Dana Rogers: English Teacher and Entrepreneur in Milan

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It’s no secret that I love Italy! This beautiful country has a little bit of everything, for everyone, whether you prefer cooler climates or an endless summer, ambling in the countryside or rushing through a busy city. Italy is filled with delicious food, intelligent design, master craftsmen and more. I love Italy so much, I’m even working on a course to help YOU move to Italy!

But then I thought, perhaps you’d like to hear another perspective? More and more people from around the world are beginning to see Italy not just as a dream vacation destination, but as a place to pursue their creative careers, to raise their families, and even to retire. And the kind of people who move here? Well, they’re almost always go-getters – inspirational women & men who have found their very own ‘La Dolce Vita’ on Italy’s dreamy shores.

TEACHER DANA ROGERS ON HER MOVE TO ITALY

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Dana Rogers is one such individual! Since moving to Italy, 8 years ago, Dana has built an incredibly successful business teaching English to Italians. She’s not just your run-of-the-mill English teacher though – Dana started by teaching high-level business English and has gone on to create an app for Italians learning English, the English Gym. A big part of her success is the way she integrated into both the Italian community, as well as Milan’s expat community. Her Instagram is a goldmine for Italians looking to mastery tricky phrases and pronunciation (or for native English-speakers living in Italy who find themselves forgetting English) ;)

I spoke with Dana recently to ask her about her Move to Italy.

Why did you move to Milan?

So I moved to Milan for love. I met this Italian man in America – he was a consultant there, and we decided to come back to Italy for a few years. Unfortunately, that love didn’t last, but it was a wonderful experience and I did find a new love, which was living in Italy! I loved the lifestyle in Italy, the culture of Italy, the language of Italy. It was actually the first time that I had ever left the United States – I got my passport to move to Italy!

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What do you love about living in Milan & in Italy?

Gosh, what don’t I love about Milan & Italy? Milan in my opinion is such a vibrant city. There’s so much to do here, from museums to restaurants to wonderful parks to good places to have a cocktail. You can really get whatever you want. You’re two hours from the mountains, you’re near the sea, you can take a flight and be anywhere in two hours, so it’s just an exciting place to be. The people are really lovely, friendly, and kind. They love to talk to you about their culture and their food, their experiences, and what you should do to make the best of your experience here.

Where are some of your favorite spots to go out (eat, drink, explore – whatever comes to mind!)?

I’m not somebody who regularly goes back to the same places to eat and drink, because I love exploring. I’m always trying to look for new places that look interesting – maybe they have interesting menus. I like bold, traditional Italian food, as well as other cuisines that have come into Italy. I like places that have cute atmospheres.

More than that though, I really appreciate going to the little cities around Milan. I have visited Cremona, Turin, Bergamo, Bologna – the list goes on & on & on. But I’m really in love with day trips and weekend trips, and just seeing everything! Every city is so unique and has its own vibe, which I really love.

What advice would you give to someone who is Moving to Italy?

My advice to somebody moving to Italy is – first, Learn the Language. I think if you speak the language, it makes everything so much easier! Plus, then you get the true experience of the culture – you can have somebody explain olives or wine or the dish that they made, and it just makes the experience so much more rich.

In Milan, it’s easy to live in this expat bubble, which is really helpful – I mean, some of my best friends are from the expat community and they’ve helped me to integrate into Italy and life here. But I think, it’s really important to integrate with the Italian community. I run a business here, so I feel like I’m really integrated into the Italian economy, the Italian culture, and these kinds of things, because I’ve had to change the way I do things. You can’t expect to come here and do it just how you did in America – you have to be open-minded, curious, ask questions, try new things, and really open yourself to that kind of experience.

Dana’s English-teaching business is also a wonderful place to start picking up colloquial Italian phrases, and I’d highly recommend following her on Instagram, @teacher_danarogers.

If this article has inspired you to Move to Italy, sign up for my new course, Move to Italy here or via the sign-up sheet below

Do you have any other questions about Moving to Italy, or about Dana’s business and experience here? Sound off in the comments below and I’ll reply just as soon as I can!