I’ve spent months reflecting on my time in Italy and reminiscing about my adventures there. Sometimes it takes being away from something to bring clarity. I remember feeling that after I went to Venice for the first time. Venice was so fascinating and not quite what I was expecting! I spent a couple of days there in awe of what I was seeing and how Venicians lived. A few days after I left, I realized what a unique gem it is.
My two-month trip to Italy was mainly to see if I would enjoy living there. I know it’s fun for vacation but does it hold up in a more day-to-day scenario? That was the question!
I was also concerned about spending so much time solo, as I am an extrovert. Spending time alone wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be because I set intentions to get out every day, even for one little outing. (I also had a one-week reprieve from being solo because Noel came for a visit!) I vowed not to sit in my apartment each night watching Netflix. A few simple goals motivated me to find my place in Firenze and Montepulciano. In each town, different activities and a few locals kept me engaged.
Firenze
Even though I have been to Firenze several times, there was more to see! I visited many sites that are off the beaten path, such as Piazzale Michelangelo, Il Giardino del Iris, and Mercato del Cascine. I also attended a trade show and met with Italian professional organizers! (They were fantastic and welcoming! Even those who didn’t speak any English were very interested in my visit with them.) I was a big surprise for them as it is not often that a PO from another country drops by. I was fascinated to see how our personalities as POs were similar despite being from different cultures.
I learned how to make pizza at Thalia’s apartment and enjoyed a small group of Americans there. The local outdoor and indoor markets were a delight! I found shopping for food daily was freeing. There is no need to plan a whole week’s worth of meals because I happened by a market or grocery store every day on my walks. Plus, the refrigerator was the size of my college dorm fridge so there was no way to shop weekly! I also rented a car for one day and explored a few nearby towns for future homes.
Facendo Amicizia
When I was in college, my parents asked my Grandma Daisy to move out of her city apartment and live with them in the suburbs. We gathered she was reluctant about giving up her completely independent living but she did eventually move to the suburbs. One of her main concerns was finding a Dunkin’ Donuts with counter seating. We joked that she needed the counter seating to meet boyfriends! (Truth. It WAS the way she met boyfriends.) The theory is if you’re solo, sitting at the counter/bar makes you more approachable than if you sit at a table by yourself. She found a Dunkin’ in town to her liking and then made the move. In Firenze, I finally understood fully why the counter seating was so important to her!
Instead of watching Netflix, I vowed to make friends at a wine bar, my version of Dunkin’ Donuts. I tried a couple of places before I found Retrogusto and Leonardo. Leonardo owns the enoteca and speaks fluent English. There is a counter with just a couple of seats in his intimate and cozy bar. After coming in several days in a row, I made a new friend. Leonardo was very welcoming as I find most Italians to be. About a week later, I met Francesca, his wife. She is also fluent in English (and French, too, should you need a translator!) and is so warm and welcoming. They made my time in Firenze so much more memorable. I feel like I became a part of the neighborhood! I can do this!
Montepulciano
As April came to a close, I had to say “a presto” to my friends and move to Montepulciano. Tuscany is filled with little hilltop towns like Montepulciano. It seems that if you drive about 20 minutes in any direction, you will find another charming village to explore. It was quite a shift to move from Firenze and it’s 250,000 people to little Montepulciano. But now I had a car and easy access to go wherever I wanted.
Arriving the day before May Day, I looked forward to seeing the village in full festival mode. The village was adorned with the flags of each contrada. There are eight distinct districts in this small village. (From what I have read, there can be quite a rivalry between them, especially on various festival days.) May Day was a combination of a typical Italian outdoor market, a state fair, and an art fair. So much to look at! There were so many options for food to buy that I found myself almost out of options because I waited until the end of the afternoon to decide what I wanted to eat! Damn! What a missed opportunity!
I have been to Montepulciano a couple of times so I already knew where to begin but there was more to discover, even in this small hamlet of 12,000 people. Now I knew what my recipe was so I headed to the top of the hill regularly to hang out at the only place open late daily at this time of the year. They had the required couple of seats at the bar so I was in! There I made friends with English speakers passing through and Victor, who worked at E Lucevan Le Stelle restaurant and wine bar. When he had time, I shared silly cat and toddler videos with him that we laughed at even days after. Victor’s English is very good and cat and toddler videos are in the universal language of humor.
Parents to toddler, “Where are you going?”
Toddler, “Take a shit.”
How did I spend my days in Montepulciano? Making friends for the day, hiking around the hill towns of Tuscany, enjoying the spring flowers, visiting vineyards, trying to cook in my tiny kitchen with limited resources (Ugh! That kitchen was awful), lounging in the thermal spring, drinking wine, and waiting out the chilly, rainy, and sometimes hailing weather early in May. I even went on a date with an Italian man. My time in Montepulciano was mostly fantastic! But if I am going to move to Italy, I have to either find/make a home that includes a few of my must-have American comforts or learn to live without. I’m sure you’re thinking I’ll find a way to get my must-have comforts!
Although I had been to the Tuscan countryside before, I had never hiked. I was missing out, but no longer! My landlord told me about an app called Kamut. It’s a hiking app that provides GPS-like directions as you’re walking as well as visitor comments, hike details, and photos. There were several hikes that I could start right outside my apartment and others that I had to drive 20 minutes to get to the start. I could do this every day!
As May marched on, I was mentally preparing myself for the arrival of my son and our friends. I was so excited to see him! The longest I have ever gone without seeing him was two weeks and now it would be seven weeks! I also had to start preparing to get back to regular life and leave behind my Tuscan life…for now. This was a hard pill to swallow.
The Answers
Can I see myself LIVING in Italy? The answer is YES! I still love the culture, the people, the food, the wine…The positives outweigh a few inconveniences.
Can this extrovert hack it while finding new friends? The answer is YES! As long as there is counter seating at a local wine bar.
Where in Italy do I want to live? I get asked this regularly and I don’t know the answer to that yet. Where I will live depends greatly upon the scenario I find myself in at the time I am ready to move. I do love the countryside small towns but also found them to feel too small at times for a person coming from a major metropolitan area. But only time will tell…Tuscany will probably be my home but I could be persuaded to another region in Italy, given the right circumstances. In the meantime, I will continue learning the language and investigating the steps required to move to Italy.
