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Hello Everyone & Fellow American Expats!

The name is "Ranger Rick" Tscherne. I am retired military (US Army 1972-93)and I live here in Northern Italy on Lake Garda in a town famous for it's wine - Bardolino!

I absolutely love it here and plan to die here too, but NOT anytime soon! And when I do I want to be cremated and have half my remains buried here in Italy and the other half buried in Arlington National Cemetary (Washington,DC) alongside my fellow soldiers & comrades.

Anyway, whenever someone asks me why I chose to retire & live here in Italy and NOT back in the good ol'US of A. I tell them...because I love the Italian food, wine, and women, but not necessarily in that order. LOL!

I am no newcomer to Italy, I have been living here for more than half of my life. In fact, when I joined the US Army back in 1972 at the age of 17 I never wanted to leave the USA at all. But you gotta go where the Army sends you and so my first assignment was in Germany but a few months after arriving there the Army sent me south to Italy instead. While in the Army I have been stationed here from 1973-76, 1981-84 and then from 1986-93.

And for the first year or so that I was assigned here, I was what you call a "barrack rat." I didn't go anywhere away from the base unless it was on a military training exercise. But then some fellow Army buddies (a band of paratroop brothers) took me under their wing and showed me what I was missing in my life and that's when I fell in love with Italy. And today I am retired from the US Army (1993, since the age of 39) and live here in Italy on the largest lake called Lago di Garda. Bardolino to be exact.

My Italian is terrible, absolutely terrible. I own over a dozen Italian language books and tapes but I can't pick it up due to I must have a language disability. I just can't remember nor pick up languages.

BUT...this has never stopped me from meeting and making new friends here in Italy, on the contrary, it kinda helped me, especially when it comes to talking to Italian women.

Why? Because I "butcher" the Italian language so bad I make everyone laugh at me. It don't bother me, because I laugh at myself too. Which everyone who gets to know me all seem to tell me the same thing..."Hey Rick, here, drink another glass of wine because the more you drink the better Italian you speak so I can understand you." LOL!                   

Anyway, I just now discovered this Expat site and so I thought I would drop in and say HI! And if there are any other Americans living on or around Lake Garda, I'd like to know where. I am not just a lake person but enjoy going up the mountains too. I love to go hiking, skiing, metal detecting, target shooting and enjoy teaching others basic outdoor survival skills. I am a part-time survival instructor and own a small outdoor survival business & website too.   

Well, to learn more about me and what I did in the Army, what I am doing here now and what other things I like to do here. Come check me out on "Facebook" or by "googling" my name. I would give you my website URL but I understand it's against Expat policies to do this here.

Just so you know, when I am not too busy and have some free time on my hands, I will monitor things here. BUT...if you contact me please don't be offended if I don't reply back right away because sometimes I am quite busy.

And if you're one of those who are looking for a 24/7/12 penpal, then please don't contact me. Sorry, but I have met and had known a few "too many" people who contacted me over the years. And all they wanted was a 24/7/12 penpal and so that's NOT me, that's NOT my bag nor the reason why I logged on here nor on Facebook.

And so if you go to Facebook or google my name you will see what type of person I am. Yes, I don't mind meeting people, but not the annoying type because (as you can probably guess by now) I tell it like it is, how I feel, what I think, etc without "sugar coating" it.       

Note: For those of you who are registered on Facebook, check out my photo album there, I posted the photos there like a story book telling how I ended up here in Italy and what I do, things I've done, etc.

Well thanks for your time and for allowing me to speak my mind here on this blog/forum and hope to link up and hear from some of you.

Take care & God bless.

Salute! Cheers!

Ranger Rick

Bardolino (VR) Lago di Garda