I’m a travel addict, serial expat and language geek.
I started life in Auckland, New Zealand and my passion for travel was ignited during a university exchange to Salamanca, Spain. In 2010 I spent one year living La Bella Vita in Italy and then a year in Munich (with a short stint in Berlin), trying to be punctual and precise. To pay for that year, I spent a year learning a lot of people skills as Head Foreign Teacher of Rambunctious Monsters, in South Korea. Then I returned to my first love, Spain, where I spent three years eating all the jamón I could find, trying all the tapas and getting to know where the best cañas are in Madrid (oh, and teaching English to pay for it).
But all good things come to an end (i.e. my visa) and so I returned home to Auckland where I now work in the travel industry. Fortunately this leaves me with no option but to keep travelling every year (except this year, because, well Covid)! These are my anecdotes.
You can contact me on taligoestravelling [at] gmail [dot] com
Tali Goes Travelling 
I can’t believe you’re from Auckland! *Just last night* (no joke) I finished up a non-fiction travel book (“The Lost Girls” – I’m a sucker for these things!) and they ended their journey in New Zealand/Australia. Probably the only two times over the last year I’ve read the word “Auckland” was last night, and then again this morning reading your blog. Weird! And keep traveling!
Wow, that is a coincidence! Maybe it is a sign that you need to travel there too 🙂
I’ll definitely take that as a sign – I’ve been dying to visit there forever!
Hi Tali,
I am a Singaporean (fellow commonwealth citizen) and am in Italy on my tourist visa (the 90 days thing). I am currently looking for a job and there have been interested employers, but apparently it is impossible to offer me a contract if I don’t have the permesso di soggiorno. I can’t wrap my head around how I am supposed to get a permesso di soggiorno without a job contract… and I’ve read that I have to wait for the decreto di flussi immigrazione, but the countries listed in brackets in these articles are a small bunch of developing nations.
Could you kindly please furnish me with some advice?
Thanks a bunch! I need all the help I can get…
-Amanda
Hi Amanda,
I’m sorry but I’m not sure I can help you as I went to Italy with a Working Holiday Visa (which is because NZ and Italy have an agreement, not to do with the Commonwealth unfortunately), which entitled us to a Permesso di Soggiorno for the duration of our visa only. I also had to apply for this visa in NZ, I couldn’t apply for it once I had entered Italy, so you may have to see what agreements Singapore has with Italy (maybe the Singaporean Embassy can advise you?). So I think you will need a visa to get a permesso (I’m really not sure on this though).
That said, we did meet some Americans who managed to enter Italy on tourist visas and stay longer but I don’t know how they did that. It may also depend on what field of work you’re applying for jobs in, if you’re taking a job an Italian could do they will be more reluctant to give you a visa.
Sorry I can’t give you more advice than that. Good luck with the process, I hope you manage to stay in Italy 🙂
Ciao,
Tali
Hey Tali, because I truly love reading your blog and checking out your inspiring pictures, I’ve nominated you for the Lovely Blog Award. Not only is your blog lovely of course, so are you. Check out my blog for more information!
Wow, thank you for the nomination Carly! It’s such a compliment coming from you because I love your blog. The photos are amazing and I love reading about your life in Spain, it’s a treat each time I get receive a new post in my inbox from you 🙂
Ah, so jealous (except for the ‘Head Teacher of Rambunctious Monsters’ bit). So happy that you’re currently enjoying your time away in Asia though. Come to Australia? I will make you a pavlova (OUR national dessert, bwahahahaa…. definitely NOT a Kiwi invention!) xx
I’d love to come to Australia (especially WA), but I’ve just arrived back in Spain for a year! I can’t stay away from this place 🙂 But when I’m back in the Southern Hemisphere, I’ll take you up on the pavlova and we can discuss its true origins hahaha xxx