Evelyn Hill - Colline Alle Montagne

01/05/2024

When you move abroad, don’t just relocate.Move.

So often I’m asked what my biggest tips for moving abroad are.

And to be honest - too many that’s exactly why I have an Instagram, Blog and now Podcast to share them with you. 😅

But one on my mind lately, and apologies for messy wording but essentially: if you are moving abroad, don’t bring your whole life with you, you need to let some things go and start new.

I mean this in so many levels:

🧳Materially: cmon. Your new place is not going to be that big. You do not need to bring EVERYTHING. Especially not great-aunts silverware you haven’t touched in decades nor the clothes you are still just waiting til they fit.

❤️Emotionally: many of us move abroad for a reason. Make sure those reasons aren’t following you. This may be as easy as cutting ties, but more often it means you need to do some work, some healing. Find someone to talk to, pick up a journal and work through what’s holding you.

👍 Culturally/Routinely: Your life in your new home will NOT be the same. People are different from you, habits are different, gyms, coffee, driving, social gatherings, it’s all different. While I do believe in staying true to who you are, try new things in your new home. Accept things are different and try to first run with it.

👯‍♀️Friends: no, I’m NOT saying cut out the old. They will be such a great support. But as your life changes, make some room for new ones as well who understand the world you are living in (that might be other foreigners, locals, whoever!) Messaging and FaceTiming friends back home can be great, but calling a friend to go out for a coffee in person can ease you into the new life.

🌿celebrate your life in Italy, but remember it’s still just your life.

The grass is greener where you water it and that is so so so true when you move.
Unless you change, you move, instead of just relocate, your life is going to be the same. So try something new, and get ready for a whole new life abroad.

23/04/2024

So, I did a thing 🎙️

The Real Life in Italy is bringing you the facts you ACTUALLY need to make like in Italy as a foreigner just a bit easier. We’re cutting through the bu****it 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.

Now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you want to tune in: https://pod.link/1742558292

20/02/2024

‼️ Little Italy Travel Tip for you:
March 2nd is B&B Day and LOADS of Italian Bed & Breakfasts are giving one night free, as long as you book another.

Check it out and take yourself on a little trip:

Il B&B Day giunge alla diciassettesima edizione e si svolgerà il 2 marzo 2024: i bed and breakfast affiliati al portale bed-and-breakfast.it che aderiranno all'iniziativa offriranno la notte del 2 marzo GRATIS a chi ne prenoterà almeno un'altra a pagamento, precedente o successiva, nello stesso B&...

17/01/2024

Decided to have a little flash sale on my Italy city guides: https://www.thatch.co/

If you are looking for a little inspiration for your next trip to Italy you'll find guides on:
-Milan
-Torino
-Genova
-Matera
-The Amalfi Coast
& Napoli!

18/10/2023

Moving to Italy isn’t just a walk in the park - ask any of us living here 😅

Once you think you’ve got one thing sorted - another issue pops up.

You got the visa, but what about the permesso?
You’ve got the permesso but now what about healthcare? Housing? Drivers Licenses? Jobs? Bank Account?

It can be messy, but that’s why I am here. I take your long term goals and specific situation to lay out a solid step by step plan for how to Make Italy Home.

We’ll address all your what-ifs and worries - and set you up to be ready for anything in Italy.

Want to learn more?
Send me a DM or check my services at the link in bio, let’s get you to Italy!

16/09/2023

Ok, maybe easier isn’t the right word - smoother?

You still better be in for a ride when it comes to moving to Italy, but at least these tips can help you feel at ease when making Italy home, and make clearer decisions when it comes to choosing where to move.

(To be honest, I could have stopped at the first slide. Learning Italian before actually moving to Italy will make things a thousand times easier for you - bureaucratically, socially, career wise, everything. )

😊 I’m now offering both 1:1 consultation calls and pick-my-brain email consultations, to help you make Italy home - be it getting started on your journey of moving to Italy or trying to figure out what is next to get settled (and get your permesso sorted!) find out more here: https://collineallemontagne.com/move-to-italy-expat-guide/

28/03/2023

The Dream: Buying a little apartment in Italy to spend half the year and Bnb it out for the rest. We've all thought about it, but if you really are hoping to get your property on Airbnb in Italy, there are some things you should know.

Swipe to learn more!

and .it offer consultations to help your plan your move to Italy and your housing purchase, plus assist you with property management, get in touch to learn more.

21/03/2023

Considering buying a property in Italy? The good news is you are allowed to purchase a home in Italy, however there are some things to consider regarding visas and mortgages.
Swipe to learn more!

and .it offer consultations to help your plan your move to Italy and your housing purchase, get in touch to learn more.

13/12/2022

🫵🏻THE Torino map you’ve all been waiting for ​​​​​​​​
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TURIN APERITIVO CRAWL is now up on .travel 🙌🏻​​​​​​​​
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While it was hard to slim down the options, I mainly focused on Turin/Piedmont’s Vermouth and wine culture. Here is what is included:​​​​​​​​
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📖 my little nerdy facts about wine, vermouth, and the neighbourhoods this tour takes you through ​​​​​​​​
🥂3 main aperitivo stops for wine & cocktail or vermouth ​​​​​​​​
➕2 bonus bars if you want to extend the experience for another Spritz & Vermouth​​​​​​​​
🚗 2 more spots just off the center to learn more about Vermouth​​​​​​​​
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🍝a few restaurants to complete the evening with a full belly. ​​​​​​​​
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Super excited for this guide to finally be ready and pumped for some new and improved guides coming soon!​​​​​​​​
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📲 Get them all at https://shop.thatch.co/​​​​​​​​
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By the way: you should probably grab the ones you love now, come 2023 I will be making major improvements to the city guides & prices will be going up. ​​​​​​​​
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If you have them already saved & purchased you’ll get allllll the updates as they come 😜​​​​​​​​
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What would you like to see next:​​​​​​​​
Genova City Guide? Veneto wine guide? Or More Piedmont?​​​​​​​​
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14/09/2022

🇮🇹 I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about Make Italy Home consultations so I wanted to update you on availability & such!

I am keeping my calendar open until October 8th, then closed til at least December, so grab your slot now!

If you miss it- remember I always have a TON of free resources on the website and there is my Moving to Italy guidebook for details on Visas & Permessi di Soggiorno!

✈️ I am accepting travel clients for next year whenever, just know during those months I’ll be taking it easy.

DM me if your interested in chatting, or check the link in bio to book directly!

16/05/2022

You might have noticed- I am a little behind with Facebook posts.

Truth is, I hate facebook, and never use it, but because of the intertwining apps, I have to keep a business page open 😅

I don't plan on really keeping this page up, SO if you would like to stay updated here's where you can keep in touch and read the latest posts:

💻 www.collineallemontagne.com
📧 Sign up for our NL! (scroll to the bottom of this site👆🏻)
📸 Follow me on IG

Are you looking for an Italian Travel Planner or Expat Guide to help you Uncover Authentic Italy and go beyond la dolce vita? Then you’re in the right place!

21/03/2022

There is a lot that should be said on this day. For one all I can think of is how much I hate that majority of the photos we all share today are all black & white as if mafia-related murders weren't happening even up to this past year. ​​​​​​​​
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Plus the fact the names that are read today, and the photos shared, are mainly people who have died, but it can't even being to account for the many lives that have been ruined due to mafia activity, to the numerous kids who grow up with no hope or future because the crimes of these organizations are so engrained in their idea of what life is. ​​​​​​​​
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If you are living in Italy - I think it is seriously so important to understand how these organizations continue to work, and the impact they really do still have on so much that happens in this country. ​​​​​​​​
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📖To start here are a few books I'd recommend having a read through:​​​​​​​​
The Good Mothers - Alex Perry​​​​​​​​
Gomorra - Roberto Saviano​​​​​​​​
Midnight in Sicily-Peter Robb​​​​​​​​
The Day of the Owl- Leonardo Sciascia​​​​​​​​
Global Mafia by Antonio Nicaso and Lee Lamo​​​​​​​​
Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille​​​​​​​​
Mafia and Antimafia by Umberto Santino​​​​​​​​
Any & Every Photo Collection by Letizia Battaglia​​​​​​​​
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📰For news, it can be hard to keep up, especially in English, but I've found The Guardian does an AMAZING job of reporting in English, and then there is Antimafiaduemila for Italian.​​​​​​​​
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🎞️For things to watch - honestly there are a lot, but so many run the line of way to dramatic, I fear they distance people from the reality of a lot of the situation. But Robinò and Ribelle Siciliana were two of my favorites.

23/02/2022

It’s been a second since we’ve talked about wine so I wanted to share one of new favorites!​​​​​​​​
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Pinot Grigio Ramato, named for its copper tones is like an orange wine for those of us not convinced by this whole Orange wine thing 😅​​​​​​​​
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It gets its color from a little extra time with the skins, and it’s gorgeous. The wine itself is really refreshing, just with a edge of nutty, I find it to be a great alternative to Rosè in summer months. ​​​​​​​​
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Discovered thanks to me friends and clients at ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

18/02/2022

"It's Illegal to work on weekends"​​​​​​​​
If only Italy was like the Savoir team on Emily in Paris - instead you'll find Italy is not exactly like this and even here you'll find companies with 0 boundaries.​​​​​​​​
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Not only work, but anyone. For one people tend to prefer phone calls in Italy - something I HATE. Even in English. I don't want to take the time to have a phone call. Yet, though they call the practice of voicemail isn't a thing, so you are forced to answer the call and figure out what this person wants. This gets bad if you are house searching and give your number out even once.​​​​​​​​
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Then most people working I have seen have very few boundaries - whatsapp, calls, emails, slack, at all hours of the day. The worst I remember was friends in Milan receiving texts at midnight asking for them to have something ready by the next morning.​​​​​​​​
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YET, at the same time, offices close for weeks and people totally ghost you. Literally never any consistency. ​​​​​​​​
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Anyway, highly suggest taking advantage of do not disturb mode and mute ALWAYS.​​​​​​​​
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What's your experience been like?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

11/02/2022

Just some good things to keep in mind 😉​​​​​​​​
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Once you are in Italy you've got 8 days to sign up for your Permesso, and from then on the Permesso is the only thing people will ask about. Find out more about applying for it with my video on YT, or with the Moving to Italy Gudebook, both found at the link in bio!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀​​​​​​​​⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀​​​​​​​​⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

07/02/2022

Budgeting your trips in Italy 💶​​​​​​​​
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While as a solo traveler or student budgeting came easier, traveling with a partner, and growing up wanting a little more comfort that a communal hostel has to offer made budgeting a bit tough.​​​​​​​​
But here are some things I have picked up along the way:​​​​​​​​
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🛎️When choosing a hotel, go with comfort but skip the instagrammable luxuries, you can find a perfectly nice hotel just a tad outside the main center that'll do the job for much cheaper. Also, go directly to their website and book with them, chances are they'll have better offers than you can find on third-party sites.​​​​​​​​
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🚄Take the extra time to compare the cost of train vs plane and commute to the airport. More often than not the Train may be better. Car rental usually offers a good deal only if you have a credit card.​​​​​​​​
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🍝See where you can combine eating and experience through some Airbnb experiences. Otherwise, choose one to two more elegant meals but then go ahead and explore the local street food, markets, and aperitivo 😉 Also splitting dishes to try more local specialities is key. But overall, if you eat truly local and skip the center spots you'll probably get a good deal.​​​​​​​​
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🚶The free walking tour is ALWAYS worth it!​​​​​​​​
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04/02/2022

Grab something warm, and let's talk travel in Italy during February!​​​​​​​​
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Listen, this month is cold and grey one most everywhere, even in sunnier regions to the south you may face some chilly damp evenings. But it also happens to be a low season nationwide.​​​​​​​​
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While Carnevale once was the highlight of Febbraio in Italy, celebrations have mainly been on pause since the Rona. ​​​​​​​​
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So the best thing to do this month? Take yourself, or I guess bring your amore 🤷‍♀️ to a little weekend in the mountains!​​​​​​​​
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For full details on travel in Italy in Feb check the latest blog on collineallemontagne.com/updates . And if you'd like a personal guide to your February Italy trip, drop me a DM!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​_italy _italiansites_italy

03/02/2022

I get so excited to plan clients guides and itineraries around Italy, that then I find myself looking up RyanAir tickets for myself 😅​​​​​​​​
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But seriously so excited at the few Itineraries I'm already cooking up. If you are planning a trip around Italy for the summer send me a Dm for personalized guides and itineraries!​​​​​​​​
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Each includes:​​​​​​​​
📖A little historic and cultural context about your destination​​​​​​​​
🍝Local specialties to try​​​​​​​​
🍷Local wines to look out for ​​​​​​​​
🚌 Info on getting around​​​​​​​​
🗺️and list of tailored recommendations for breakfast, aperitivo, dining, and sites to see!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​_Italy_united_italy_italy

29/01/2022

Want to plan a little getaway to Turin? Grab your free Weekend in Turin map & itinerary: https://share.thatch.co/Xjeh⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This is also a little peek at what my personalized itineraries and city guides have in store:
📖A little historic and cultural context about your destination
🍝Local specialties to try
🍷Local wines to look out for
🚌 Info on getting around
🗺️and list of tailored recommendations for breakfast, aperitivo, dining, and sites to see!⠀⠀

Send me a message if you'd like one for your next trip!

27/01/2022

🥰 Message like these make my whole month. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I hear many people in the same situation - they came to Italy study, and now they never want to go back home! But what can they do?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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That's the same situation I found myself in not only once but actually three times. And with little to 0 money to spare I had to go in deep to research all my options.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I combed site after site of the questura, lawyers, consulates, and prefettura. Went to the Sportello Unico Immigrazione directly and begged them to give me all possible options when one fell through (Seriously BLESS the Torino SUI team, they were amazing). Asked any and every expert I could get in touch with and mapped out my possibilities.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But all that took months of work, hour of crying, moments of literally packing my suitcase and looking up tickets home thinking I was at the end of the line.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I want to save y'all from that panic, and I want you to be able to access it without having to dig into your rainy day fund. That's why I created the Moving to Italy Guide, to give you every thing you need to stay in Italy long term 💪⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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P.S For those of you who are students and need an extra hand, I'm offering you a discount on 1:1 consultations, DM me for info 😉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

26/01/2022

Curious about moving to Italy?
Here are just a few ways you might be able to make it work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-L3qpl4XX8

Now there isn't really an easy way to move to Italy. Each way and visa comes with its own pros and cons. But here are just a few of the most common ways to m...

18/01/2022

New year, new adventures. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Yet again it's a bit messy in Italy, but I have been seeing more visitors coming so I hope you all get a trip in in 2022!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Where in Italy are you planning on visiting this year?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you are planning on a trip to Piedmont, check out my .travel maps at the link in bio for a little inspiration.😉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So far our year is looking pretty quiet but I am hoping we will get back to Sardinia and Trentino.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But also trying save up for trips back to Dubai to see miss , a trip down under to drink more wine with and still working on convincing Fabio to take a trip back to Egypt 🐪 I guess we will see how it all goes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

16/01/2022

One thing I really wish existed here in Italy: Grammarly but for Italian 😖⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Seriously it would save my butt so many times and make work a lot easier. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What about you? Ideas for all the giovani imprenditori 🤩?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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11/01/2022

Was seriously so happy to receive this little message tonight! 🥲💕
Hearing that my book was exactly what I aimed it to be and helping people stay in Italy long term 😍

The Moving to Italy guidebook title is a tad misleading, as it’s actually a super useful resource for those of you here already looking for ways to navigate the bureaucracy and figure out how to stay in Italy 💪🏻

You can grab a copy here: https://collineallemontagne.com/downloads/moving-to-italy-as-a-non-eu-citizen-a-guidebook/

11/01/2022

If you come from US, UK, Australia or Canada, you'll need to start from 0 and get your Italian Drivers License!

What does that look like?
-A bunch of studying
-A theory exam
-driving practice
-your driving test
- then a few years of a "neopatente"

Find out what you need to know about getting your Drivers License in Italy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g72qf63xXaQ

If you prefer to read through: https://collineallemontagne.com/2021/01/13/driving-in-italy-getting-an-italian-drivers-license/