I write on this blog all about moving to and living in Italy but I've never really told the story of how I ended up here. So here goes!
It All Starts in France
My family is from Louisiana. If you know a little of the history of the Cajun people who live in the south of Louisiana, you know our origins come from France.
In the early 1600s, brave pioneers left France to chart new lands in Canada (guess that's where my wanderlust comes from!). They settled in Nova Scotia.
Funnily enough, there's a town in Nova Scotia today called Point d'Eglise. That translates to Church Point, which is the name of the Louisiana town where my mother grew up!
Anyway, in 1755, during the French and Indian War, the British kicked us out of Nova Scotia because we wouldn't pledge allegiance to them. Many of us fled to Louisiana, where we clung to our French heritage.
From childhood, I was obsessed with France and the French language. I remember reading my mother's Berlitz reader in an effort to speak some of the language. I studied it in high school and went on to get a degree in French.
I did the usual European tour (that's me by the Seine at age 21), visiting Paris and Nice. Then I studied French in Belgium.
C'est Bien, But What's Next?
After twelve years of French under my belt, I decided to study Spanish for a while. I didn't enjoy it as much.
Then one day, looking at a map of France, I realized there was a country right next door that had another intriguing language.
Italia!
So, just for kicks, I started studying Italian. I have a natural gift for language, so it was easy.
My First Trip to Italy
In 2015, my family and I spent a month in Provence. My mother joined us for a week, and we took a trip to Genoa and Cinque Terre.
Despite being a newbie at Italian, I found it unbelievably easy to communicate. And the Italians were so welcoming. I'd never felt that way in France. (Yes, the stereotype about them sometimes being closed off can be true.)
This first trip opened my eyes to another world.
Healing in the Mountains
My second trip to Italy was much different. I was going through a divorce and felt like I was scattered in a million pieces. I didn't know what I wanted or who I was.
But, being a fan of books like Eat, Pray, Love and Under the Tuscan Sun, I knew that Italy might be a good place to heal my heart.
I spent a week hiking the Dolomiti mountains with my friend Debbie. I'd never done anything so physically exerting, and at the end, with my new, lean muscles, I felt like I could do anything.
After the exhausting trek, I spent a week at a yoga retreat in Luca. More healing.
Finding My Path
Once I started feeling more like myself, I began to think about the future. My ex and I had decided that, once our son graduated high school, we'd travel the world for a few years, spending a few months in different locales.
At first, I decided I'd stick to that plan, albeit solo.
But as I found myself drawn to Italy again and again (in this period I visited Venice, Pisa, and Sardinia), I realized that that was where my heart wanted to be.
Putting the Plan in Play
Exhilarated with finally knowing what I wanted, I got to work. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, so it would be a while before I could visit Italy again. In the meantime, I began vicariously visiting towns I was interested in on Google Maps.
I knew I wanted to live by the sea, in a smallish town. So my search took me to Calabria.
Goldilocks Vibes
When travel opened up to Italy, I immediately booked a flight. I visited Scilla, Tropea, and Reggio Calabria, but they were too big, too small, too many stairs, or too trashy. Nothing felt right.
A contact I'd made online recommended I check out Soverato. With nothing to lose, I booked a side trip. And fell in love with it.
Expat Life: A Work in Progress
I moved here in September 2022. I didn't find a house to rent in Soverato initially, so I ended up in Montepaone nearby. Didn't like that.
Soverato, as I've written, has a lot to love. It's decent-sized (9,000 people; more in the summer) and it's right on the Ionian Sea. Calabria isn't yet overpopulated by tourists, so I can enjoy a float in the sea without being bothered by tons of people.
Now it's time for the next step of my journey here.
Along the way, I fell in love with a handsome librarian. As his family has become my own, I find myself letting go of that independent, single-girl persona. I'm ready to embrace the loud, loving life of being a part of an Italian family. We've decided to move to Davoli, where he's from. It's a short drive from Soverato and from my beloved sea. We'll be surrounded by family and friends. And we have a fantastic view of the sea.
Moving to Italy will be the single most defining thing about my life. It's forever changed who I am and how I think. And I couldn't be more grateful.
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