Five years ago today I embarked on an adventure that would change the course of my life. Dramatic any? Oh yea. But it is also true. Five years ago today-on April 18, 2006-I bid a tearful goodbye to my mom, dad, sister, nephew and a culmination of 30 years of life as I’d known it....Read More
I’ve spent hundreds of hours over the last few years reading blog posts and articles about Italy-many of which were written by my real-life expat friends and blogging buddies. Some of those posts serve their immediate purpose, offering a good laugh, a useful tip or an encouraging word of expat life-related advice. Other times, they...Read More
You know how sometimes you find yourself smack dab in the middle of a group of people … everything seems to have come together for a reason and things just generally click? Man, I love that. If you are a regular reader, you might have noticed My Bella Vita’s newest series, Experiencing Italy, written by...Read More
You know how your mom said something as a child that always stuck with you and you find yourself remembering those wise words well into your adult years? Well, when I was young, I had a hard time understanding the Mother’s and Father’s Day gift-giving rituals that excluding us kids. “But when is Kid’s Day?”...Read More
One of my new favorite hobbies is going through my Stat Counter and Lijit reports and discovering which terms readers search to reach this blog. Popular terms include “Pasta Puttanesca Recipe,” “How Do You Eat a Persimmon” and “Things You Shouldn’t Say in Italy” – and we’ll get back to that in a minute. It...Read More
I type this post-one day before it’ll be published and you’ll read it-on the one year anniversary of the day my life forever changed. Yes, that sounds dramatic-and those of you know me know I have that flair … but this time, it is true. One year ago today I received that middle-of-the-night phone call...Read More
Ahhh … it is here. The day we’ve waited for … longed for … dreamed about. It is World Nutella Day 2010, so let me be one of the first people to say “Auguri,” and welcome you to the party. Those of you who know me well, know I’m an avid party planner. I don’t...Read More
On an average, I’d say my husband and I get 10-12 emails a month from English-speaking guests asking about our bed and breakfast in Catanzaro. And nine times out of 10, I’m the one who responds. Most of these would-be guests are interested in visiting Catanzaro because their family tree has branches here in Calabria...Read More
Overused cliches, “when it rains-it pours,” “between a rock and a hard place,” and “every cloud has a silver lining,” were born from seeds of truth that grew into expressions people pick and use as needed. But I always thought, “if it rains-it pours … .” Who cares? In the end, you still get wet!...Read More
All of the Christmas talk around here has me decking halls, caroling carols and rockin’ around the Christmas tree. Well … the decorations. What? Doesn’t everybody? And all of this good cheer is just too much to keep to myself. So today I’m gonna borrow a theme from Bleeding Espresso. I hope you all will...Read More
