People ask this constantly. Why did we buy a house here, why did we actually move our life to this specific country, out of every option on the map. More than I ever expected, honestly. And every time, I’m a little surprised by the question because I assumed everyone already gets it. Italy is one of the most romanticized countries on the planet. Do I really need to explain myself?
But the question keeps coming, so fine. Here’s the real answer, the one behind the decision to actually buy a house and build a life here instead of just visiting. It’s longer than “the food and the beaches,” even though, don’t get me wrong, the food and the beaches are absolutely still in there.
A Basic B*tch Answer
If you’d asked me ten years ago why I’d ever consider living in Italy, my answer would’ve been embarrassingly basic. Somewhere between “country house chic” and a Pinterest board titled Tuscan Summer. Olive oil, golden hour, a linen tablecloth I’d never actually own. That version of me wasn’t wrong, exactly. She just didn’t know anything yet.
Budget was a real factor when we finally bought a house and I’ll never pretend otherwise. And Italy wasn’t the only affordable option on the table. We seriously considered Greece, Spain, even a Balkan country or two (still love it there, for the record). So the budget answer alone doesn’t explain why we landed here specifically. There’s a bigger reason underneath it…
