Expat Story: An Italian in Dallas TX

ABOUT

Valentina comes from a small town in northern Italy on Garda Lake – the biggest lake in the country, less known by American tourists but very popular in Germany and Netherlands. She is currently a wedding photographer! She speaks Italian and English but her fluency in French went away once she moved to the USA. (Noooo!)

Moving to Dallas

When did you move to Dallas? Why?

Me and my partner moved here in January 2022 for a job opportunity – he’s a helicopter pilot.

What is Dallas famous for?

Probably as the city where JFK was murdered. It’s probably the most commercial big city in Texas but has a few nice areas that feel less “texas-y”, pretty hip and young.

What surprised you about life there when you first arrived?

I moved here from Austin when I was 3 months pregnant and something I noticed it’s that it’s less of a party town and has a more sophisticated, upscale vibe. Nature is not as easy to find as it was in Austin but there are little pockets of green here and there.

How to find a job in Dallas?

Honestly I wasn’t truly looking for a job and now I’m mostly a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom), but I got a small part-time job responding to a post on Instagram 😀

How did you find an apartment in Dallas?

We reached out to Smartcityapts and they helped us a lot, but we ended up picking an apartment complex that a few coworkers of my partner recommended, which turned out to be great for our needs. We currently live in a small one bedroom apartment and we pay around $1.600 but we have access to a wonderful gym and really cool amenities.

How did you get set up?

I have been living in the USA for over 7 years but had to kind of start over after I went through divorce. Setting up a bank account is pretty easy, you can go to any bank and start the process. As far as phones go, I moved to Mint mobile a while ago and it’s been great!

What about medical insurance?

This is one of the reasons I’m considering moving back to Italy… I currently don’t have health insurance since I’m not working and my boyfriend is a veteran so he’s covered in that way. When I was married I was covered by my husband’s insurance that was mainly paid by the company he worked for.

What did you bring with you?

Just the essentials. I bring more every time I come back from Italy.

Living in Dallas

What are the main differences between Italians and Americans?

Well every state is different so I could draft differences between Italy and California and from California and Texas, but I would definitely say the alcohol culture – in Italy we learn to appreciate alcohol at a young age and we have a much healthier relationship with it while here it was a shock to me when I realized people get wasted at weddings. It would be considered highly disrespectful if you get drunk at a wedding in Italy. Living here is also more dangerous than Italy, human trafficking and gun violence are always on your mind when you’re a woman with kids.

How can Italians immigrate to the US?

I moved because my (Italian as well) boyfriend got a job offer from California and was able to get a H1B visa. We then got married and I acquired a H4 visa that allows you to live in the US but not to work. Other options are L1 visa for those who work for an Italian company that has offices in the US (you get sent overseas but your visa is attached to the company, so if you leave the company you also lose the visa); visa O for highly recognized/talented individuals; another option is coming here as student but you’re not really allowed to work more than a few hours and then you’d need to find a job that offers you a visa to be able to stay. Marrying an American is another option.

What are your favorite things to do in Dallas specifically?

Tribal cafe is a really healthy and hip spot in Bishop arts, Uchiba is a wonderful upscale sushi restaurant. Another sushi restaurant close to the Winspear opera is Musume, that also has a super cool speakeasy – ask the front desk manager to access the bar after your meal, a guard will walk you through the kitchen and beyond to reach this barely lit bar with red lights and a samurai mural. For the best pastries check Carte Blanche in Lower Greenville and Botolino next door for some great Italian ice cream. They also offer beautiful ice cream cakes that have become our birthday tradition! Apothecary is another beautiful bar where the servers are super knowledgeable and will help you find the perfect drink for you – they also carry some non alcoholic “alcohol” so they can make great mocktails in case you want to stay sober!

There are also some really nice museums!

When’s the best moment to visit Dallas?

I’d say late Spring or early Fall – you don’t want to be here in July and August when the temperatures are constantly around 100°F.

What do you think about country music?

I’m not a fan of country music but I met a friend who’s the voice of The Half Guided Hearts and we love their work!

Do you need to speak English to live in Dallas?

English is needed in Texas but if you speak Spanish you can probably make it pretty decently!

Final Thoughts

Was it easy making friends and meeting people?

I think it’s a little easier to meet people/make friends in Texas than in California or Italy. Big cities like Dallas usually have a pretty diverse population even if the majority are White or Hispanic. I feel like people are more friendly here and it’s easy to meet new friends at bars or social activities. We recently found a restaurant that offers free salsa classes on Wednesday night and I feel like that would be so fun to grow our circle of friends!

What has been the hardest aspect of living in Dallas?

Driving, especially when pregnant and with a baby in the car! Dallas drivers are pretty crazy haha.

Thank you Valentina! It seems like it has been a wild ride! Anyone who has ever looked into moving to the US knows how complex it is, so I appreciate you sharing your journey! I do hope you can figure out that medical insurance situation, unfortunately it is a very real issue in the US, and I wish you to find a solution. Have a great day! Her IG: Here and Here