Not Your Average Globetrotter

Before starting life as a digital nomad, it is important to consider how you will be able to not just work online but also most importantly how you will be able to connect to the internet in order to work remotely as a digital nomad from an Airbnb.  For those individuals who rely on a solid online connection, it's important to look at all of the options in front of you for whatever country you may be moving abroad to during your life as a digital nomad... and it is even more important to have a backup plan for whatever may happen... Beyond simply connecting to the internet, you also have to consider the space around you and how conducive to your work it will actually be. Is working from a beach something that you're dreaming of? Have you ever tried to work from a beach? The expectation vs the reality may not fully match the dream.  It may be ‘too much fun’ so that you want to just relax or just jump in the water and forget about the tasks you need to get done for the day. A remote working lifestyle may work for some, but is it what will be the best option for you? When just getting starting in the digital nomad lifestyle there are some aspects worth trying out before jumping in headfirst. In this expat/ digital nomad podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, I wanted to reply a comment asking about being a digital nomad in Italy, but I also wanted to speak in general about being a digital nomad across Europe, including my new country of residence and talk about being a digital nomad in Portugal. 

Having a personal tax code while living in another country can be absolutely vital to making sure you can navigate the various steps you will have to take during your move abroad. I've come to realize there are a number of you who watch/listen to Not Your Average Globetrotter who are considering a move to Portugal or a move to Italy. In this expat podcast episode about living abroad in these countries, I wanted to compare and contrast what many may consider to be a boring topic, but can actually be quite important: ‘how to use the codice fiscale and how to use the NIF’.  It will be a little bit of a brief overview of how to get a codice fiscale and how to get a NIF as well as when to use them.  When living in Portugal you may find that the NIF gets asked for more than the codice fiscale that is used I n Italy.  However,  you do see many similarities between the two personal tax identifiers. When moving to Portugal or moving to Italy having you personal tax number will be extremely important for taking care of some of the most major steps in setting up your new life living abroad and to help things go smoothly. As I've mentioned, I think it's very important if you can get your tax code before arriving in your country of choice so that it's possible to arrive and hit the "ground running" so to speak.

Moving to Portugal for me was unplanned, and unexpected, but I can't even start to begin to explain, how glad I am that I did. There are many wonderful things that living in Portugal can present, but is life in Portugal right for everyone? Making sure your expat life in Portugal goes as smoothly as possible, it's important to think about both the big things like visas and so on, but also the smaller simpler daily realities. What may feel like something small at the beginning can feel like something huge down the line and it also goes the other way... Something that may feel like a big deal at the beginning may actually be quite minor in the grand scheme of things. In this expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we'll go over 6 reasons why you may want to rethink your move to Portugal if you're asking yourself "Should I move to Portugal?"

Moving to Portugal for me was unplanned, and unexpected, but I can't even start to begin to explain, how glad I am that I did. There are many wonderful things that living in Portugal can present, but is life in Portugal right for everyone? Making sure your expat life in Portugal goes as smoothly as possible, it's important to think about both the big things like visas and so on, but also the smaller simpler daily realities. What may feel like something small at the beginning can feel like something huge down the line and it also goes the other way... Something that may feel like a big deal at the beginning may actually be quite minor in the grand scheme of things. In this expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we'll go over 6 reasons why you may want to rethink your move to Portugal if you're asking yourself "Should I move to Portugal?"  1:22 - If everything has to go smoothly 4:06 - If you always have to have ketchup on your fries 9:17 - If you think it's going to be like another country 11:01 - If you want to live on the Mediterranean 13:35 - If you're vegetarian 16:37 - If you are really into wintersports

Are these terms actually important at the end of the day? However there is the sad reality that some words have been used in a derogatory manner, terms such as expat, digital nomad, foreigner, immigrant and migrant can bring up an emotional charge for some, however, I personally have the belief that these words can in some cases be used somewhat interchangeably and without the derogatory connotation. An individual can be all of these or none of these, or some or maybe just one. The lines between these terms and definitions when you look at the dictionary definition are very blurred. But what are the differences? What are the similarities? What helps to simplify a conversation? What is an expat? What is a digital nomad? What is a foreigner? What is an immigrant? Do these terms make a difference at the end of the day? In the context of my expat/living abroad podcast series, Not Your Average Globetrotter, I wanted to clarify not only my personal understanding but also my usage of these terms over these 240 episodes of this project so far.

Living in Europe vs America or just simply being an American traveling abroad can lead a person to many interesting cultural experiences and seeing how different where you are from the rest of the world. 13 years ago when I decided to move abroad, little did I know how even some of the smallest little things from day to day could make a major difference in your overall lifestyle. Life in Europe can be so much fun, but cultural differences are important to understand and embrace. I can say, especially after living in Italy, and moving to Portugal it's quite important to take into consideration the specific differences even when you may find cultures that share some similarities. In this expat living abroad podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we'll go over some cultural, behavioral and differences in clothing that may help you to avoid attracting more attention to yourself than necessary.

I left The USA 13 years ago, but did I ever want to go back? Will I go back to the USA? But why would an American want to leave the USA? Having been an expat for the past 13 years I can say that I have learned a lot about myself and the world around me and how I fit into it while living abroad. Of course, the discussion about renouncing American citizenship often comes up. But is leaving the US forever the best decision to make? As an Italian dual citizen who is an expat living in Portugal, I often think about that topic and what repercussions that it may bring. In this expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter about living abroad, I wanted to mark my 13th year since leaving the USA for a new adventure around the world. It just so happens that this episode will be published on April 1st 2022, exactly 13 years since I found myself in another part of the world fully committed to an expat life overseas. Moving abroad was one of the best choices I could have ever made, and it's something I'm grateful that I was able to do.

0:00 - Intro

2:20 - It's probably not what you think

3:22 - Why I haven't been back

4:47 - Did I ever want to go back?

5:06 - Plans to go back to the USA?

5:29 - Do I miss living in The USA?

8:15 - Giving up American Citizenship

12:48 - We've lived in a bubble

18:49 - How Americans are viewed abroad

22:07 - You are a reflection of when you left

Even after living abroad for the past 13 years, I still often challenge my own position and think about if expat life is really right for me. After 13 years, clearly, the answer is... yes it is. However, is it right for everyone? Is moving abroad the best choice for you? Living in another country can become quite an undertaking, but if you can understand what you may come across in your new life abroad, then you may find that the bumps in the road are much easier to glide over. In this expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we'll go over 8 factors to take into consideration if you are thinking about becoming an expat and moving to another country.

2:37 - Are you ready and willing to learn another language?

4:50 - The great escape.

6:43 - Are you up for challenging your own ideas and way of living?

10:04 - Are you allowed to?

14:40 - Expectations vs Reality

16:26 - Sustenance 

19:50 - Supporting yourself...

23:04 - What makes your soul sing?

Yes, I have no problem admitting I do miss living in Italy, it's only natural. Life in Italy was an amazing opportunity to be able to really get a proper feel for the country and to learn about all the details that you would miss if you were only there on a trip. Italy is a country that could take a person a lifetime to truly get to know, and I'm glad that I did have the past 5 years there if only to get a taste of what that lifetime could look like. Since moving to Portugal, I've had the opportunity to reflect on my time there and realize what it was that had really become part of my life and lifestyle, what little things through the day that were influenced by my ancestry as well as my experience in the country that they came from. My life in Italy is something that has left me with many wonderful memories to look back on, good times with great friends, food, travel and experience the day-to-day realities of what things are like after moving to Italy.

After moving to Portugal, I can't help but notice the differences between living in Portugal vs living in Italy. Having spent the last 5 years of my life in Italy, I can't help but compare it to expat life in Portugal. I love both countries but find that there are certain aspects of each country that I may prefer over the other one and in this second episode of this expat podcast mini-series part of Not Your Average Globetrotter, I wanted to continue comparing and contrasting living in Italy vs living in Portugal.  This time talking about everything from shopping in Portugal vs Italy for daily necessities, working and even the weather. This is why I wanted to continue this series highlighting some differences between these two countries that I love.