Mark Hinshaw

Author

Mark Hinshaw was born in Los Angeles, lived with his family in Minnesota and Oklahoma. As an adult, he lived for a short while in Memphis, then New York City, where he held his first full time job. Thereafter, he served in the military in Alaska for several years. For 40+ years he lived in Seattle. Mark attended University of Oklahoma earning a Bachelors in Architecture and Hunter College of the City University of New York earning a Masters in Urban Planning. He worked as an architect and city planner. Finally, for the last twenty years, he concentrated on urban design, which is a cross between the two.
Mark has written two books and numerous articles for online publications in the U.S. and Italy. So while he’s retired from two of his three career paths, writing continues as he has even more time to devote to it. Mark’s interests include cinema, traveling, eating as many different foods as he can find, and helping others with questions about immigrating to Italy.
Mark shared some wise wisdom with us: Moving to Italy is essentially re-starting your life. Nothing you learned growing up and being an adult will transfer here. Every custom, code, law, protocol, noun, verb, unit of measure, price, process, and document is different. Its like being a child again. There is no point in comparing how things were done better or faster in the U.S., Italy isn’t going to change because someone new showed up. Best to adapt. He also tells people:
Learn to laugh.
And laugh a lot.
After you finish crying.