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Aperilife featuring Sam Rich

I try to have one-on-one relationships, and I encourage them, because caring about a person and being kind is what I needed when I first came here because I was unsure. I fell in love with an Italian and I had to fall in love with Italy, with the good and the bad. Sam Rich

When I met Sam a few months ago at an event I cornered her, told her how much of a fan I am, and she, with her signature grace and kindness, happily accepted my invitation to be on the podcast and I am so glad she did. Join us this week for an honest and joyful conversation about the reality of life in Italy as we look behind the dolce vita façade and dig deep into the nuances and intricacies of Italian culture. Sam tells us about her first encounter with Italy, the serendipitous moment that shaped her journey, the challenges she’s faced, what’s important to her, and how she’s helping visitors and foreign residents decipher and navigate Italy through her refreshingly honest, insightful, and valuable work. Sam is also committed to mentoring, especially study abroad students, building and cultivating community, and sharing her firsthand experiences and knowledge with candor and heart, to help people make sense of Italy and engage with the culture and Italians in a meaningful way.

Biography and Links

Sam is a globetrotting soul with a passion for untangling life’s cultural threads. With nearly two decades of experience as a flight attendant, she’s soared through over 24 countries, each journey shaping her understanding of people and the intersectionality of diversity. Her journey in Tuscany started with serendipity, meeting her fiancé at a birthday party in San Gimignano in 2016. From renovating their home, a 15th century convent with a vineyard and olive groves, to hosting social events for her expat social club, Fiori d’Italia, practicing yoga, and setting sail, life’s flavors enrich her. Sam’s heart beats for storytelling, and she’s had the honor of sharing her insights at universities, The Florentine, and to her audience of 123K+ followers on social media. The name “Aperilife” is a reflection of her joyful approach to life in Italy. She sees her life as a perpetual happy hour, an endless aperitivo where happiness flows as freely as glasses of prosecco and spritz. She aims to bring together a community of like-minded souls, encouraging them to embrace the cocktail of beauty and chaos that comes with living in Italy as a foreigner.

https://www.aperilife.com

https://www.instagram.com/aperilife

https://www.youtube.com/@AperiLife

https://linktr.ee/aperilifefbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAae8yapxieyK03GdvcM7hK7TUwzOs8UzlNqAU-X_M0BKb9wgCnhTe9WdwuToLA_aem_U-Qz_iftsKOeLcTX_4V6CQ

This episode of 15 with Fosca was brought to you by Foto Locchi, guardians of Florence’s visual memory. The Archivio Storico Foto Locchi is the world’s most comprehensive photographic archive of Florence and its history. Now you can dive into the city’s beating heart with a new video storytelling experience that takes you on a photographic journey from the 1930s to the 1960s, giving you direct access to the soul of Florence’s people, history, and beauty. Experience Florence like never before and step back in time by taking a visual journey through The Archivio Storico Foto Locchi. Prepare to be transported.

https://www.fotolocchi.it/en/archive

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Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis

Production Intern: RJ Plunkett Recorded at Faminore Sound Agency, Post-production: Lorenzo Maiani

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