🛵 Expat Life & Culture

Italy is beautiful — and sometimes maddening. After a lifetime of travel here, I’ve learned to love the chaos along with the charm. This isn’t a takedown. It’s a collection of sharp truths, from radiators-as-dryers to the eternal cigarette next to your Aperol. Consider this a love letter written in bureaucratic ink and secondhand smoke.

We didn’t have a single “we’re moving to Italy” moment. No dramatic speech. Just a slow unraveling of the American dream—burnout, layoffs, active shooter drills, and a creeping sense that this system no longer serves us or our kids. So we made a plan. Not an escape, but an intentional departure. This isn’t just my dream. It’s our family’s next chapter—built together, on purpose.

Why rush life when you can pausa like the Italians? A daily slow-down filled with food, chats, and zero guilt.

Italy isn’t a polished lifestyle product. It’s a living, breathing culture—and cultures come with contradictions.

Leaving the U.S. Behind & Embracing a New Future in Italy When I came to the U.S. as a teenager, I believed I was stepping into the...