Why Italy?

And we say…” Why not?!”  This world is full of incredible places, experiences, cultures, yet Italy, above any we have experienced thus far, is a country that stole our hearts.

Our first experience was back in 2006. This is embarrassing to admit, but our Italian knowledge base was pretty sad. With questions to each other like “Now is Rome a country or a city?” …well, you get the idea. So yes, there was a bit of a learning curve to deal with!

We opted for a breakneck speed bus tour with Globus – see as much as one could during one swoop through Italy. It was fabulous. We hit many of the bucket list experiences, but most importantly…we walked away with an education that granted the mindset and confidence of “We can do this beautiful country on our own!”

Fast forward to now…the winter of 2025. We have logged thirty trips to Italy, from north to south, east to west. We have a workable grasp on the language. We are blessed with Italian friends. We struggle to go anywhere else when the opportunity to plan a trip arises. We are truly smitten. And now, as a novice retired couple, we are ready to launch that pipedream of living in Italy.

Many Americans have done this, of course, and in a variety of styles. Some leap off the cliff and never look back. Others return to a generational region or village and reconnect with their roots. Some opt for a part-time experience which avoids the need for visa regulations, etc.  Due to family situations and admitted caution, our journey shall begin with the aforementioned 3-month trial …trying on Italy for a designated amount of time that we feel will give us enough data to know where our desires lay.

Despite a handful of locations in Italy that feel like home to us, we decided on the moderately sized town of Spoleto located in the region of Umbria. Just southeast of Tuscany, Umbria features many similarities. Rolling emerald hills, majestic mountains, vistas of serene vineyards and regal olive trees, lakes and rivers, and more than enough charming hilltop towns to keep the imagination in overdrive. Perugia, Orvieto, and Assisi are several of Umbria’s more well-known towns, each unique and lovely for countless reasons.

We spent a week in Spoleto in the fall of 2024; it seemed to meet the criteria for what we assume will be important in considering a place to call home. Not too big, but not too small…a train station…lived in rather than a major tourist hotspot…and I’d add charming/quaint/historical, but those descriptors apply to just about any place in Italy! Each day as we wandered Spoleto and became acquainted with her alluring charms, we grew more enamored. Welcoming piazzas, beautiful medieval architecture, hilltop vistas, and charming twisting cobblestone streets felt so comfortable and easy. We chatted with locals, visited a few museums, dined in trattorias and found a favorite aperitivo spot. Transitioning our mindset to slow-down-imagine-life-here mode, we concurred – this could work!