With a father born in Italy, and maternal grandparents from there too, I have always felt like a guy with one foot planted in the U.S. and the other rooted in Italy.  About 5 years ago this feeling led me to sign up for Italian language courses. At 50, I thought language acquisition would be strong stimulation for my brain and also get me a little closer to my roots.  This has been a fun and challenging journey that has led to many new friendships and connections.  Learning a language is kind of like planting a tree – you really don’t see any daily growth, but come back in 5 years and the changes are clear.  That said, I still feel like a sapling.  It’s a humbling process for sure!

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On a trip to Umbria and Emilia Romagna about three years ago, while sitting at a café with my wife Eleanor enjoying aperitivo, I thought “wouldn’t it be cool to live here for a year?”  Visiting is fun, but as tourists, making real connections with people is difficult and fleeting.  What I was dreaming of was becoming part of the scene for a while; know the barista, frequent the same farmer’s market every day, make friends at all the wonderful shops and restaurants, volunteer to do some good.  We talked about this and it seemed like a dream and just that.  We returned home, and the dream followed.