Falling in Love in Italy: One Year Later

Tomorrow is a special day for Francesco and me: it's our first anniversary.

So much of my growth and comfort in my new expat life here in Italy is thanks to this man...and his family. Not only has my heart healed from past wounds, but also my language skills and comfort with the culture have grown exponentially!

Love for Expats is Different

Just like living in another country requires a mindset shift and open heart, so too does being in a relationship with someone from another culture.

In many ways, our cultures and values are the same. But I've realized some gaps that we haven't yet filled.

Take pop culture. Despite him having watched many American movies, he will never get the reference when I say "as you wish," or "that's what I said. Bootie twaps." (maybe some Americans won't get the references either. Whatever). And I don't know the songs he knows by heart from the '80s.

When my American friends came to visit recently, I had to get my fix of saying all my American colloquialisms, since they're simply not worth the trouble of explaining (how do you explain what "dude" means, said with a certain disdaining tone?).

After a year together, we have a unique hybrid of language. We speak half in English, half in Italian, and sometimes, for fun, we Italianicize words. (Vado a "stretchare.") I'm more used to his Italian than anyone else's, so sometimes he translates (still in Italian) when I don't understand someone else.

I've come to realize that our relationship has moved a bit slower than it would if we were of the same culture because of our differences. And that's okay.

The Gift of a Rich Life

Fra loved what I wrote in this post about Calabria not being rich in terms of money, but being rich in gifts from the earth. I will also say that Calabria provides a richness of life, and this man has given this to me.

He has introduced me to his family, who has embraced me as one of their own. We have shared meals together. We have cooked and prepared foods together. They have shared their stories and opened up their homes.

His friends, once getting over the shock of Francesco porting this Americana around with him everywhere, have let me into their world, piano piano. They're quick to offer me a drink in the bar or ask me how I am. They invite me to sushi. I now have my own relationship with some of his friends and cousins.

I like who I am becoming. As a Libra, I'm a relationship-lover. I adore being a partner, as well as a friend. So this richness of relationships? Right up my alley (and how do I explain THAT saying??).

The First of Many Years Together

This first year is a landmark for us both, but it's just the beginning. This man has made me laugh every single day, and I'm grateful to him for all the joy he has brought me.

I can see my life with him, in this land, in this place. My years of being single and frustrated finally make sense. All along, the right man for me was on the other side of the ocean, in Italy.