The Italian Dream - we book the tickets

INSPIRATION

we are moving to Italy!

‘Do one thing every day that scares you’

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

We are moving to Italy.

At last the Italian Dream is coming true.

This is the post I have waited to write yet funnily enough it is the hardest one to complete. I have sat on this news for a few weeks both excited yet incredibly flat. And you know what, as my friend Diana Baur would say…I am letting myself be at peace with that.

We have at last booked our tickets, all our struggles now have an end date. We are now able to work backwards from the future, which is an idea I love. So within the next six months we will have our Italian dream, we will finish the renovation of the units, sell everything, pack away my treasures, finalize the kids school, and say goodbye.

We fly out in March to our Italian Dream via a two week stopover in Bangkok. Everything is booked so we have no option other than to be ready to go. This year we will be spending our last Aussie Christmas in Melbourne with my family which we haven’t done for many years. Our kids hardly know my side of the family, or our traditions. I can’t wait to show them how we celebrate Christmas.

It has been a hell of a year, in so many ways... some I can share, others I can’t. Life became complicated this year, our health has suffered as a result. Luckily in a way, because I have developed anemia which led me to being tired, dizzy, out of breath with heart palpitations. I say luckily because this has led me to discover a problem with my heart which I need to sort before we can go anywhere. Both my brothers, my Dad and my Grandmother have had heart problems so I am taking this seriously, yes a bit worried.

Normally very upbeat, enthusiastic and positive I am struggling temporarily.

One thing I have learned is that it is okay to reach out for help, that we don’t have to work through this alone. It seems we still have one more mountain to climb before flying down the other side to our Italian Dream.

With such a lot to complete in the next six months it’s not the best time to go into “overwhelm” or to suddenly realize that we are not invincible. So I hope you will forgive any glitches or forgetfulness on my part temporarily here online. I must put my family and health first right now.

We are endeavoring to create a less complicated version of life.

Yet I only have to say the word “Italy” to start dreaming, it’s going to be incredible. We have so many places and people to visit, friends to meet in person at last.

Oh yes and another house to renovate!

and the gang x

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57 replies

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Gina - Our Global Adventure says:
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Oh my goodness, I feel your anticipation, this is exactly where we are at now, (minus the reno’s but we do need to sell a house!). Thanks for sharing this post Lisa, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog 🙂
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Gina it’s so nice to meet you and glad we connected. I know that time of trying to sell a house believe me, it felt like forever before we sold ours and were able to move to Italy. Good luck with the sale xx ciao lisa
lapiubelladitutte says:
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For a person who can draw a straight line, that’s more than enought!!!
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lapiubelladitutte says:
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And I thought getting an Italian ID was difficult, silly me, he he!!!! Dealing with the Italian comune can certainly teache you patience!!! By the way also keep in mind that Italians do not speak english unless they work in hotels or in tourism in general!
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  luckily Sam speaks fluent Italian and we have so many more friends now to help us out if we get stuck (the joys of social media). I’m sure we’ll be in for lots of fun!! xxx
- lapiubelladitutte says:
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  Nice, good for you !!! You will have so much fun trying to communicate in English with Italians I can assure you!!! he he he!!!
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh yes, I’m definitely going to get some kind of translating gizmo to carry around. I’m sure the kids will pick it up quicker than I will. A notebook and pencil won’t go astray to do some quick drawings to help the translations LOL x
- lapiubelladitutte says:
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  If you can do some drawings, you are a lucky one!! Lol!!!!!
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  we’ve been practicing with the Pictionary, LOL x
lapiubelladitutte says:
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Congrats! I can assure you from personal experience that life in Italy will reward you for all the pain and the troubles you had. Everything won’t be perfect off course, but living in a place you love, does give you strength to deal with all the dificulties. And if you have any tips about buying and then renovatinh a casa d’epoca I would love to hear them!!!
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Grazie it’s wonderful to hear from others who are loving life in Italia. I think this time I will be able to accept the differences instead of fighting them, and our children are older so they will add to the experience all that they love. I’m sure we will have lots to post about buying and renovating very soon! ciao lisa x
- lapiubelladitutte says:
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  You are welcome, I am sure you will do fine, no doubt about it! Just be prepared for the italian bureaucracy which is in italiano described as pazzesca!!!! I might be interested in renovating as weel, time well tell!!
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh yes Maria we’ve had Italian bureaucracy first hand….trying to get sprinkles on my daughters ice – cream one time LOL!! The lady at the counter gave me a very stern “No!” even when Carina started crying she wouldn’t budge. Turned out sprinkles are only for yoghurt I found out when my hubby returned. By that time I had blown a fuse (I’m normally very calm) and yes she got the sprinkles after lots of arm waving, hysterics and yelling by the overly protective Aussie Mummy. Funnily enough we saw two other kids with sprinkles after that so maybe she changed her mind.
  
  Renovating certainly teaches you patience!!
  ciao love lisa x
Trisha Thomas says:
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Lisa — Your posts are always so lovely, warm and heartfelt. Although I have never met you, I feel near to you as a Mamma of three children who loves her children, who loves Italy and who has dreams galore. I give you all my support as you face your challenges. Italy is here waiting for you– as stunningly beautiful as ever. I am on a train heading to Ferrara because I have been invited to speak at a Ferrara Journalism Festival about my blog. I am so excited, no one has ever asked me to speak about my blog before! I am travelling through the Italian countryside at dusk and I can’t tell you how gorgeous it is. I, too, have been facing some challenges recently and I, like you, am searching for ways to simplify life. Life threw us a curveball this summer when one of my children became ill and spent a month in the hospital. It has been the most difficult challenge I have ever faced and we have to take one day at a time. So, I am with you — family and health first– and let’s keep our dreams alive. Hope to meet you some day when you are in Italy. Hugs, Trisha
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh Trisha, thank you so much for this, I don’t know how I missed your comment. How exciting and I hope your time at the Journalism Festival went well. Your blog is one of my favorites and I look forward to seeing your posts (and love the drawings and pics). It is so frightening when your children are in hospital and I’ve never had ours in for more than a day so I can’t imagine what a month would be like. As you say take one day then the next slowly slowly. Sending you and your family all our love and I’m sure we will meet up sometime next year. Family and Health!!! xxx love lisa
Carla Coulson says:
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Oh Lisa thrilled for you and your family I got goosebumps when I read the line “I only have to say the word Italy to start dreaming” your dreams are going to be reality all too soon.
Carla xx
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  After all this time longing, planning and working flat out towards our dream it’s about to happen! Yahooooo!
  Just the start of another big adventure for the famiglia Chiodo xxx