I grew up on the sunny west-side beaches of central Italy. Moved to the US for opportunity reasons and settled in Boston because some family members were already here. The toughest part for me to get used to is the weather... From sunny and warm weather to the very distinguished 4-season weather in Boston. I won't tell you how much I love the snow (sarcasm)! However, if I stayed in Italy I would have never had the opportunity that I had in the States. No joke... I wasn't admitted in Pharmacy School in Italy because people that had politicians' "recommendations" (see "bribed") jumped ahead of me to get into Pharmacy School for unexplained reasons. I didn't have any political connection there. When I came to the States, I was relieved to know that you could become anything you wanted to become with some discipline and hard work.
While I will always love and consider Italy one of the most beautiful countries in the world, I consider the United States the ultimate land of opportunity for those who want to succeed and prosper. This is why I currently live in Boston.
Great to hear, Marco. Yes many of us take the opportunities offered to us for granted.