What I Love About Being Stationed in Italy

It’s officially our three-month mark here in Italy, Here are the five things I love about being stationed in Italy!

If this is the first time you have stumbled upon my blog, Hi! I am Kim and my husband and I are stationed in Italy. We live in the beautiful town of Vicenza in Northern Italy. Can you believe the Army sent us here? When I found out we were coming to Italy, I was in SHOCK. When it comes to orders with the Military you can never be too sure if something will stick up at Human Resource Command. To my shock and disbelief, It stuck and we are at our three-month mark!

The Food

I never thought I would ever have this much access to Italian food. While stationed in Korea, we didn’t get to eat much of it as there were only a few places to grab an Italian-inspired meal. Now that we are stationed in Italy, we have access to all the food. Here in Italy, food could not be more different. Everyone always assumes it’s all Pasta. However, it goes beyond pasta!

It’s the culture of food. I love the idea that you sit around and converse over a meal. It’s also knowing that every region has something different. The region of Veneto has several different specialties like Fagioli di Lamon, Asiago, Raddichio Rosso di Treviso, Sopressa Di Vincentina, Vialone Nano Veronese Rice, Moeche, White asparagus from Bassano. It’s diverse and delicious. I always feel like I find something new about Italy. There always seems to be a story about the dish I am eating. How amazing is that?

Cafes and Drinks

Another perk of being stationed in Italy? Cafes. Look, Korea has many trendy cafes but in Italy, it’s serious business. You will find some of the most delicious drinks and pastries. The fact that I can go to a cafe in Piazza Dei Signora and grab a Cappucino or even a spritz and bask in the sun. This is something that has shown me that “YES, I can slow down and enjoy this beautiful moment.” So being stationed here in Italy has afforded me this point of view and I love it so much.

On the subject of drinks, I came here not realizing just how good an Aperol Spritz can be. You just order one here like it’s nothing, you don’t have to have a special occasion. It’s normal and it’s such a cool faucet of this beautiful place. I learned while touring Venice that the Aperol has several different variations and there is a unique history behind it. The Germans didn’t quite like the wine here as it was too “Strong”, in came the spritz. Then there is Cynar, an herbal concoction made out of Artichoke hearts. Insane, huh?

The Landscapes

One minute you’re in a grassy plain and the next you’re staring at the peaks of the Dolomites. I love the fact that we are so close to a lot of outdoor destinations here in Italy. I can get in my car and be in the Dolomites in 2 hours. We live close to a lot of WWI sites as well. like the Road of 52 Tunnels. So access to history and learning about it is unparalleled.

We are close to several other countries like Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Switzerland, and France. These countries all have hiking destinations that have been on my radar for years. I can be in Austria in 2.5 hours which is amazing. My Google Maps pin collection is growing daily with places I can get out and explore. Access to beautiful outdoorsy destinations is incredibly important to me and I know others feel the same way!

One thing I dislike is the AQI or Air Quality in our region. Northern Italy seems to get swamped with bad air which is not fun. However, when I compare it to Korea, I don’t think it is as bad!

The People

Italians are beyond fun and love to socialize and when you are trying to learn about Italian culture, they will no doubt engage with you and talk to you about their country. It’s truly fabulous. Knowing a little bit of Italian goes a long way and when you tell them you don’t speak great Italian, they try to find a way to communicate with you. It’s pretty amazing. I can’t speak highly enough of Italians.

Another big winner for me is the fact that they love dogs. We came here and everyone seems to love our two medium-sized dogs who are finally able to relax a bit more. There are wide open spaces for dogs, we have a much bigger yard and we are surrounded by neighbors who say “Ciao” to our dogs before they say it to us. Which I love. When we flew into Rome the customs agent was incredibly gentle and kind to our dogs knowing that they just came off a 12-hour flight. I adored that and knew this would be a great place for our dogs.

Caserma Ederle has many Italians who work on the base. Caserma Ederle is an Italian-run base with US elements and services on it. While being stationed in Italy you will more than likely need to use ACS or Army Community Services. Army Community Services at Caserma Ederle do such a great job with relocation services and they offer a whole host of classes that are geared towards getting you integrated into the community. The access they give us is unlike other places I’ve been stationed at.

Being Back in Europe!

Being back in Europe is a dream! If you are ever offered the opportunity to be stationed abroad, take it and run! We lived in Poland for three years and had such a blast living there. It was such a great opportunity to take in culture and now that we are back it’s so nice to experience and appreciate all of this again.

I think being stationed abroad is tough at first because you don’t know what to expect but once you settle in you learn so much about cultures and yourself. I have had the chance to reconnect with friends and family here. It’s been so nice. Europe is safe and when we head back to the States it will be incredibly hard. I see so many ways the U.S. can be different and how we can change systems to benefit the greater good. I think that is the most heartbreaking part of all this, you learn so much and see how instituting policies to assist and create better lives for U.S. Citizens. One day, right?

If you have any questions about being stationed in Italy, please feel free to contact me! If you are lost on where to start with the process of PCSing I advise you to check out this PCS guide that USAG Italy has put out: PCS Guide for Vicenza.