What being on Italian Reality TV taught me about myself
Casting Call This is the first in a series of entries I’ll be writing about my recent experience being cast as a local expert in a new reality tv show that spotlights four of Italy’s most beautiful and beloved locales: Taormina, Lago di Garda, Napoli and the Chianti (my episode), and features three contestants’ proposals […]
Remember to look up!
I recently read a great article in *The Times about a Pier Paolo Pasolini and Pasolini-film-inspired journey through Italy and I fell in love with the idea because it is exactly the kind of bespoke cultural experience, tailored around one’s passions and loves, that I encourage my clients to embrace. With this article in mind, […]
Sustainable and Sustaining Florence
Earth Month Special Feature 🌳 This strikingly beautiful city, the cradle of the Renaissance, might very well be experiencing a second Renaissance or, at the very least, it’s making mighty efforts to rebrand itself. Always an exceedingly popular tourist destination, Florence has never had problems drawing visitors from the world over who flock to experience […]
Taxing Italy
Demystifying the process of filing tax returns in two countries 🥸 As a US expat parent living in Italy with minor dependents am I eligible for the US child tax benefit? It’s April and that means one thing for those of us from the United States, it’s time to file your tax return! Let’s be […]
Mimosa: the flower, not the cocktail
Why was it that I hadn’t heard of International Women’s Day until I was living in Italy as a young adult? Most Italians I knew were quite familiar with the origin story, which had played out in the U.S., and were quick to share it with me. They also were eager to teach me that […]
Confetti and Stars
Filastrocca Italiana, Italian Nursery Rhyme (translation mine) Buon giorno, Febbraio,Dear February, hello, che mangi frittelleyou, that eat fritters che butti nell’ariaand up to the sky coriandoli e stelle!confetti and stars you throw! In my house, Carnevale is serious business. For many years, however, I routinely forgot about it. As a US expat in Italy, Carnevale […]
Il Corbezzolo: Eternal Symbol of Italy
Let’s talk about the strawberry tree, or arbutus unedo, in Italian il corbezzolo, and its importance in Italian culture. This photo was taken during a walk with Frankie, our Sicilian rescue pup, in the woods just outside of Florence.