"In Luxembourg, you can save money even as an intern. And you're treated like an employee."

The desire to improve his English. His dreams. The desire to put into practice the high-level education he received in Italy . His gaze towards the future. The story of Luca Pisoni , 25, from Bari , has always moved north. First to Milan , to the Polytechnic. Then to Switzerland , London, Denmark . Today in Luxembourg , where he works as a Project Management Intern for a large multinational. “But at the moment I'm not considering the idea of returning.”

Luca left Italy on August 18, 2023, on a one-way ticket to Copenhagen . He had just completed his bachelor's degree in Management Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Milan and faced a difficult decision: stay and pursue a master's degree, or venture to Denmark to pursue a two-year master's degree in Industrial Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). "I left driven by the desire to improve my English, meet people from around the world, and challenge myself in a new context," he recalls.

Luca 's choice was also motivated by the fact that, in Denmark , European students who work at least ten hours a week during their studies can benefit from a monthly allowance of approximately €880 gross, in addition to their employer's hourly wage . "All this allowed me to gain work experience during my studies," Luca explains, "enhancing my CV and giving me temporary independence, at just 23 years old, in a foreign country."

Furthermore, Denmark has ensured a balance between a flexible system, a more manageable study load, the opportunity to work while studying ("I worked part-time in Copenhagen for a Danish multinational medical devices company"), and the possibility of learning Danish for free (since it was state-funded). "It's a way to reduce the burden on my family, something that," Luca explains, "I found difficult in Italy during my undergraduate studies."

After a semester studying in Switzerland on an exchange program and a summer course in finance at the London School of Economics, Luca chose Luxembourg for several reasons: first and foremost, the competitive salary, which allows him to save a significant portion of his monthly salary . Then there are the services the country offers: free public transport, an efficient and rapid healthcare system, and a city on a human scale, quiet and very safe. Rent is certainly high compared to many Italian cities: "The average cost of a room in shared accommodation in Luxembourg generally ranges between 800 and 1,200 euros, depending on the city," Luca explains. "However, with a balanced lifestyle, it's possible to cover all essential expenses and, at the same time, save a considerable amount, even as an intern , especially considering that average salaries are around 66,000 euros a year."

Even as an intern , based on my direct experience in Denmark and then Luxembourg, "I was given responsibilities comparable to those of a full-time employee. I felt listened to, respected, and fairly compensated." Studying and working abroad, continues the young man from Bari, "allowed me to integrate the solid theoretical foundation I received in Italy with a much more practical, work- oriented approach. My undergraduate degree gave me a method, an analytical mindset for tackling problems. But I felt the need to get my hands dirty, to test myself in a more concrete context."

Returning to Italy isn't currently being considered; on the contrary, the goal is to save a significant amount of money to "carry out future projects" in Luxembourg or any "other country that allows me," Luca explains, considering a move only based on "their high standard of living, their savings , and their quality of life."

Despite occasional nostalgia, Luca has never regretted leaving Italy. These two intense years, filled with new experiences and encounters, exposed him to comparison, change, and contrast. "And all of this has helped me feel more mature, with broader horizons and greater self-confidence." Leaving Italy for another country, in short, can truly change your life and challenge you. Opinions take on "new forms," the contrast pushes you to "look at things from different angles." The contamination of ideas and opinions so different from those of your home country "changes you profoundly," and when you return, he concludes, "you never feel like the same person again."

Are you an Italian who has decided to move abroad for work or to seek a better quality of life? If you'd like, share your story with us at [email protected]