Expat Stories – Andrea Lolli

Andrea Lolli works in the marketing department at Cigna Global IPMI.

This is his expat story.

Vertel ons over je verhuizing als expat.

I came to Glasgow for love because my girlfriend was already living here. I was offered a job offer with Cigna and decided to go for it. I moved here last October and am now enjoying life in Glasgow.

What was it like settling in as an expat?

Everything was actually very easy for me when I was settling in here. My girlfriend is a local and she helped me out a lot. If I was by myself, I think the move would have been a lot more difficult! Local knowledge can be a huge help, I’d strongly recommend getting insight as early as you can.

What have you enjoyed most in your experience as an expat so far??

I would have to say that I’ve really enjoyed settling in to life in Glasgow. I’ve lived abroad once before. I spent five months during my Erasmus Programme living in the Netherlands. I was in a small city in the North called Groningen. It was a lovely city but to be honest, I much prefer living in Glasgow.

In Glasgow, there is more of an international feel and it is also much bigger. There are a lot of fun things to do in Glasgow and plenty of young people here. The local people here are also very friendly and it is very easy to have a laugh with everyone. I really like this kind of attitude.

The lifestyle is another highlight of mine here. Transport wise, everything is very easy to reach within walking distance or on the Glasgow Subway.

Wat waren volgens jou de beste manieren om als expat in het buitenland vriendschappen te smeden?

I think going to events is a great option for expats looking to meet new people and make new friends. I have been to a few different InterNations events myself. This is the world’s leading expat network and is a great way of getting out and meeting with other expats.

Work is another great way of meeting people. Especially here at Cigna, a lot of people in the office are very young and enjoy spending time together outside of work.

Wat zijn de grootste uitdagingen geweest tot nu toe?

For me, the biggest challenge is the language. For the most part, I can communicate with everyone no problem. But at times, the local accent can be difficult to understand. The people here speak in a unique way and it is very different to what I’m used to.

What do you miss most about your home country?

Family, friends and weather. Those are the three biggest points for me! My family is all in Italy and I have many friends back in Rome.

The weather is very different here in Glasgow. Back home, I was used to enjoying myself and spending time outside. Here it can be more complicated, especially during winter!

Hoeveel heb je genoten van je rol bij Cigna?

I enjoy my role at Cigna a lot. Cigna is a great company to work for and it has a really nice environment. It is very easy to get support from others in the team and everyone is willing to help out.

My job in particular is quite dynamic. There is always lots on and it is very faced pace, which I quite like.

What advice would you give to those who are considering making the expat move?

I would tell those considering it to just get out and go for it. Sometimes if we focus too much on the difficulties that are involved in the process, then we might be less willing to try it. It will always be complicated, especially at the start. But in the end, being an expat is a rich experience.

I’d also suggest trying to get in contact with someone who is local in the place you are moving to. That is very important because you can get some good advice beforehand and be prepared for your move.

Hoe zou je als laatste je reis als expat in 10 woorden of minder beschrijven?

A special adventure to discover a new culture.

Internationale ziektekostenverzekering

Expats kiezen vaak voor particuliere gezondheidszorg en het is belangrijk om dit te regelen voordat de verhuizing naar een ander land plaatsvindt.

Bij Cigna Global bieden we polissen speciaal voor expats zoals u, zodat u toegang krijgt tot een groot aantal verschillende opties en 24/7 ondersteuning wanneer u dit nodig heeft.

U kunt ook vertrouwen op onze vele jaren ervaring in het zorgen voor de gezondheid en het welzijn van onze klanten.

Meer informatie over onze polissen vindt u hier.