Caron's experience
My husband and I were living in the UK but were both keen to move on and experience living elsewhere. That was when the opportunity came for us to move to the north of Italy. I got to work researching the area: schooling needed to be investigated and also what things I would be able to do and how I could meet people. In the UK I had a professional career which kept me busy during the day, so I spent an evening searching the web for information. I found the Benvenuto Club of Varese website.

It provided me with some information and told me that there were plenty of other women in the Varese area who found themselves in a similar situation. When I got to Varese, I went along to one of the club's coffee mornings and this helped me get to know other people. It was certainly a comfort to know that there were others who had been through some of the same difficulties that I now faced. With a minimal knowledge of Italian, I was able to register for a doctor, find a plumber, a roofing contractor and a shutter-repair man - all within my first month! As soon as I could, I went on the guided tour of Varese which the club organised and this helped me get my bearings. I have learnt a great deal about living in Italy and particularly the Varese area from being a Benvenuto member and talking to others.