A small first step can be the greatest distance you ever travel. Our first step is our house in Umbria….we have a house in Giove, in the province of Terni, about an hour North of Rome.

 

Technically, it’s not our house, but we’ve signed a 6 1/2 month lease starting in February through the end of August and wired some Euro’s to seal the deal. I now spend a good chunk of my time each day unleashing my dream of living in Italia.

The home is one of the oldest in Giove. It’s a quirky house, to say the least. There are 3 different levels with 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Outside there are 3 terraces and a pool. Set on a steep hillside with panoramic views, the home is surrounded by woods and fields. It’s dog-friendly and we look forward to long walks in the countryside with Bella.

 

I’m sure we will enjoy the pool, since there is no air-conditioning and 3 months of our stay will be hot and sunny. Nick spent many years running his own HVAC business, so we are pretty spoiled with regard to heat and air conditioning, but what the heck – change is good. It’s not only good, it’s an essential part of a life well lived. We plan to change our 9 to 5 perspective and learn to appreciate the little things, like sitting on the terrace instead of in rush hour traffic.

 

While the weather in Umbria in February isn’t great, it’s about 15 degrees (F) warmer than upstate NY and we’ll experience both spring and summer in Umbria. We are already planning a little terrace garden which will definitely include pomodoro, basilico and peperoncino !

 

We will have 2 Guest bedrooms so there’s plenty of room for friends and family to visit. I hope that my parents come, but health issues and being in their 80’s may make it a very challenging trip for them. When I was growing up we lived in Livorno, Italy for a few years. and I know my parents would love to travel back in time and wait for the wine man to deliver 12 vino russo and 6 vino bianco. We also hope all 5 of our children can experience the Umbrian beauty and its sights, sounds and people, so one day they too can travel back in time to Giove. A new tradizione? One can only hope and since it’s Italy, pray.

 

In the meantime, we have so much to do. We just put our home on the market and it would be awesome if it sold for full price at the perfect time. I need to work through the logistics of getting Bella to Italy. Oh, and we should really work on our Italian language skills. I’ll be dusting off my “move to Italy” project plan this weekend to add some dates and milestones.

 

But tonight, I’m going to share a bottle of Barolo with the man I adore and daydream together about our house in Giove, Umbria.