It happens when I drive up the hill towards our farmhouse in the Tuscan countryside: butterflies bubble up in my stomach and I look around at the majestic mountains – making me think of Jurassic park sometimes – and I’m just in awe. I live here. I actually live here. This is so many people’s […]
I love being a housewife. I love ironing my husband’s shirts. I love bringing him breakfast in bed. I love baking bread. I love cooking healthy meals. I love taking care of our home. I love going into town and go to the grocer’s, the butcher’s and the pharmacist’s to buy what we need. I […]
Italy is a weird place; it’s full of contradictions, things don’t really work and there’s a lot of chaos. Yet, so many people absolutely LOVE it. Me included. Italy does one thing that many very organised countries don’t really know how to do: it makes you feel alive. Yes, there’s chaos, yes, there’s disorganisation and […]
I’m afraid I’ve become a little too Italian after eight years of living in Florence, Italy. I’m Dutch and we’re known for being fun, yet cold, extremely practical and straightforward (read: blunt). Italians are known for being warm, creative (a positive way to describe disorganised) with a great sense for aesthetics (they like fare una […]
Life in Italy is not for everyone. It requires a lot of psychological flexibility, perseverance and adaptation abilities. On the other hand, if you’re a woman on a mission and are willing to do whatever it takes to make your dream of living in Italy come true, then nothing can get in your way, right? […]
So, you’ve finally admitted it to yourself: you want to move to Italy and start afresh there. It’s a place that lights you up like no other. You just feel happier there and can’t even explain why. You just feel good, really good. Bene. Now what? Well, let me share how I did it in […]
Me at 9.30am, looking at my schedule for the day: English lesson at 12pm, coffee meeting at 2.30pm, walking coaching session at 4pm and an aperitivo with a friend at 8.30pm. Phone lights up: “Sorry my English teacher, I cannot do my lesson today, I have a meeting. I contact you. Good day.” Alright, I […]
When I decided to move to Florence, Italy in 2010 I had no idea how much it would impact not only my life, but also my personality. I’m a completely different person now because of everything I’ve been through. I’ve had to adapt, change and creatively find ways to survive here. I’ve had to do […]
“Well, that’s just impossible.” How often have you heard your dear parents, your best friends or your kind colleagues say this when you were talking about your big, bold dream? Better question yet: how often have you heard yourself say this? My heart sinks when I think of how many dreams have died because of […]
I felt inspired to write this post because many of the wonderful women in my network either live in or desire to live in the city that I can fortunately call my home: Florence. I wish to give them a perspective that might make their move to Florence or their Florentine life a little easier. Accept or […]
