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, the art, the food, the beauty, the people… everything about it called to me. Italy lived in my imagination long before I ever stepped foot there.
Ironically, I was supposed to visit Italy before Spain. But in 2015, a friend invited me to go to Spain, and I said yes. That trip awakened something in me. It opened my eyes to the possibility of a bigger world and a different kind of life. So, the following year, I knew without hesitation: Italy was next.
I traveled there with a friend on an escorted tour, and to this day, it remains one of the best trips of my life.
We began in Venice, then traveled through Florence, Rome, and finally the Amalfi Coast.
The Feeling I Couldn’t Explain
Every city felt magical in its own way, but what I remember most was not just what I saw, it was what I felt.
Everywhere I went, I felt at home.
I cannot explain it any better than that.
It felt familiar. Comfortable. Aligned. As though some part of my soul already knew the place before I arrived. It was more than excitement. More than wanderlust.
It was a soul calling.
And I answered the call.
When Intuition Speaks
Most people experience this at least once in their lives. A whisper. A tug. An unexplainable pull toward something greater. Toward a place, a dream, a purpose, or even a completely different version of themselves.
And unfortunately, many people ignore it.
One of the things I teach women now is that this voice, your intuition, your higher self, God’s spirit, whatever name resonates with you, exists for a reason. It is guidance. It is protection. It is divine alignment trying to move you closer to your destiny.
That first instinct inside of you matters.
You should listen to it.
Even when it scares you.
Especially when it scares you.
Because on the other side of that fear is often the life you were meant to live.
I was rewarded because I listened. I was obedient to the calling placed on my heart.
I Knew Where I Belonged
That trip changed my life because, for the first time, I knew exactly where I belonged.
At the end of the eight-day trip, I was devastated to leave. I remember sitting on the plane crying because I did not want to go back to the United States. Deep in my spirit, I already knew:
I could live here.
No, I was supposed to live here.
When I returned home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Italy. The feeling stayed with me. It lingered in my spirit long after the trip ended.
And eventually, I made a decision:
I was going to find a way back.
Three and a Half Years of Believing
At the time, I worked for the federal government, so I began researching overseas positions in Italy. I started applying for jobs around January and February of the following year. Unfortunately, there was a federal hiring freeze happening at the time, so opportunities were limited.
But I kept looking.
Every single day.
It was not easy. There were delays, disappointments, and many rejections along the way. What people see now is the move, the lifestyle, the beauty of Italy, but what they do not always see is the persistence behind the dream.
It took me three and a half years.
Three and a half years of believing before I finally arrived.
Answering the Call
And that is why this story matters to me.
Because this article is not simply about travel. It is about what happens when your soul recognizes something before your logical mind can fully explain it.
Italy was not just a vacation destination for me.
It was a calling.
And I answered it.
My hope is that you answer your calling too.
Whatever it may be.
Next up: The journey of how I finally made my move to Italy a reality.