If you’re considering throwing caution to the wind, packing up your belongings and experimenting with life overseas, then a new book may just provide you with the inspiration you need to take a chance and make a living for yourself in a new environment.
“The Venice Experiment,” written by American expatriate Barry Frangipane, provides a portrait of one couple’s decision to leave their native home of Tampa Bay in Florida and sample a life in Venice. Motivated by “Under the Tuscan Sun,” a book about an American who seized an opportunity to live in Italy, Barry set out to prove that an ordinary couple with a limited budget could achieve what those with more money had done in the past: “Anyone could move to a foreign country with a ton of money. We wanted to see if a typical middle-class couple could do it, with a job,” he said.
And that’s exactly what they did. Telecommuting to his software job in the United States, Barry established a life in Venice that was comfortable, exciting and enlightening; and his book is full of interesting, and often amusing, stories about his experiences overseas.
Now back in the United States, Barry offers several tips for people who want to experience life as an expatriate:
- Consider telecommuting. Now, more than ever before, it is possible for individuals to live in one location while serving people who are based elsewhere. The capabilities of the Internet and videoconferencing entail that people can work as effectively from a location on the other side of the world as they would if they were just down the road. “I was gone for 13 months, and most of my clients never even knew I had left,” Barry explains.
- Be prepared to accept different living conditions. Barry advises would-be expatriates to accept the fact that the accommodation available in many countries will be very different to what the typical American citizen would be accustomed to: “American housing, like just about everything else in America, is big compared to the rest of the civilized world. Besides, you’ll wind up spending your non-work time seeing sights and exploring.”
- Choose somewhere with good transport links. Barry advises that you choose your location carefully and target somewhere where cars are not a necessity. Having access to affordable public transport will make your life much simpler.
- Cook at home. Attempting to find the foods that you love from home can be difficult and, when you do locate suitable restaurants they are often expensive. Barry advises that you cook at home on a frequent basis. If you do want to dine out, consider trying the local restaurants that are frequented by the locals.
If you’re looking for further information about telecommuting or are interested in purchasing Barry’s book, visit his website: http://www.veniceexperiment.com/
