Since living in Italy since β I have definitely gone through my own personal ups and downs adjusting to life in beautiful Florence. Because it happens to be a city full of American students, expats, and foreigners , a common misconception is that if you fall under one of those categories, life will flow easily since you are so close to your counterparts.
Sometimes I think us English-speakers would have a more meaningful time and speak more Italian if we were in a smaller town surrounded by only Italian speakers etc. For me at least, this is sometimes true and but more often not.
Life long-term in another country can come with all sorts of unexpected challenges and what matters more is how you deal with it. One key part of adapting and just to keep yourself mentally sane is to be able to take what people say with a grain of salt and remember that a successful discourse involves getting your point across without making an enemy. I just think it is important to remember that humans at times put their feet in their mouths heck I know I have and we have to sometimes forgive these mistakes.
I want to point out that learning Italian is not going to solve all of your problems but it would be nice to understand what your problems actually are β linguistically speaking. Not always, but it is a forever process for some. I recommend checking out this post on the blog with tips from a local organizer of a fun multilingual Meetup. A great way to meet new people and practice your Italian or French, or English.
I know how easy it is to connect to the internet, stream your favorite shows, and skype with your family rather than leaving your house. Obviously, it is going to take time, and courage , to put yourself out there but no-one is going to come to you unless your lucky and have people there who can introduce you to the town. Keep in mind too that Italians can be very shy and likely already have their own friends from as far back as nursery school.
