WHAT it’s REALLY like to DATE an ITALIAN | From a BRIT

[@frankpanetta1596]

Yes, I believe it's very important not to loose one's identity.Thanks for sharing.

[@MsBritaly]

Absolutely!

[@seaninoinglese4372]

Totally agree with attitudes towards friends and family between the two countries.

[@MsBritaly]

Totally - it’s a very different way of thinking!

[@mimmiblu6138]

I nearly married an Englishman and the only problem we had was that we had a completely different idea of how close-knit families should be. For him not hearing from each other for an entire week for absolutely normal, for me total agony. He was very surprised when I left him for exactly this cultural difference. I find that Italians (and I am from Milan and a very indipendent woman who moved abroad on her own aged 19) are normally very much into almost constant communication with their loved ones, be it family or friends. Sometimes we do not want to "control" the other person, we must just check on them that they're doing fine. It is the one Italian cultural trait (I think this is truely Italian from Valdaosta to Sicily) I could not do without: when we're fond of somebody we have to be very frequently in touch with them.

[@MsBritaly]

Oh yesss this is so different to the UK as you’ve experienced! There is something very beautiful about the closeness of families here I have to be honest!

[@Babett_B]

This is so interesting! That's the reason why I left my Italian boyfriend. His family moved from the south to the city where we lived. I coped with it for about two years, then I gave up. It was suffocating, even though I have to say his parents were super lovely and tried not to contact us too often. Still, after having realised how much I've lost of myself in 6 years, I had to make the tough decision of leaving and getting the reins of my life back into my own hands. Now I live in Australia. As a European, I feel more at home and at ease here than I ever did in Italy. Strange.

[@mimmiblu6138]

@@Babett_B where are you from? If you're British you share your Anglosaxon heritage with the Aussies... My experience was slightly different: my family was highly dysfunctional and we as a couple hardly had any contacts with them, but my ex boyfriend wrongly assumed that I would want to have the same kind of family, which had basically renounced me and put me in a convent school aged 6 for a year. That was not the kind of family I wanted to have: we used to spend all our time outside work together when we saw each other, but then it was normal for him to contact me once a week when we were apart, being in a long distance relationship(I lived in Germany at the time). That was not enough for me but I was gobsmacked at his reaction when I left him.... he simply did not grasp what the problem was. This is obviously as much an individual difference as a cultural one. I felt great when I lived in London though, it was like home for me. But I ended up marrying somebody from the same city as me, with similar expectations as regards family life: not too close and suffocating, not too distant. Seeing our families once a week is more than enough, but that would probably be a bit too much for you... but obviously I am assuming here. In my experience Southern Europeans have a similar attitude towards family life, which is quite different from people in Northern Europe. But even between Italians there are quite some differences: I often hear comments about families in North Italy not being close-knit enough... obviously there are infinite personal variations in this matter. BTW, thank you for your reply, it was very interesting for me too.

[@janetlombardi2314]

Useful information. I hope it works.out well for you. Thank you for sharing

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you!

[@stefanogabrielli7130]

Nice video. Your point of view is always interesting 👍

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you so much!

[@kallekalleidos8215]

ciao:) penso che il tuo sia il modo giusto di vivere le diversità. senza annullare la propria identità le tue radici ma arricchendole nel confronto con altre, questo poter vedere da un altra prospettiva le cose è così semplice e intelligente che è un peccato per chi non sa affrontare la paura che è spesso il freno che inibisce le persone non vivere momenti come quelli che racconti. complimenti per questo video e se vuoi per il coraggio nel condividerlo :) come italiano mi viene un aggettivo semplice ma completo. brava :) buona vita ciao :)

[@MsBritaly]

Grazie mille!

[@bethb5915]

I've read that it's also not *as* common for Italians to move away from their home towns, so they're more apt to stay connected to friends from their childhood. In the US, it's common for someone to move to the other side of the country (4500 km!) for university or a job (and we move house more often in general) so it's harder to keep close friendships over the years and moves.

[@MsBritaly]

This is true - a lot of Italians have friendship circles from when they were at school. It’s so different coming here from the UK where similar to America - we travel and move away

[@basictoglamchictravels]

I totally agree with you on the food, friends and family culture here in Italy. In Kenya, it's very easy to make friends daily and you maintain such friendships unlike here, wow, getting in those circles is close to impossible. Its' also funny, people in Italy don't move so much, if at all they do. In Kenya, we relocate to different parts within the country for Uni, work, marriage etc. Also, I, like you, on moving to Italy, I kinda forgot myself a bit to ''fit'' in here only to realize that I was just losing myself and getting frustrated. Now I embrace myself, my culture while here in Italy. I'm happier now. On the jealousy matter, OHH MIO DIO! It's extreme! 😂😂, I being very independent and free spirited and my Italian husband being all 'jealous and 'questioning' and overly protective.... yeah, it's nerve-racking but important is that we know each other's personalities and having lived in Kenya with me he understands why ''I'm this way, LOL'' and that we are obviously from 2 extreme ends, so we are good. All in all, it's beautiful in Italy, save for the winter periods when the days are dark and cold.... 2 years down and I still haven't gotten around to liking winter.

[@MsBritaly]

I love this! Well for me winters here are better than winters in the UK! The weather and climate is so much better in general for me!

[@maxdic1171]

Dal tuo racconto sembra che il tuo ragazzo sia un troglodita... forse è il buon selvaggio descritto da Rousseau 😁 Comunque da quanto ho capito tu vieni da Londra, direi che è una città abbastanza cosmopolita 😁 magari se tu fossi venuta da qualche paesello sperduto della Scozia avresti trovato meno differenze

[@carlolarena3469]

il positivo e negativo ,esistono ,e convivono ovunque nell' universo

[@Moconnor834]

Bit of a sideline, but do you know of any experiences for the LGBT+ community in Italy and dating? Is there acceptance in the south of Italy and/or a natural way to meet other people in the LGBT community? Not sure you’ll know but thought I’d ask! ☺️

[@MsBritaly]

I know a little through friends - I would say there is more possibility in the larger towns, as opposed to smaller ones, where unfortunately some people can be quite closed minded. Apps are used frequently to meet people and there are events that can be found on Facebook

[@romanobenini3331]

Sorry, but If you live in Italy why your boy-friend must to speak your language? You live in Italy and you dont speak italian ? I believe that is really weird. If you live in Italy you should speak italian, this is obvious. Really strange this “ problem” ….

[@MsBritaly]

I never expected my boyfriend to speak English - in fact I’m learning Italian but I never arrived speaking Italian and so it’s normal that there would be a period of difficulty with the language - that was my point. Everyone learns languages in their own time - nothing weird about that. Thanks for your view though!

[@romanobenini3331]

@@MsBritaly ok i understood , this was a love at first sight, but not at first speech. Really Italian style , i appreciate 😉

[@MsBritaly]

Totally Italian grazie!

[@romanobenini3331]

@@MsBritaly prego cara

[@rudespo8701]

@@MsBritaly doesn't matter ,probably it's easier for him to learnEnglish and then you italiangradually because it's more difficult.

[@lucavuola3538]

spoiler: not that brilliant......😂🤨😥

[@MsBritaly]

Ahaha - it’s an experience!