From the outside, moving abroad can seem like a sudden decision. People imagine someone waking up one morning, buying a plane ticket, and leaving everything behind. But for most of us, the desire to live overseas begins quietly. It starts as a thought, a feeling, or a...
November 2016. American Thanksgiving week. That was the week my life changed forever, even though I didn’t fully realize it at the time. It was my first trip to Italy. I had always been in love with Italy. Ever since I could remember, I was captivated by the history,...
I returned home from my glorious trip to Italy in December 2016. I was not the same person. I had left a piece of my heart in Italy, and deep down, I knew my life would never be the same. The holidays came and went, but my mind remained thousands of miles away. While...
By the end of 2017, I had spent nearly a year researching Italy, connecting with expats, and searching for every possible way to turn my dream into reality. What I didn’t realize at the time was that moving to Italy wasn’t simply about changing countries. It was about...
By 2019, my dream of relocating to Italy had become more than just a passing thought, it had become my mission. I was still applying for overseas positions, networking, and doing everything I could to make the move happen. That part hadn’t changed. What changed was...
By January 2020, I had settled into my new position with the Department of Defense. Life felt stable again. None of us knew what was about to happen. Within weeks, COVID-19 changed everything. Living in the United States, I watched the news like everyone else. But I...
The next seven months were surreal. I was in disbelief. It didn’t seem real. Three and a half years of hoping, wishing and praying. Hiring a life coach. Meditating. Setting intentions. Creating vision boards. Speaking my dream out loud. Doing everything I knew to do...
February 18, 2021. The day had finally arrived. I was in a hotel in Maryland. There was snow on the ground, we were still in the middle of COVID, and I had a military flight to catch. But this wasn’t just another flight. I was moving to Italy. After all the planning,...
April 2021. The boxes finally arrived at my new home in Monterusciello, a suburb outside of Naples. I chose the suburbs for a reason. I’m not a city person. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and I need quiet. Living in the city of Naples was never...
It was August 2021, just after Ferragosto, when I had an appointment to see an apartment in Posillipo, a beautiful neighborhood in Napoli. Before moving into the city, one of my biggest concerns was driving. Let me tell you something: whatever you’ve read or heard...
As I entered 2022, I found myself settling in all over again. I had already done the big thing. I had moved to Italy. I had survived those first months of wondering, What did I just do? I had found my apartment in Posillipo with my million-dollar view of the...
It all started in 2020. I was packing up my apartment after receiving my tentative job offer for Napoli, Italy. Somewhere in the middle of packing and preparing for this major life transition, I happened to look at the calendar. For some reason, I wanted to see what...
I tell people all the time: If you’re considering moving to another country, you better make damn sure you’re doing it for you! Not for a man. Not for a husband. Not because someone else has a dream of living abroad. Because living abroad is NOT a vacation. Moving to...
I’m in my sixth year of living in Italy, and as I reflect on my experiences, there’s one thing I know for certain: Italy makes you work for her. I coined that phrase because it’s the best way I can describe what it’s like to build a life in this beautiful...