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 everyone around me settled back into their routines, I found myself daydreaming about Italy, the people, the culture, the lifestyle, and the feeling I experienced while I was there.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that 2017 would become the foundation year for everything that followed.
It was the year the journey truly began.
The Search Begins
As soon as the new year arrived, I started searching for jobs overseas.
In January 2017, a federal hiring freeze went into effect and lasted until May. Many government positions simply weren’t being advertised. For someone determined to find a position abroad, it could have felt discouraging.
But I refused to let that stop me.
Every day, I searched for opportunities in Italy. If I couldn’t find something in Italy, I searched other European countries. My thinking was simple: if I could get close to Italy, I would find my way there eventually.
I wasn’t willing to give up on the dream.
Research, Research, and More Research
I joined Facebook groups for expats and international professionals. I read blogs, watched videos, followed online communities, and reached out to Americans already living abroad.
I wanted information.
Lots of it.
As a former paralegal with more than ten years of experience, research was second nature to me. I knew how to dig deep, verify information, and uncover details others might overlook.
So that’s exactly what I did.
I wanted to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about living overseas. I wanted to understand the realities, not just the romanticized version people often see on social media.
I spoke with anyone willing to share their experience.
The more I learned, the more convinced I became that my future was waiting for me in Italy.
When Everyone Thinks You’re Crazy
I talked about Italy constantly.
To my family.
To my friends.
To coworkers.
To anyone who would listen.
Most people thought I was crazy.
Why would someone leave the United States and a stable government career to move thousands of miles away?
Why would someone walk away from everything familiar?
Those were fair questions.
But my soul already knew the answer.
I knew where I belonged.
And no amount of doubt, skepticism, or well-meaning advice was going to change that.
Some dreams arrive quietly and refuse to leave.
This was one of them.
The Power of Intention
Looking back, 2017 was not a year of visible results.
It was a year of preparation.
A year of research, networking, applications, conversations, and persistence.
I spoke with people in Washington, D.C. and asked countless questions.
Did they know anyone working overseas?
Did they know someone in the Department of Defense?
The State Department?
Any agency with positions outside the United States?
I was constantly gathering information and making connections.
What I understand now is that I was doing something even more powerful.
I was setting an intention.
Every day, through my thoughts, actions, conversations, and research, I was telling the universe exactly what I wanted.
I wasn’t waiting for life to happen to me.
I was actively co-creating the future I envisioned.
The desire was so strong and the intention so clear that deep down, I knew I could not be denied.
I didn’t know how it would happen.
I didn’t know when it would happen.
But I knew it would happen.
The First Miracle
Then something unexpected happened.
The first miracle arrived.
At the time, I had no idea how important this person would become in my journey.
I only knew that a door had opened.
And sometimes, that’s all you need.
One open door.
One conversation.
One person who sees your dream before it becomes your reality.
Little did I know that this encounter would change the trajectory of my life and bring me one step closer to Italy.
Next Article: Enter Sophie
The next chapter of my journey begins with an unexpected connection, a life coach named Sophie, and the first tangible sign that my dream of returning to Italy might actually become possible.