1. 

   Henriette says:

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   As Val says…both do the ‘value exercise’ and see where you can find eachother on common ground, where you can’t but are willing to accept and where you can compromise. Because you love eachother.
   And you’re not idiots. Stay true to yourself. Love the what is. x

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   Jen says:

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   oh lovelies – look at all the heart-felt understanding from everyone – and it’s all what you would say to someone in your situation.
   Coming off depression/anxiety medication is a really tough thing – and should be done slowly and with medical supervision – they are addictive substances that create a withdrawal when coming off – sending you into a depression/anxiety state when you try to come off them. Definitely could have been a good idea to tell Sam you were coming off them though so he might understand your moods – but he does now, so that’s good.
   Give yourself a break, love yourself as much as you love your husband and kids, relax, be with your mum, be with you. Breathe.
   xxxx

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3. 

   Wynne says:

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   Oh, my dear friends…you are NOT idiots! I mean, think about what you, as a family, have undertaken: leaving everything familiar and easy(ier) behind, to begin a new life in a foreign country without the modern infrastructure (at least in your area) and systems and familiar routines that makes the day-to-day easier elsewhere. It’s a LOT to deal with, and you’re only three years in. It may seem like a long time, but in the duration of your entire adult lives, it’s really not that long. Give it more time, and don’t be so hard on yourselves.

   And Lisa, you’re not “medicating to stay in your marriage” – you’re temporarily taking medications to stay YOU. We women are sometimes cursed with the raging hormonal ebb and flow, and taking care of ourselves so that we may take care of others, is just a part of it. A crappy part to be sure, but a part nonetheless.

   Just remember, one of my mottos: At some point THIS (whatever “this” may be at any given time) will someday not be happening.

   Enjoy every moment with your mum, rejuvenate with your friends and homeland, and come back refreshed and ready to celebrate the new school year and begin the slide into the holidays.

   You got this.

   Much love to you all,
   Wynne

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4. 

   Diane Kosmalski says:

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   Hang in there, Lisa and Sam. You’ll get through this tough period. You’re not idiots; you’re humans trying to live as real and genuine a life as possible. You are so admired. You’ll get through these growing pains. Your commitment to each other and your lives together will see you through. Take the time you need; it’s all part of the journey of living a long life together.

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   Val Smith says:

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   Never call yourselves an idiot. I think I am qualified to make a comment here Lisa and Sam. Neither one of you is an idiot. You both have dreams and I think and believe that your dreams are both valid but entirely different. First thing is to define what it is in life that you both really want. Fred made me sit down once and put on a sheet of paper two columns. One for what I wanted in our lives and the other for the not wants. Then on another sheet how we intended to make the things that we wanted happen. Lisa and Sam this was not easy, but it made it easier to see where we were both going, and how to compromise. I believe that your move to Italy has been life changing for you all, and a fantastic thing for Luca. For you Lisa and Sam I think that you dream is wonderful, but you can both only do so much to make it happen. You are a dreamer Lisa and Sam is also a dreamer, but the dreams are not converging. I saw when I was with you that you are both in a kind of Limbo. There is more to life than struggling through everyday. You both work incredibly hard. Sam you are a wonderful father and tireless worker. Lisa you are an amazing and patient mother especially in your parenting of Luca, who is delightful by the way . Carina also suffers here as well. She is a teenager now growing into a young woman. I hope you don’t feel I have overstepped the mark here, but I lived with a driven workaholic man for 38 years, and yes there were many times I thought. Fuck This, I’m out of here, but like you I was not one to give up. Lisa I hope you have taken care of your health while in Oz and Sam I hope you too will take your health in hand with diet. The juice walk is pie in the sky, and to leave your family for that long is not conducive to happy marriage. I want to say a lot more about all of this but feel that for now I should shut up. I want you to know just how much I love you all and that if I can ever be of any help I am always there for you all. Hang in there and talk to each other without yelling. And finally if you believe you are an idiot you are an idiot. So don’t do that anymore.xxxxx

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6. 

   Melanie Murrish says:

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   Ah guys-wishing you a smooth ride through this. Lisa, I am peri-menopausal….do not underestimate the power that this period in life brings (read:I am like a maniac-Jekyll and Hyde from hour to hour) Thanks for being so open and honest; i truly helps others. <3

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7. 

   Melinda says:

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   Marriage is so hard, no matter where you live or how busy your life is, that constant negotiating with someone just gets bloody boring.
   We have a wedding anniversary coming up and youngest asked how long have we been married…my response…thousands of years!! Ha, I always consider it a miracle of we make it to Christmas and we’ve had a few of them now!
   Hang in there you two xx

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8. 

   Angie B says:

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   Life is like that, when you are married! Enjoy your time in Aus, and then head back home, happy and rested.
   I love your Renovating Italy stories!

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9. 

   Maria Virgilio says:

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   just keepin it real…good for you. I so appreciate your transparency…Most people are not gutsy enough to say it like it is…Everything is an Instagram selfie of perfection, edited and enhanced…Reall Life isn’t always editable…..life happens, struggles happen, mistakes happen, words we can’t take back happen…..the key is when you think about not being with someone through life, whether bad or good and knowing you would be incomplete without that person, then you JUST KNOW…it’s not all fabulous….it takes a lot of communication, laughter, failure, triumphs, tears…enjoy your journey and thanks for taking us along..

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10. 

    Michael Bonato says:

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    After 33 years of marriage, deciding we would begin our life together with a 2 yo and a baby in a 30 ft Bus that we lived in as we converted it. Yeah ” Fuck this ” came into the equation a lot, being torn between reality and emotions and staying together against all odds makes us better people, and the children more understanding about life, as they say, fore warned is fore armed.

    Our experience together as difficult as it has been countless times, made us more determined to get it right, after all we only get one shot at this, and there’s no gain in walking away, if you have already pledged your life to a commitment you truly believe in with all your mind, heart, body and soul.
    Stay strong Lisa, you and Sam have a good thing going, just as family and friends admired the life we chose, you and Sam are being admired worldwide for making a life ” Against all Odds “.

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