Living in Italy: The Pros and Cons Pt. 1

left to right: Husband & I in Munich, Germany, Cliff Diving location in Italy, Seafood pizza, Venice, Italy

The longer I live in Italy, the more I feel equipped to tell you all the nitty gritty of living here. Mind you, I've only been here for roughly ten months, but I feel like I know enough to give you a few pros and cons. So for those of you ladies who's husbands are trying to get stationed in Italy, if you've already got your orders, or if you're just curious about life here, keep reading! 

Cons:

1. Italy is not at all like what it is in the Lizzie McGuire movie. Bummer, I know.

2. Italians are not exactly the nicest people, but then again, I'm from the South. So my views on courtesy may be different than yours. Southern hospitality is unheard of here. 

3. Getting things done can be quite the pain in the rear. Italians REALLY like their leisure time, so most businesses are closed at random hours during the day (Reposo), and during August, almost all local businesses take a month long vacay. Lucky bastards. They aren't quick to move, either. So patience is key! 

4. While most people know a bit of English, the preferred language is, of course, Italian. This is expected, but the language barrier sucks nonetheless.

5. Getting used to Italian/European customs can be pretty hard. Or really, REALLY hard in cases like mine. 

6. You're not exactly wanted here. Think about it. If Italians were to open a military base in America, the entire country would more than likely go hay wire. 'MERICA! 

7. There's no such thing as mexican food or a good burger. Everything is Italian or made with Italian flair. 

8. No Alfredo sauce. None. Alfredo is an American Italian thing. NOT Italian. 

left to right: Garmisch, Germany, Vicenza, Italy, Jumping Germans at Medieval Times.

 Pros:

1. You live in ITALY! 

2. Gelato. The dessert of the gods. At least in my mind. 

3. You can travel pretty much anywhere in the EU on a long weekend. *Phone call home: "What are you doing this weekend?" "Oh, just going to Paris. No big deal."* 

4. Long weekends. Since we're in a different country, the soldiers (or airmen or sailors) get American AND Italian holidays off. Now, think of all the holidays America has. Now imagine how many holidays a country over 2000 years old has. It's definitely a plus. 

5. Going back to #1, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Think of the stories you'll get to tell! 

6. Experiencing a different culture. This one has been tough for me, but I'm slowly starting to appreciate it. It definitely gives you a new understanding of people. 

7. The scenery. Everything in Italy is ridiculously old. It amazes me that there are 1000 year old churches and buildings here. The oldest building in America is less than 250 years old. How crazy is that?! I'm able to marvel at things daily.

I know that this list wasn't exactly the longest, but I figured it's a good starting point. Maybe after my next ten months my list will have doubled, and hopefully only in the pros! If you have any specific questions, or actual PCS related questions, please feel free to comment! 

Home, Sweet Home

Yesterday, we FINALLY got our stuff! You guys honestly have no Idea how excited I am to start setting everything up. I need to nest! The house is no where near where I want it to be just yet, but that will be fixed soon! I see a few IKEA trips in my near future. I apologize in advance for the picture overload, but I am a tad bit excited about this and I wanted to share all of my cute things with you guys! I hope you enjoy this small glimpse into my house!

The Living Room:

 I have an obsession with Modern Family. It's always on. ALWAYS.

If you don't already know, I am really into photography. Decorating my living room in cameras wasn't exactly planned, however. One day I was browsing through Hobby Lobby (an American craft store for those of you who don't know) and I came across the worlds most amazing fabric, covered in black and white vintage cameras. I bought a few yards and immediately mailed it to my MIL to make some pillows out of. I didn't intend for them to be used on my couches, since my couches are tan, but it just kind of happened. The colors aren't perfect together, but I don't care too much. 

 

Our living room is kind of ginormous. It's supposed to be a living/dining area, I think. In the dining room half, there is a section of windows where I decided to make a little sitting area. The chairs are pretty ugly, but they're just temporary.  The mantel in the picture above is in the center of the dining/living area. I am so excited to decorate this according to the seasons! Also, I have a slight obsession with orchids. I have two in my house right now, but I'm planning on adding more as soon as I can. They're my favorite!

The Bedroom:

I have so many plans for this room as far as decorating goes. I want it to be nice and bright, so it's easier to wake up and start my day each morning. I have an obession with the yellow/grey combo. I think that it's really classy looking, and also isn't too girly. Being married, I couldn't really have a girly, floral and pastel themed room. I added a few girly touches though, with the little bit of floral and bows on the accent pillows. I think that's about as much as I can get away with. Eventually, I would like a couple of chevron chairs and an ottoman to make a small reading area with. I want our bedroom to be as inviting and as comfortable as the living room. 

Hopefully, over the next few months I will be able to really bring our house together to make it a home. Slowly but surely, it'll get there. Once everything is all in its place, I will post pictures of the actual rooms, instead of just my furniture and whatnot. 

I hope you all have an awesome weekend! Tomorrow, the husband and I are going to Venice! I can't wait! 

The Dress

Okay, so I may just be pulling this out of my ass, but I am pretty sure that we have a military ball coming up in the next few months. I'm not sure what the rules are for it, like if you have to have been deployed etc., but if we do have to go to it, this will be my dress!!! If I can't have this dress, I won't go. It's just PERFECT!

To military balls, you're typically supposed to wear floor length, formal gowns. It's like the Oscars or Golden Globes for military wives. Or, like prom. Maybe I shouldn't go as far as celebrity award shows. But anywho, since I live in Italy and the ball would be here, I figure why not wear something super Italian and eccentric?

This dress is from H&M Italia. I am not sure of what "brand" it's under, because I can't get the page to translate, but I know that it's not the standard H&M brand, as this dress is 99euro. But nonetheless, this dress is gorgeous and just so me! Let's hope that if we are able to go to the ball, my husband will actually want to go. 

I JUST WANT THIS DRESS!

XOXO, 

Megan

Verona, Italy.

 
   Yesterday, the husband and I decided that it was a good time to finally venture out of Vicenza. I'm pretty sure yesterday was the last day we will see the sun for the next few weeks. I say this, because it seriously never stops raining here. What is wrong with you, Italy?! I don't think Italy has gotten the memo that it's supposed to be gorgeous all the time. At least in my mind...

   The first city that we decided to travel to was Verona. This city is south west of Vicenza where we currently live. If you're wondering, Vicenza is directly between Verona and Venice. Just in case you were wondering.  We didn't really venture out too much. We just hopped on the train for a few hours of exploring and to eat some lunch.   

   When we got to Verona, we jumped in a cab to take us from the train station to the Piazza Bar.(downtown, center city area) Here, they had a nice outdoor market set up with fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, and plants. It is also where the main cafes, museums, and even the coliseum are located. We decided to first get some coffee and pizza, then we got a proper meal after walking about the city. The meal ended with wine and coffee, of course. 
       The trip was short winded, but it was nice to get out of Vicenza for a few hours, at least. I definitely look forward to spending much more time in Verona as soon as I possibly can. I see many day trips to Verona planned in our future! And to the rest of this beautiful country as well! 

XOXO, 
Megan

Our Italian Villa: A Sneak Peek

Why, hello there!

    As promised, here are the pictures of our new home in Italy. It's not ours quite yet, but we have started the leasing process and it will be ours in about two weeks. This house is HUGE, has a pretty "Americanized"  kitchen, AMAZING views, a huge yard, and best of all, a room that is nothing but closet storage! You can probably guess which part is my favorite. ;)
***I apologize for the horrible quality of these photos. All I had on my that day was my iPhone and I shot these all really quickly.***

 
  The first picture is the view from one of our living room windows. We can see the entire city of Vicenza from our living room! The second photo is only about two thirds of our gigantic living room. I'm obsessed with the beams and the fire place! You can't see it in this photo, but one wall is nothing but a huge built-in entertainment center.  
    Excuse my husband's booty, but this is our kitchen! Yes, it's a bit outdated, by American standards, but by Italian standards, this is an amazing kitchen. My favorite part is all of the counter space. Also, the room my husband is peeking in is a huge storage closet. The house has two or three of these huge closets and I love them.      

  The first picture is my bathroom. It's all pink and grey tile. Don't you just love that window above the tub?! My husbands bathroom isn't pictured, but it's all yellow and grey tile. It's the same set up pretty much, it just may be a tab bigger. The next picture is my closet room! You can only see one wall, but there is another one of those cabinets across from that one, and there is a large armoire with mirrors to the side of the photo that isn't pictured. The last photo is of part of our master bedroom. The door leads to our balcony, and here is the view of Vicenza from it:


 
   These last few photos are of our yard, and it is probably my favorite part of the house, which I'm incredibly head over heels in love with. The yard is SO huge and has so many different trees and shrubs. There are concrete steps all throughout it because the yard is multiple levels, which is really cool. You can't tell from my horrible photos, but we have not one, but TWO massive patios. I cannot wait to start planting some flowers and hosting bar-be-ques this summer! I never thought that I would be THAT wife, but this house makes me want to be! Is that crazy? Whatever.

 

   Sorry for the picture overload tonight, I just couldn't help myself. Once we are actually in the house and not rushing through to see it, I will be posting better photos. I'm thinking a room-by-room series will be necessary once we get all of our stuff and I've decorated everything the way that I have planned. I seriously can't wait to decorate this amazing house!


 XOXO,

 Megan

Italy: Day One

Hey guys!

     We are finally in Italy. We arrived last night after a very, very long day. The jet lag was horrible last night, but after a full night of sleep, I'd say the husband and I are used to the time already. We had some hiccups at the Paris airport, and found out that one of my bags (my most important bag) was sent to Amsterdam. It was just a rough day. :(
      Today while hubs was in processing, I went out with a new friend and went to lunch and ventured into Downtown Vicenza. I am seriously so in love with everything. I'm already dreading moving back to the states and that's not even for another three years. I just love it here so much.

       So far, we've gotten cell phones, gotten a little familiar with the post, and hubs has done some in processing. Not too much happened today, but I'll certainly keep you updated. As soon as I get my bag from Venice, I will be posting more "beauty" related topics, rather than just updating you all on my personal life. :) That is a huge reason why I am so sad/angry about my bag not coming in. I have nothing to blog about other than my day to day and Army life. Soon though, I'll be able to post about what I had intended. XOXO, Megan

Army Wife 101: PCS-ing Overseas Part I

Hello all!

     I hope your weekend went by much slower than mine. I also hope that it was much less stressful than mine. As you all know, we are PCS-ing to Italy in TWO days. That's right, two short days. This weekend has flown by, and tomorrow is official move out day. My first experience with the Army's movers was pretty okay, let's hope they do as well of a job tomorrow as they did Thursday. (Please, Jesus, don't let them mess up my soo gorgeous, ridiculously overly priced couches!)
    The first thing I thought I would talk about with PCS-ing overseas is "What to Pack on Your Flight" I thought this was appropriate, since this is pretty much the only step we've taken so far. In case you were wondering, Delta (who the Army is contracted with) allows PCS-ing soldiers and their family members to EACH carry up to FOUR checked bags, up to SEVENTY pounds a piece. I know, you're thinking that is a TON. But, when PCS-ing overseas, you have to bring enough to last you 30-60 days. Your unaccompanied baggage (stuff you CANNOT live without) gets shipped from the United States to wherever overseas (in our case Italy) in approximately 30-45 days. It CAN take longer, but typically the longest you will wait is a month and a half. Now, furniture and other household goods can take up to 90 days. These items are just my suggestions and what I think would be most helpful for anyone moving overseas. I'm sure once having actually done this, my packing list might change, but for a first timer giving advice to a first timer, these are the bags/items I would recommend.
     I have a total of three checked bags, and a carry on and over sized tote to bring on the plane. In my largest duffle bag (made by my incredible mother-in-law, NOT Vera Bradley), I have one medium sized space saver bag with...a lot of clothes. Surrounding that space saver bag is more clothes. I have enough to last me for two months. Since we are going in Winter/Spring, I had to bring winter and spring clothes. I have a good variety in this bag. I would highly suggest using the space saver bags. They allowed me to pack twice as much, and my husband was able to fit six pairs of ACU's in one bag, saving him tons of space.
 
  In my second duffle, I have pots, pans, plates, bowls, and utensils. This is a MUST from what I have been told. I made this bag a priority to pack.These items are good to have in the hotel room with you, so you don't have to eat out every single meal, and also for when you move into your house. It would be pointless to buy brand new things from the PX just to have your things come a month later. In this bag I also have most of my shoes, belts, scarves, etc. I also have a few plastic bags full of shampoo, soaps, toothpaste, etc. I bought enough to last us a good two to three months. This bag will be a must for any of you PCS-ing overseas.
   
     My third duffle is probably my most important, to me at least. It is filled with all of my jewelry, three traveling cases full of make-up, a purse, my favorite teddy bear (corny, I know), and my most favorite black wool cape from www.thelimited.com. (it's in its bag, so you can't see it in this photo.) I really wish that I could bring this bag as my carry on, but I'm too scared that TSA would throw away all of my pretty make-up. Now, this bag is NOT essential to everyone, I know. It's just essential to me.
 
    My fourth bag is a small, carry on sized suitcase. I have about four changes of clothes in there, two pairs of flats, a pair of boots, and a purse. I would pack everything that you want to wear for the next few days in this bag, just because it will be easier to get in and out of than your big bag/suitcase full of clothes. This suitcase will also house my laptop while on the plane.
 
    My last bag is actually my most important. This bag carries both of my cameras, phone chargers, headphones, and all of our important documents, including copies of our orders and my passport/visa. I also have a hat and scarf in the bag, just in case it gets cold. This bag is something I would say that is a definite must have for the PCS-ing Army wife.
 
    I hope this post was helpful to any of you who may be PCS-ing overseas soon, or anywhere for that matter. Tomorrow is our last full day in the US and it will be a very long, long, long day. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to it. Can I just wake up and be in Vicenza already?! Womp womp. If only. This will probably be the last time I post for the next few days. I promise to update you all as soon as I possibly can when we settle down in Italy. The husband and I are heading to Venice on Saturday, so I should have some pretty pictures for you all! :)

XOXO,

A very, very sleepy Megan

A New Start

Hi everyone!

    This is a new project that I'm working on. I thought I would tell you all a little bit about myself, for those of you who don't already know me. My name is Megan. I once was a blogger, (www.theposhpearl.blogspot.com), many moons ago. (If you can even call ten months "many moons.") I've changed so much over the past ten months that that blog is no longer even relative to my life. Well, not really. It's not what I want in a blog anymore, so I just decided to start completely fresh. And can I say that I really don't understand any of this Google+ crap. Anyways.
     In September of 2012, I got married to my AMAZING hubby, Stephen. We moved up to Fort Bragg, North Carolina from Louisiana in October, once he graduated OSUT from Fort Benning. We moved here because he had some training to do for a few months and I really didn't want to spend six months alone in LA without my new hubby! We just got orders around February 1st for, wait for it......ITALY! We are actually moving to Italy on the 27th...of THIS month. So a week from today I will be living in Italia, Y'ALL!
     The reason that I am starting up this blog is actually because I will need something to occupy my time while we are living in Europe. Because of the way the whole visa thing works, I cannot work on the Italian economy, since I'm there with a military visa. It is VERY hard for military wives to find jobs in Vicenza at Caserma Ederle because not much is available. It's kind of a dog-eat-dog world over there for us military wives as far as the whole job search goes. Or so I've heard. Hopefully this blog will keep me busy for the time that we are there (three years! eek!) and hopefully when we move back to the states as well!
     The purpose of this blog is all in the name. Army Wife. Style. Life. I'll be posting about life as an Army wife, and hopefully I'll be able to give advice to those of you who may be new comers to Fort Bragg, Fort Polk (I'm from LA, haven't been stationed there) or maybe even Caserma Ederle in Italy. I will also be posting about my personal style, which I can see being a little outrageous since I'm moving to what is essentially the most stylish region of the world. (Venice, Rome, Milan, hours from Paris, etc.) Another big chunk of my blog will be made up of make-up reviews, tutorials, hauls, etc. I'm a HUGE make-up junkie. You'll come to see that soon.
      With our big move coming up next Tuesday I am not totally sure how often I will be posting over the next few weeks. With the whole Italian internet switch, living in a hotel, etc., it may be hard, but I PROMISE come mid-March I will be posting on a regular basis.
      I look forward to sharing my life with all of you! Please stop back by over the next few days/weeks to see what all I have in store for you guys!


XOXO,

Megan