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 also had friends in Italy, and I was hearing firsthand how serious the situation had become. Italy was one of the first countries hit hard, and I knew this wasn’t something to dismiss.
Even in the middle of all that uncertainty, I had an unshakable feeling.
I received a very strong intuitive hit.
Others call it a download, a nudge from God, your higher self, or the Universe.
Whatever you choose to call it, I simply knew.
I remember thinking:
“No one is going to want to move to Italy right now… but I am. Something is about to happen. This is going to be my year.”
I couldn’t explain it.
I just knew.
When the World Stopped, the Dream Didn’t
In March 2020, our office transitioned to full-time telework.
Almost overnight, the world came to a standstill.
The streets became quiet.
Plans were cancelled.
Travel stopped.
For many people, dreams were placed on hold.
Mine wasn’t.
Every single day, I continued searching for jobs in Italy.
I continued networking.
I continued believing.
Nothing had changed except the circumstances around me.
The dream was still alive.
The Voice That Said, “Just Do It”
A few weeks later, I saw another job announcement for Naples.
Ironically, it was the very same position I had interviewed for the year before.
I remember staring at the screen wondering,
“Should I really apply again?”
Almost immediately, I heard a quiet voice.
“Just do it.”
So I did.
No overthinking.
No debating.
Just obedience.
I’ve spoken before about intuition because it has guided so many important moments in my life.
Sometimes that quiet voice doesn’t make logical sense.
Sometimes it asks you to try again after you’ve already been told no.
But I’ve learned something:
When intuition speaks, obey.
That simple act of obedience changed the course of my life.
Another Interview. Another No.
I interviewed again.
This time felt completely different.
I wasn’t nervous.
Working from home had slowed life down, and for the first time, I wasn’t carrying the weight of expectation.
I simply showed up as myself.
When the decision came back…
It was another no.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t devastated.
Instead, I felt peaceful.
I actually smiled and said to myself,
“My job is coming. I know I’m going to Italy. It just isn’t this one.”
That was a powerful lesson.
Faith doesn’t always mean believing after you receive the blessing.
Sometimes faith is remaining calm after another disappointment.
The Email at 3 A.M.
Then came July 16, 2020.
Like many graduate students, I had developed a terrible habit years earlier while earning my MBA.
I would study in bed with my laptop until I fell asleep.
That habit stayed with me.
One night, sometime after 3:00 a.m., I woke up and walked to the bathroom.
For some reason, I decided to open my laptop and check my email before going back to sleep.
There it was.
A Tentative Offer for Naples.
I froze.
Then I started shaking.
After more than three years of believing…
After countless applications…
After two interviews…
After hearing “no” more times than I could count…
There it was.
The email that changed my life.
I immediately got out of bed, dropped to my knees, and thanked God.
Over and over again.
“Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.”
It was a miracle.
Not because it happened overnight.
But because it happened after years of perseverance.
Everyone I wanted to call was asleep.
So I sat there alone, smiling through tears, trying to process what had just happened.
The dream I had spoken about since 2016 was finally becoming real.
You Only Need One Yes
Looking back now, that season taught me one of the greatest lessons of my life.
Don’t be afraid of rejection.
You’re going to hear “no.”
Probably more times than you want to.
But here’s what I learned:
You don’t need ten yeses.
You don’t even need two.
You only need one.
One yes can change your entire life.
Protect Your Dreams
There was another lesson hidden inside this journey.
For years, I told anyone who would listen that I wanted to move to Italy.
Some people were excited for me.
Others weren’t.
Their doubts sounded like concern, but I eventually realized they were projecting their own fears onto my dream.
It wasn’t about me.
It was about what they believed was possible for themselves.
So I made a decision.
When the time finally came to move, I wouldn’t tell anyone in my family until I was standing on Italian soil.
And that’s exactly what I did.
Sometimes protecting your peace means protecting your dream.
Not everyone deserves front-row access to your vision while it’s still being built.
Divine Timing
Today, I still think about that 3 a.m. email.
I still smile.
I still feel grateful.
It reminds me that divine timing is always at work, even when we can’t see it.
If you’re in a season where you’re hearing more “no” than “yes,” don’t quit.
Keep applying.
Keep believing.
Keep obeying those quiet nudges that tell you to keep going.
Your timing is not late.
It’s simply unfolding.
And when your moment arrives…
Everything you’ve been through will suddenly make sense.
Because sometimes, all it takes…
…is one email at 3 a.m.
Next Up…
The job offer was only the beginning. Next, I’ll take you behind the scenes as I prepare to leave the United States, say goodbye to everything familiar, and take the leap toward my new life in Italy.