Spruce’s business in Switzerland, his home in Italy and the Alps are building a 100-year-old home for seniors | Life

“I came for a week, but when I saw the lake, the mountains, the nature that surrounded me, I had such a strong feeling that I definitely had to stay here. I decided to give it a try.

Fate itself helped me: I met a Lithuanian woman who owned a bar and she offered to stay and work for her. I stayed in Italy without a penny in my pocket, not knowing Italian, and no one spoke English there, ”laughs Eglė Dangė, who fulfilled many of her dreams with small steps and alone.

Egle Dange says that his decision to stay in Italy simply surprised many of his friends and family. “My family knows me very well … If something occurs to me, I will do what I think is right,” says the interviewer, who lives in Valsolda, on Lake Lugano, in the province of Como, in the region of Lombardy from northern Italy.

She adds that she is very impulsive and trusts the voice of her heart: “I listen to my heart and do what I see, even if it is unworthy to think rationally. It’s better to take risks, even if you’re unsuccessful, because you know you’ve at least tried. I have been guided by this since childhood and have always followed my heart, ”says Eglė Dangė.

Life in the “country” is between Italy and Switzerland

Eglė Dangė jokes that today he lives in a real village, maybe 30 km to the nearest store, residents do not close the doors of houses and cars, and the invasions of sheep, donkeys and herds of goats in the yards or the streets are something natural.

“People live here in a very simple way, with nature and in complete relaxation,” he says that today he is fluent in Italian.

When asked, maybe love helped to learn the language, Eglė Dangė shook his head; only after staying in Italy did he buy books and start studying. “I was sitting and studying, so I started talking to the locals quite quickly. Today I find it more difficult to speak Lithuanian than Italian, because I hardly have contact with Lithuanians. I say that I not only think but also dream in Italian! And Apart from the native language, everything is quickly forgotten, ”he says, adding that he sees his future in Italy.

Incredible how many bureaucratic things there are in Italy at every turn!

“We have created our life here, we have jobs, we are installing a century-old house in the Alps, so in Lithuania we would have to start from scratch. I would not like that, because we have given a lot of energy and strength for our goals. I think it would be quite difficult .

I am a graphic designer, I have my own studio and human connections are very important to building a business. Although, on the other hand, I sometimes think that in Lithuania it would be much easier, for example, when it comes to bureaucratic matters. Incredible how many bureaucratic things there are in Italy at every turn!

Nature in Italy is incredible: wherever you go, you will discover wonderful places that will take your breath away. Another thing: the sun always shines, which greatly affects the psychological state. We live like a postcard! No matter how hard the day is, look out the window and everything passes. Next to us is Lake Lugano and divine nature ”, says EDFontana.

He adds that there are no offices in Valsolda, so many locals go to Switzerland and not only work there, but often go shopping. Egle Dange says that his wallet always contains not only euros but also francs, because life between two countries forces it to do so.

The nearest grocery store or gas station is in Switzerland, and Italy’s first major city is about 100 km away. Eglė Dangė commutes to work about 30 km a day and returns to Italy only for the night, as his entire family’s working life is reduced to Switzerland.

Do I have time for my hobbies when Eglė Dangė works so hard? “It just came to our attention then. The rest of the days, my day starts at 7am and ends at 9pm. In the afternoon. Sometimes, even when I got back, I went to work, and now I try to find my balance and turn the house into a recreation area, not a workplace, ”says the interviewee.

Business established in Switzerland and 400 thousand. frank action

Eglė Dangė’s career started at the age of 16, because at that time he decided to move from Šiauliai to Vilnius and finish school there. There he also found work in an advertising agency. From working in stores and organizing campaigns, she quickly became an administrator. Eglė Dangė remembers that he was very successful in his work.

“After a while, I received an offer, so I moved from Vilnius in a few days and came to work in Šiauliai. I needed to create a brand and was not paying to work with graphic design programs! I opened a company and started studying; In a few years I managed to create a fairly successful company in Šiauliai, because more than ten years ago it was a relatively new field.

Of course, when I came to Italy, I had to leave my business and learn the language, because without Italian you cannot take a step towards a better job. At that time I tried various activities: I even made jewelry with zippers, drove to various markets, transported amber from Lithuania and finally found a job in Switzerland in a graphic design company, ”recalls Eglė Dangė, adding that he still has electronic amber. shop where she sells various amber items.

Eglė Dangė says that until he opened the graphic design studio, the path was not covered in roses. He got a job with one of the daughters of the most famous billionaires and experienced what exploitation meant.

After working for the daughter of one of the most famous billionaires, she experienced what exploitation means.

“I think my employer didn’t realize that I was getting better in the jungle of laws, and when I saw my potential, I decided to take advantage of that. My workload was huge and the reward was fun, but I needed a work permit in Switzerland and I worked really hard for a while. I had to mentor more than 200 people at a time, and my salary was lower than those who worked a few hours!

I contacted the relevant authorities, my situation was also described in the press, so it is not surprising that I was fired. So I immediately started my own company, a graphic design studio, and started working. The ex-employer’s lawsuit came as a great shock to me: they demanded 400 thousand from me. francs.

That period was incredibly difficult for me, but it was not my fault and today I work for myself. I haven’t finished any graphic design studies, but I have a great understanding of beauty, a sense of aesthetics, it helps me create, ”says Eglė Dangė.

Eglė Dangė’s cabin renovation received special attention on social media.

Speaking of a century-old cabin in the Alps, Eglė Dangė humbles himself and says that the real change inside will be in the future, and now it’s just a cosmetic touch. True, the renovation work you envision is further hampered by backward teachers, so all that’s left is to wait.

“This cabin belonged to the husband’s great-grandfather and the husband’s parents gave it to their son ten years ago. In that shelter they used to have animals, but the place where it is is so beautiful that it is difficult to tell.

Everyone who lives on our mountain knows well the hut that has become a symbol of the valley, which is called Casseta Rosa, it can be seen from all sides, and in the spring it can also be seen from the city of Lugano. When you come to this hostel, those views open up! You stay there for a few days and it seems like you are resting all week, there really is an incredible energy.

When I first saw the cabin (and you have to travel at least half an hour uphill to it in the mountains), I grabbed my head! There was real chaos there, so it took a lot of time and effort to make it at least something habitable. At that time, my husband and I were driving sports cars, and you can only go home with a powerful SUV, so imagine every time we travel on foot with boxes, building materials and paint! ”, Eglė Dang Recuer remembers.

She adds that, together with her husband, who is six years old, she was able to spend time at the cabin every day, just one day a week. After a while, Eglė Dangė decided to offer the house to tourists, although her husband thought that the house would not receive attention. However, as soon as their rental was announced, despite the fact that there was no electricity or hot water, interested tourists withdrew the offer.

“The unreal nature here, the animals walk right under the windows, and it is wonderful to be without television, radio and without a good rest, I think that’s the most important thing.

You know, in the future we want to live here and meet old age, but until now we are immersed in planning projects and works and it takes us a lot of patience because everything is very slow and complicated, so we don’t know where. it will still go away, ”says EDFontana. that the cabin is protected by the state, so no major changes can be made to its interior, but in a few years you think the image will be unique and the way you dream.

In the future, there are many dreams and the desire to fulfill old age in a mountain cabin.

The quarantine and pandemic have hit Italy hard, but Egle Dange says he’s trying not to think about it. Today, she feels calm and immersed in work; He says he wants to try as hard as possible because the standards in Switzerland are very high.

Doesn’t Eglė Dangė miss the hustle and bustle of living in such a quiet place? “You know, when we start a different rhythm of life, we travel to Rome, Milan or other noisier cities. After the bread in Valsolda, I have to go to the nearest store, so when we go out and it is enough to go out to the street where the life, you realize how long you were.

But after enjoying those trips, the nightlife, we are very happy to return to our quiet home, to our paradise. My dream is to turn the chalet into one where it is good for us to live and grow old.

Maybe in ten years we can do it, and if not, we will go to a warm place and open some kind of shop by the sea or the lake. I would like to live in the city, I am already fighting with the village, ”jokes Eglė Dangė.

In the future, he says that he dreams of peace, simplicity, creativity and self-realization, because when a person can fulfill himself, it is the greatest happiness.

“I have many different thoughts, ideas and projects on my mind; it is a lot of fun, but I feel like I have only partially realized it. I am still very young and everything is in front of my eyes!”