The real life in italy podcast

Doing our best to understand life in Italy as a foreigner, through culture, bureaucracy, and beyond

We're bringing you what you need to make life in Italy as a foreigner just a bit easier. Cutting through the bullshit of “La Dolce Vita” to share with you what you really need to know while living in Italy. From tidbits of Italian culture to navigating the nightmarish bureaucracy, and even some language tips, you’ll find it all here.

Here’s some topics we’ll be covering:

  • Who the fuck was this Garibaldi guy? And this Aldo Moro? Why does every town have a Via XX Settembre?!
  • How do I get my Permesso di Soggiorno and more importantly, dear God how do I survive the Questura?
  • What DOES mi raccomando mean?
  • What Birth Control is in Italy? Can I get IVF on Healthcare? What are my options when pregnant in Italy? (Yes, we’ll get serious.)
  • What IS the difference between Carabinieri and Polizia?!
  • No really, can I get an iced coffee in Italy?

Living in Italy as a foreigner is filled with challenges and moments where we all want to cry, rip out our hair, throw the towel in, and say basta, I’m going home. You’re not alone. But frankly, I’m a strong believer in the fact that the more we understand why things are the way they are, we can learn to accept them. The more we are able to confidently understand our life abroad, the easier, and more enjoyable it gets.

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Episodes

RSS Episode List

  • What Dating in Italy Looks Like
    In this episode of The Real Life in Italy, we’re taking a quick look at dating in Italy. And while I (that’s Evelyn, your host) have been out of the dating scene awhile, my good friend Sylvia is coming on to share experiences and thoughts, and tell me what all the kids are up to […]
  • Navigating Italy's Healthcare System as a Foreigner
    In this episode of 'Real Life in Italy,' we’re taking a better look at Italy's healthcare system—an essential topic for expats in Italy. The episode explores the details of Italy's public healthcare system, and the Tessera Sanitaria: what’s included, how you can access it as a foreigner in Italy, and what’s it good for. The […]
  • Navigating the Italian Driver's License as an Expat
    In this episode of The Real Life in Italy we’re exploring the process of getting an Italian driver's license as a foreigner. We’ll cover an in-depth guide on when and why expats in Italy might need to get this license and how to get it done, with essential tips to prepare for the theory and […]
  • Understanding Cosa Nostra - The Italian Mafia Series
    In this episode of 'The Real Life in Italy,' we're following up our Understanding the Italian Mafia episode to specifically focus on Cosa Nostra.   Now, there's a LOT. This podcast episode is just giving you a basic understanding to put into context of your life as an expat in Italy. We'll cover a bit […]
  • The Expat Files: Damien O’Farrell on Navigating Life and Work in Italy
    In our first episode of the monthly series “The Expat Files” here on The Real Life in Italy, Evelyn interviews Damien O'Farrell, an expert on global mobility who has lived in Italy for over 36 years. Damien shares his journey from moving to Italy to assist a friend, to running a teaching business, and eventually […]
  • Maternity Leave in Italy (and parental Leave options!)
    In this episode of 'The Real Life in Italy,' I’m taking you for another technical, bureaucratic journey to understand maternity leave in Italy, but not only. I’ll also cover paternity leave, and the options for parental leave in Italy. Italy has both “obligatory” leave for parents, and optional extended maternity and paternity that can still […]
  • Being a Mom in Italy: Challenges and Joys
    In this episode of The Real Life in Italy, host Evelyn Hill chats with Jasmine Mah of QuestaDolceVita , explore the experience of being a mom in Italy as a foreigner. We look at the things we love, and the things we are not crazy about being a mom here in Italy. We talk about […]
  • Italy's Regional Differences: Misconceptions and Realities of North and South Italy
    This week the Real Life in Italy explores the misconceptions and realities of Northern Italy vs Southern Italy. Your host, Evelyn is an american in Italy, located in Piedmont, Northern Italy, and this week I’m joined by Claire, a British expat living in Sicily. We each chose to share 5 stereotypes we hear about North […]
  • Navigating Freelance Life in Italy: Insights from Evelyn & Claudia (Part 2)
    This week on The Real Life in Italy we are back again talking about freelancing in Italy, featuring a discussion with your host Evelyn, and Claudia. We’re sharing our journeys with the partita IVA in Italy, covering key topics like managing taxes, finding clients, and the choice between online platforms and traditional accounting. While our […]
  • The Italian Partita IVA: What to know for being self-employed in Italy (Part 1)
    Ready for another, more practical, episode of The Real Life in Italy? We’re talking about the Partita IVA, what it is, when you need it, and how it all works. If you as a foreigner living in Italy, ever had hopes of opening a small business or going freelance in Italy, then you’ll need to […]