It's been more than four years now since we planted that first seed to retire in Italy. Though it took years of research, planning, and multiple trips...our Italian dream finally became a reality. We often ask each other, "Can you believe we're doing this?!" Looking back on this journey, we realize how many beautiful memories we've made along the way, too...but our favorite one was the very first scouting trip to Italy...
We were so excited to finally be able to explore this new country we had researched as a potential retirement location. For months, we had spent countless hours researching the various regions of Italy and the pros and cons of each, when the decision was made to zero in on the Abruzzo region. Known as the greenest region in Europe with three national parks and several nature reserves, it is uncrowded and still very traditional. It is an outdoor lover's paradise!
We scoured the internet, bought Italian travel books, and reached out to ex-pats who had made the journey before us. Then in March of 2019, we set off to see for ourselves what this land they called Abruzzo was all about.
We flew into Milan, jumped onto a train to the centrale train station, then boarded a fast train south to Pescara, where we would rent our car. For the next 10 days, we drove all over Abruzzo, going wherever our curiosities took us, finding lodging for the night wherever we could find it. We stayed with several beautiful families, met the local people, ate the most fantastic food, and fell in love with Abruzzo. Mind you, we didn't know any Italian. It was indeed a memory-worthy adventure!
After returning home from that awe-inspiring trip, we felt Abruzzo calling us back. We made another trip in that same year, this time looking at WHERE in Abruzzo we wanted to be. We stayed in air bnb's and bed & breakfasts to connect with the locals. They are a wealth of knowledge, very friendly, and very helpful.
We stayed in both the villages and the countryside, trying to get a feel for which we liked best. We ate at the local restaurants, shopped at the local grocery stores, had coffee at the local bars, ate gelato at the local gelaterias, and hung out in the piazza to watch and visit with the locals...we had to imagine ourselves actually living there. Then we asked ourselves, "Are there things to do?" "Do they have the amenities we are looking for?" "Are the locals open to foreigners?" etc. Our list was narrowed down to a few quaint places.
Again back home, we spent most of our evenings with a glass of wine, poring over the endless real estate listings in our chosen areas. We hoped to find a detached house (do you really want a home that's attached to someone else's?), a garden out back, 2 bathrooms (because my husband hogs the bathroom), and a village with amenities like a butcher, a bakery, a grocery store, a market, some shopping, restaurants, and bars. And importantly, a village that was not too far away from a bigger city for larger purchases, doctors, etc.
Then the pandemic hit, and that put an end to our traveling back to Abruzzo for a while. With everything on hold, we spent the next 1 1/2 years educating ourselves on the Italian culture, learning the Italian language, cooking Abruzzese recipes, looking at more properties, and drinking more wine.
Then one evening, we finally found "it." Oh my gosh! The house we had been looking for! It was situated in the beautiful village of Caramanico Terme, and we had to go see it!
I, along with two of our daughters, jumped on a plane to see the house a week later. I made two appointments to see it…one for the first "WOW, I love it" moment, and a second appointment the following day, to view it a bit more aggressively, paying attention to potential problems.
The owner, Miss Anna, insisted on being at each showing. She was not just going to sell her house to anyone... after all, this was her family home, and it had been in her family for generations. She and her siblings had been born and raised here. Now a spunky 87 years old, she was the last surviving member.
She could see that I immediately fell in love with the house, and I assured her that our intention for the house was to love it and take care of it as her family had. Other than making some energy updates to the windows and doors, the heating and cooling, and possibly updating the kitchen and baths, we loved the house just as it was. After our second viewing, I made an offer. Before we left Italy, Miss Anna had accepted our offer.
Two months later, we were back in Abruzzo again for our closing. My husband, Andy, had never seen the house we had just bought! It was amusing to watch his reaction the first time seeing it. :)
Now the work began...We still needed to complete a 16-year-long restoration project of our 1794 Kentucky home. Upon completion, we still needed to sell it, finalize our jobs, and find a home for 42 years of accumulated stuff. 2022 was the year we made all that happen. After saying goodbye to our house and wrapping up all the final details, we headed to Atlanta to stay with our daughter for a few days before our departure to Rome.
Back in Caramanico Terme, we spent the next 3 months getting our new house set up and learning all about village life. (We'll be sharing this adventure in an upcoming post!) We recently returned to the United States and are anxiously awaiting our visa appointment with the Italian consulate in April. Like, seriously anxious...the anxiety type of anxious!
In the meantime, we are moving around in our RV from place to place, trying to take advantage of this time to stay active and get into some sort of routine. So far, we have snorkeled with the manatees, taken scuba diving lessons, played putt-putt golf, taken many sunrise and sunset beach walks, and done lots of trout fishing in the mountains. As the Italians often tell us..."Piano, Piano!"
