Interview with Susan in Zimbabwe

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Name: Susan Hatch

Date of Interview: January 13, 2007

Area of Italy you will live in?

not sure, prefer Umbria, but we spent the most time there

Let us know a little about yourself?

I am married, and have two children, both aged 8.  My husband is retired from the US government. We are currently living in Zimbabwe, and are on our way back to the US.  We may be stopping in Italy for 3 months in order to explore my dream of living there. We abandoned the plan a year and a half ago when we discovered that our sons both have ADHD, and we felt that they wouldn't do well in an Italian school. I had planned to teach English, or start a school, in Italy.  However, I think I would prefer to make a living writing. We don't think, however, that we have quite enough money to make it in Italy given the higher cost of housing in Central Italy, and due to the depreciating dollar.  We wanted to explore other areas.  We know and love Umbria, and are open to any suggestions on how we might make the move, where we might live, how to educate the children, make a living, and more!

Why have you decided to move to Italy?

I wanted to move to Italy because it felt like a spiritual home to me. I am a former classicist.  I say former because I have probably forgotten most of the Latin and Greek I used to know.

What type of process did you go through to be able to move here?

I went through the process of getting the long-stay visa as my husband is retired.  I was stopped by not having a lease or property nor a letter from a school that would take our children.  I didn't know how to go about doing this, and I didn't know about this site.

If you haven't gotten here yet, what steps are you in the process of ?

We are still trying to determine the financial feasibility as well as the cultural, namely around our children and their ability to adapt to the Italian schools. Also, a friend of mine who travels to Italy several times a year, and has lived in Italy for a year, says that it is very closed, and that we will never fit in.  She says that we will find life to be too difficult as well--unnecessary crises.   Some of this sort talk has given me pause.