Ok everyone, I have bit my tongue for a year now and have to get this off my chest. I have spent hours on the forum reading all the posts and all the comments and I have to say my piece. There are more complaints and negatives on here than anything else. I have learned a lot about myself, my fellow American's, the Italians, and the rest of the world. I am appalled and embarrassed by all of it. I have lived in 8 different states in the US, including our Nation's Capital. I have seen the North, South, East, and West states. So many of the people on here want to compare their state side lives to the Italian lives. There is no way to compare. There has been such extreme differences for me living in Louisiana compared to living in Wisconsin. It is so different. What can be done about it? Adapt.

We chose to move and live in Italy. We were not made. It has not been what we expected, but we adapted. It is hard to explain living in Naples compared to the rest of Italy. Ask anyone. There is a big difference in Italy and Neopolitans. The culture here is about 30 years behind. What can be done about it? Nothing. You are an outsider living in a foreign country. How many American's go around complaining that outsiders come to America and do not speak English??? TONS! We expect everyone else to make changes for us but we are not willing to do the same?

You have been given such an extreme opportunity here. You have been given 2 or 3 or even 4 years to live in Europe. Think about that. Yes, Naples has such rich history if you try and look past the trash. Archeological sites at every turn. Locations that you have read about in your History classes growing up. (i.e. Pompeii) You are driving distances from Cities that are older than the Country we grew up in. Only hours away from Rome, Leaning Tower of Piza, etc. It is so much cheaper to fly to surrounding countrys. Germany, France, England, etc. Try moving back to the states and wanting to go to Paris and see how expensive it is.

There is so much to experience here. Culture, food, land, etc. Yes, there are negatives. Some you can ignore, some you can not. If  you let all the negatives get you down, you will be the one to lose.

Talking back and forth about living on base verse living off base is pointless. People are going to do what they want to do. Read the past posts, houses out in town being robbed? Isn't there a situation where things are being stolen on base right now as we speak? Hello Kettle?  Aren't there only American's living on the base? If the Italian's are the ones doing the stealing off base, who is doing the stealing on base? There is a big difference in what is being stolen and the whole situation itself but the point is, you are not 100% safe no matter where you live.

I do not want to fight with anyone. I do not want to offend anyone, I just want to make my points. Everyone will do what they want to do and say what they want to say. Take everything with a grain of salt. No one's opinion is golden. Take advice you want and let the negatives you don't to hear in one ear and out the other. Educate yourself. Read up. Spend your time online looking up locations to visit and places to take your kids. Experience as much as your can. Just be willing to try and take a chance.

Thanks for letting me share.

For some people being stationed in Italy was the lesser of 2 evils and for most the only knowledge they had was what they saw on TV and what they yahoo or google (neither gives an accurate description of what's in store).  As far as sponsors telling the truth well we all see the fake smiles on peoples faces everyday.  Once people arrive here and realize this is not a place that they can happily spend 3 years in it is not as easy as people would make it seem to get out of here ( I have requested to be ERD).  I have even offered to move myself and my belongs on my own dime and was told my sponsor would not receive the BAQ they would need to live out in town, nor would they receive the gas and utility allowance.  My sponsors base pay and no ones that I know would be able to convert to the Euro that would be asked of them (Italians know your rank and they charge rent accordingly).  No not everyone who lives on the support site is an American there are other nations who live on the support site.  Not only the local nationals who are employed here and who are sponsored on have access to the support site other nations have accesses as well, access is all that is needed to steal (not saying they are the ones doing it).  As far as traveling goes it is evident that you have never traveled on your on from the US abroad, you can find the same airfare and lodging from the US as you do from Naples (do the dollar euro conversion it is not that much cheaper) but traveling from the US one can expect a higher quality of service, of course travel within Italy is cheaper (you can pretty much drive).  As far as visiting ruins and such it is very educational and nice if you are a history buff.  It boils down to this simple fact Americans put millions of dollars into this economy every month (not year) we are "Paying the Cost to be the Boss" so the strikes, poor customer service, lack of service and flat out disrespect should not exist.  As far as adapting I myself hope that I never get to the point in life that I feel being surrounded by garbage, thieves and racist  is just a way of  life.

Carly wrote: Ok everyone, I have bit my tongue for a year now and have to get this off my chest. I have spent hours on the forum reading all the posts and all the comments and I have to say my piece. There are more complaints and negatives on here than anything else. I have learned a lot about myself, my fellow American's, the Italians, and the rest of the world. I am appalled and embarrassed by all of it. I have lived in 8 different states in the US, including our Nation's Capital. I have seen the North, South, East, and West states. So many of the people on here want to compare their state side lives to the Italian lives. There is no way to compare. There has been such extreme differences for me living in Louisiana compared to living in Wisconsin. It is so different. What can be done about it? Adapt. We chose to move and live in Italy. We were not made. It has not been what we expected, but we adapted. It is hard to explain living in Naples compared to the rest of Italy. Ask anyone. There is a big difference in Italy and Neopolitans. The culture here is about 30 years behind. What can be done about it? Nothing. You are an outsider living in a foreign country. How many American's go around complaining that outsiders come to America and do not speak English??? TONS! We expect everyone else to make changes for us but we are not willing to do the same? You have been given such an extreme opportunity here. You have been given 2 or 3 or even 4 years to live in Europe. Think about that. Yes, Naples has such rich history if you try and look past the trash. Archeological sites at every turn. Locations that you have read about in your History classes growing up. (i.e. Pompeii) You are driving distances from Cities that are older than the Country we grew up in. Only hours away from Rome, Leaning Tower of Piza, etc. It is so much cheaper to fly to surrounding countrys. Germany, France, England, etc. Try moving back to the states and wanting to go to Paris and see how expensive it is. There is so much to experience here. Culture, food, land, etc. Yes, there are negatives. Some you can ignore, some you can not. If  you let all the negatives get you down, you will be the one to lose. Talking back and forth about living on base verse living off base is pointless. People are going to do what they want to do. Read the past posts, houses out in town being robbed? Isn't there a situation where things are being stolen on base right now as we speak? Hello Kettle?  Aren't there only American's living on the base? If the Italian's are the ones doing the stealing off base, who is doing the stealing on base? There is a big difference in what is being stolen and the whole situation itself but the point is, you are not 100% safe no matter where you live. I do not want to fight with anyone. I do not want to offend anyone, I just want to make my points. Everyone will do what they want to do and say what they want to say. Take everything with a grain of salt. No one's opinion is golden. Take advice you want and let the negatives you don't to hear in one ear and out the other. Educate yourself. Read up. Spend your time online looking up locations to visit and places to take your kids. Experience as much as your can. Just be willing to try and take a chance. Thanks for letting me share.

AMEN!

Mari

Carly, that's the problem with living in Italy.......there's way to much whine available!  I agree with your post 100%  Ciao Bella

TNT

The bottom line is that if you're not Italian you don't have a right to demand or expect things to be done your way.  We lease this base, we don't own it.  Strikes and such are a part of Italian life.  As far as having to be a history buff in order to be interested in the sites is pathetic.  I'm far from a history buff, but still like to go see the sites, it's a good oppurtunity to show my kids and learn myself.  Most people don't get this oppurtunity.

Just as cheap to fly from the states??  I'd like to know what airline you're looking at.  I flew parents here and it was over $1700 to fly them both...we flew to Germany in that time and it was E150 each..I'm no math wizard, but the conversion rate is nowhere near the same!

I too agree with too much complaining (whine...too funny). 

I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THERE!!!! What a wonderful opportunity to get payed to live abroad!!! I only wish my kids were older to appreciate it!!!

Elizabeth, Like anywhere in the world including the U.S. you are going to

have good and bad experiences but at the end of the day it's how you deal

with everything. You seem to have a really positive attitude on moving here

which is great. The travel is fantastic, we have been all over Europe the

opportunities are endless and what a great education for your kids to see

other cultures, religions, foods I could go on and on. I also know lots of

ppl who have lived out in town, some have had bad experiences where they

have moved on base others have had good and continue to live out side of the

base. I personally would have loved to have lived out in town but moved on

base for our children.

As for things to do for them we have a youth and teen center, "Join the

Tots" club, ballet dancing, Tae Kwon Do, swim team, Girl Scouts and Boy

Scouts, horse riding, day summer camp. There are also camp sites on and off

base (Carney Park) and many in the surrounding areas. There is LOTS to to

see right here in Naples if you don't want to do any long road trips or fly

any where at the beginning. Rome, Sorrento, Gaeta, Bari, Capua, Caserta

Palace, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples underground just to name a few.

The food is awesome (although not much variety) you will find every

restaurant serves basically the same thing its just finding which are the

best. The weather is hot in the summer, cool in the spring and winter. It

never seems to get that cold "however" it does depend on where you live, it

can get very wet though. They say Naples is like a beautiful woman with

dirty feet, your ok as long as you don't look down" This can be a wonderful

experience for you all take the good with the bad and you will love it.

Feel free to inbox me if you want to chat off here.

I have been in both places and let me tell you I would rather live in Naples than DC any day.  I love having the opportunity to travel because we are so centrally located in Italy.  Do yourself a favor and get out to know some locals, they will bend over backwards to please usually.  I can't tell you the amount of times I have gone to Host national's houses or restaraunts and they call me a wuss because I cannot keep up with the amount of food they bring to the table.

I could think of a lot worse places to live than here!

I spent 13 years in DC. It is like Naples, you take away what you want. I have lived in 8 different states before moving here. I would not have given up this opportunity. My children are old enough that I hope they remember most of what they are seeing here. It was amazing to watch a movie with them and have a shot of St. Peter's Square come up on the movie and both kids jump up and shout "I have been there!"  Makes me feel like I am doing my job as a MOM and teaching my children about culture and history. Priceless.