Tips and advice to thrive in Italy

I am an American living in the Veneto for 7 years.  Some things are easy, and some are a challenge.  My biggest challenge was passing the Italian driving exam.  I studied for over a year translating the 346 page manual, then I started taking the online tests that are the same exam used on the real test.  After 3 months I enrolled in a driving school to help me with the paperwork to take the exam, and later for the driving practice required by Italy.  I took the computer exam a total of three times, the third time I passed.  6 hours of driving a school car, I took the driving test and passed.
The whole process was maddening, and since I am 68 years old, have driven since I was 16 and lived in Los Angeles where traffic is fierce, never had an accident or a ticket....The over 600 euros I had to payout to the school and the government in order to have a license is ridiculous!  I was also treated very badly during my 2nd computerized test by the examiner who, well I hate to say  it but he was a rascist.   
I have kept all my notes on studying and am putting together a book that I am going to offer on kindle books for free  through amazon to help people like myself.    This project is taking awhile, but the anger I have towards to the process is motivating me to get it done.  I think there are quite a few people with the same problem as my blog gets a lot of reads on the posts where I have written about the driving test. 
My blog is at
whatfillsmyplate.blogspot.it/
Good luck on this subject in your blog
Dave Lester

No, it's not such an easy task, and it's very challenging.  Never a boring moment.  That's for sure! 

I would say that, first of all, it's very important to learn the language...it's courteous toward the locals, in my opinion.
Then, it's a good idea to be tolerant and nice, and live times in Italy, with an open mind.  After all, there are things that don't work well in the States too! 

I live part time in Italy...Of course, there are bad days, but there are also nice ones...just as they are with everyday living, no matter where you are.  It's life! 

Melody Fox    (aka the Princess of Rock)
Love Peace Music

I am definitely interested in your 'driving hints' book.  I cannot wait a year to get a license. Q: so we cannot use our US license at all once we get there?  If not that causes me a lot of problems I didn't anticipate. OUI!