When I planned to move to Italy, I'll admit, I envisioned living in a town with cobblestone streets and cute, ancient buildings.
I ended up in Soverato, where the marina part of the town was relatively new (built in the 1970s). I was disappointed that it didn't fulfill my dream, but c'est la vie (or questa è la vita here in Italy!).
Now that dream is coming true!
What's Going On
Fra, as long-time readers know, is from Davoli Superiore. Davoli is an ancient town nestled in the mountains 20 minutes from Soverato.
We've spent at least one day a week there for the past year, visiting family and attending the many, many festivals in the summer.
I knew his family had a house they were renting out in Davoli, but I'd never seen it. When the renters moved out, I asked Fra to take me.
The first thing that stopped me in my tracks was the view. You can see the Ionian Sea and the coast perfectly. It's one thing to live by the sea, but I was surprised at how much I loved seeing it from this distance.
The thing that clenched the deal was the large kitchen and fireplace. A fireplace, ya'll! I love sitting by the fire at his parents' house, and now we will have our own!
So I sat with this idea of moving for a while (like, an hour) before talking to Fra about it. Of course, he's thrilled that I want to live there, since he's in love with his hometown.
His family, too, is super stoked that we want to move there.
Embracing Small-Town Life
For me, my main concerns were:
1) Moving away from the sea
2) Living in a small town
I was so, so, so happy to live steps away from the sea, and I will miss it terribly. But we're only a 10-minute car ride away, and his parents take our nephew to the beach practically every day in the summer, so I've got no excuse not to go.
And I'm changing. These days, I also love being in the mountains. Living in Davoli, I can just walk out of my house and head for the hills!
I also had hesitation about moving from the "big city" (I jest. Soverato has 9000 people) to a town of 600. But again, I'm changing. I see the value of knowing everyone in town, all of whom are ready to lend a helping hand.
I think our social life will be even busier, with lots of invitations for dinner or drinks! We honestly don't go out in Soverato as much as I thought we would, so it's not a huge sacrifice.
Oh, The Bonus
I recently started renting separate space for my work and art. The fabulous news is that this house comes with a rustic catoio, or cantina, which I will convert into my art studio!
It's filled with ancient wine vessels, and you better believe I'm going to come up with something creative to do with them!
Now, For the Work
Fortunately, the house doesn't need much more than a few coats of paint. There are some 1960s tiles that I absolutely want to get rid of. This being the first time I will have owned a house, I'm excited about decorating it to express my tastes (and yes, Fra is helping!).
I'm eager to get started, but as the Italians keep telling me...piano, piano. We hope to be moved in May, so we'll be ready for the summer!
P.S. we decided to postpone our big wedding party until next year so we can focus on the house. But we will be having a small ceremony in the coming months!
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