge to start other creative projects. I think one can fuel the other if they’re both positive experiences. Instagram was supposed to be such an outlet, but because it caused more harm than good, that tie had to be severed.
⭐I’m really excited about this particular venture since I’ll be collaborating with my best friend. We have no clue how it will go, but I think it’s a project that utilizes a platform that is favorable to people who love words and stories, vs. pictures and speedy content. I’ll of course share what this project is when the time comes (soon)!
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I imagine you’ve reached the end of your cup, and I’ve about exasperated your attention span with all my venting and elaborating about events these past few weeks. And while a virtual cup can never replace the experience of a cup in-person, I hope you enjoyed our little coffee date!
I’m sure all of us have experienced post-vacation blues to some extent, but for me, I now see there is a consistent pattern for which trips I experience this phenomenon.
This pattern recognition came about after experiencing some not so memorable trips…
My solo trips to Sweden and Vancouver felt blasé. They were safe and something I can pat myself on the back for doing “on my own”, but I was relieved to get back home (at the time)to Orange County after BOTH of those trips…
My solo day trips around Italy last year—to Genoa, Venice, Florence, Bologna, and Verona were days I remember dragging myself around with ennui. I was walking everywhere, taking pictures where I was supposed to, but I felt miserable, cranky, and angry, mostly because I was indeed homesick.
I left for my Geneva work trip excited, but with certain circumstances that popped up, I came back to Milan exhausted/happy it was over—I could go further to say that by May’s end, I had never been more excited about going back to Houston.
So, which trips made me feel sad when I returned home because I enjoyed them so much?
Every single trip I’ve made to India (I always came back severely exhausted and jetlagged since childhood, but it was always worth it).
When I saw my sister and best friend in Austin last summer after a (tough) year away in Italy. We spent a few days altogether, and I remember after driving back to my parents’ house, I couldn’t help but cry from the happiness I experienced/the emotional crash once I realized it was over.
The blessing of making multiple trips home this year to Houston for my Dad and Austin for my sis. Ha, even Las Vegas, the home of my best friend, made its way in here!
The common denominator was not the places I visited or the attractions I saw.
It was the people. It was family—both by blood and chosen.
On my former blog (Will Study for Food), I actually recapped the time five years ago when we reconnected with my cousin and her family in Wales. At the time, it was a reunion after 17 years! Compared to that decade-and-then-some, reuniting after five years this time around seemed like nothing. Even with COVID sandwiched in for two years, it felt like no time had passed since our last meeting.
Except when it comes to children, five years is an incredibly large chunk of time! My cousin’s daughters P and M were 14 and 8, respectively, when I met them all five years ago. Now, they pretty much transitioned into the next phase of life, while I went from 25 to 30 not feeling like much has changed for me.
P is old enough to make elaborate, home-cooked breakfasts now. I was IMPRESSED.
While I had a phenomenal time with my cousin and family at Newton Beach, thrifting in Bristol, and traversing through Birmingham, I thought I’d shift away from the standard “travel recap” and use this post to comment on something else.
Thrifting in BristolPani Puri in DudleyDrinks at Dishoom in BirminghamA hot British summer at Newton Beach
My last morning in Cardiff, my cousin generously made us both coffee (like she did on all the days I visited, haha) but this time, she suggested we sip on our drinks out on the patio. With the babies trying to join in, it led to a really great conversation that I didn’t want to end.
The babies I’m referring to
But, I unfortunately had a flight to catch, and it included a stop at dreaded ORLY in Paris…
The fact is, I love these types of conversations. Even if they’re brief, they have the potential to dive deep. I’m the kind of person who will chat your ear off, but only if you have an interest to hear what I have to say. So, it often leads to people assuming I’m “quiet” when in fact, I just don’t want to bore you.
I’ve had similar “coffee and conversation” moments with other cousins and family members in the past, but sometimes I still held back. In those moments, I hesitated to bring up sensitive topics like my Mom and my eating disorder, because I wasn’t sure if I was emotionally ready enough to handle any type of reaction that could result.
As I’ve gotten older, I welcome these conversations. With each one that I have, it’s a bit easier to reveal the most of myself without feeling doubt or shame. Ha, I’m sure anyone who is curious about my life and is connected with me via WhatsApp has had a chance to peruse this blog (my profile pic has become an advert for it 😂, since I don’t do social media anymore). Even if it was just to be nosy, I hope the posts I’ve written—especially the vulnerable ones—got their point across…
Looking back at the short trip I made, I enjoyed the conversation of that serene Sunday morning the most out of all the things I did. It reminded me that it doesn’t matter where I am in the world, but as long as I am with people I love and enjoy being around (even better with a cup of coffee in hand), that is what a real vacation is.
Lovely Birmingham
Are you a “people person” often mistaken as a pure introvert?Leave a comment with your thoughts!
I value having paid vacation. Days off for fill-in-the-blank leave. But like with anything else in this world, there has to be balance, and it has to make sense.
When I was in grade school, my school adopted a novel-for-that-era schedule. From 3rd grade through 5th grade (6th grade I left for middle school), I was on a year-round schedule, meaning that the school was open year-round, but parents had the choice to put their kids in one out of four tracks.
We had red, yellow, green, and blue tracks, and their distinguishing factor was what months each track got off.
My parents were intrigued by blue track because the off months were perfect for traveling sans crowds. September? January? May? Sure, their kids would have to sit in class during the traditional dog days of summer, but at least they could plan a long trip to India in the off-season and save hundreds on our flights.
I personally wanted to be in red track, because naïve little me thought I could use third grade to win over Jainey’s friendship, even though she made it clear time and time again I could never fit in with her Filipino clique.
But I digress…
Looking back, I’m glad I got to have that unique experience. We had some really amazing family trips during our off months those years, and I think they might not have been so great if we had to battle summer crowds.
Also, going to school during the summer wasn’t *too* bad. My teachers were usually lax, and we got to do more activities outside, while cooling off with treats like popsicles and ice cream cups after a long, hot week—if my teachers thought we were deserving of it!
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I eventually got to experience my years of a real “American summer break” once I hit middle and high school, but family vacations were no longer the priority. They couldn’t be, since I was worrying about college and figuring out how to use my time wisely. Long story short, it really didn’t matter, and I do wish I hadn’t been so anxious about things out of my control at such a tender age…
Because I was so used to working through “traditional vacation time” (a lot of my high-achieving, “poor student” friends were), I entered my PhD not batting an eye at the thought of spending almost every day in the lab in some form. For a five-year period, I was able to find moments to carve out time away, but it was never in the form of an elaborate, dedicated vacation.
Even if I was away, I was always “on-call”. In fact, my Dad can attest to the fact I always had some anxiety-ridden episode during my “time off” because one of my undergrad students would message me with a mini-emergency, or my boss would send an urgent email.
I once got in trouble for going home for Thanksgiving. I ended up having a heated meeting with my boss, and even the question of “do PhD students even get time off?” was brought up in conversation. It’s a sad occurrence that is brushed over in the real world, but PhD students don’t have mandated days off. They are at the mercy of their superiors, but even if they do get the okay, the guilt that follows is incredible. When working in the lab, there is never a “good time” to leave…
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When I first came to Italy, I was excited about the thought of the mandated 20 vacation days I heard so much about. I was thrilled about finally having the chance to achieve work-life balance, but what I didn’t realize was that academia is the same all over the world. Even though I was working in Italy, I was working in a lab, so the “standard rules didn’t apply”. It was like I was doing my PhD all over again, and it was one of the many factors that contributed to my misery…
Hot city, minimal traffic – Milan in August
Now that I’m working a “real world” job, I finally have the chance to experience a true “vacation” period, but being Italy, there is always a catch.
Since my contract switched from the US-to-Italy mid-year, my yearly vacation days were adjusted as well. Unfortunately, I “had” to use a good chunk of them during the August period, since that’s when the company I work for (along with most establishments in Italy) closes up shop to “vacation”.
According to this article, abandoning “real life” for the majority of August is an Italian tradition dating back to the BC era. But if I’m being honest, it’s a kooky one that desperately needs to be relooked.
I mean, the article says some Italians have taken out loans this year just to vacation in August. Um, WHAT?!
Why with the criticism and lack of appreciation for the fact I even have time off finally? Because at the end of the day, there is no freedom in this procedure.
It means not being able to plan an October trip to Malta with my lab bestie from Germany, but rather forced to spend two weeks staring at the ceiling because I am “stuck” in the city. It can be incredibly annoying for those few who are still working/forced to be in the city, since even essential establishments like pharmacies can close up. Google becomes incredibly inaccurate during this time, and not being able to know if a place is *truly* open fuels the frustration even more…
Valentina? Myriam? Seriously?
Lucky for me, my cousin in Cardiff had a change of plans with her summer vacation and I’m actually heading over there for a long-overdue visit this weekend, but if that idea didn’t occur to me, I would indeed be abandoned in the ghost town that is Milano.
If I was “abandoned” in Austin, I could at least count on some vegan restaurants being open. Nothing that I value would be open in Milan…
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This is not to say a dedicated period for time off is “bad”, but forcing everyone to take time off during the period (by mandate or peer pressure) is counterproductive to say the least.
I mean, I get you can’t convince a Boomer to change his/her ways, so have it at August ya’ll! But do I have to be dragged along?
I wouldn’t mind if my superiors got priority to leave in August and I was asked to take leave in the fall (like how it works with my lab bestie’s company in Germany). In fact, I’d be thrilled by it. This would also be of benefit to companies since they can continue to be productive, even if “half-staffed”. Depending on one’s job, it’s not that hard to take on extra tasks temporarily if it means a well-deserved vacation later.
I’m also the kind of person who prefers scattered breaks throughout the year. I have 20 days? Let me do a week off every three months or so…pair it with some national holidays, and BOOM, constant feeling of refreshment while still maintaining productivity!
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Of course, there are people out there that disagree, but I’m a mature individual who encourages discussion and respects healthy discourse. I just think that if we are touting the notion that “one size does NOT fit all” in most topics this day and age—from working style to body image to sleep—how we vacation is something that should be rethought and not another thing to overlook as a tradition everybody loves.
Ha, I’m that American who shakes her head every time she passes a “chiuso per ferie” sign 🤦🏽♀️
It’s common to see these signs posted up in August…
What do you think about how Italians approach mandated vacation?
Do you prefer flexibility with your vacation or like that there is a designated, uniform period for time off?
