WOW! What a whirlwind of a summer and fall it has been. We spent the summer traveling Spain, France and back to visit our home here in Italy. Soon after arriving back here to Colmurano our small village in the region of Le Marche, Italy we realised we needed to move back. AGAIN! For real this time as we sold everything in the US and only our family and friends remain.
So we listed our house in Florida for sale from here before we even returned in August from our trip. The plan was to sell the house quick since there was a booming real estate market in Florida and return in time for Justice to begin school here September 15 with the rest of his classmates. Well the best laid plans...We returned back to Florida and the first realtor who showed our home I shook hands with and BOOM! we all had Covid. And I mean had Covid as in high fevers, sicker than ever and not able to get out of bed. I came down with it first and stayed in the bedroom and didn't come out for 2 weeks. But by the second week Rick had it which was really worrisome since he is still on Chemo. Picture is the day we arrived!
Justice, Thank God only got a very mild case and was only down for a day and a half.
I could not believe we had traveled all over three different counties here in Europe and we go back to Florida and the very first physical contact with anyone and we were goners. Anyway so the month of September is a blur as we were all just sick and trying to stay out of each others way. Obviously we are all better now just a few small lingering residual effects from having Covid. And of course Justice did not get back to start school on time with the other kids here. But he is back in school here now with our return this week and he had his first soccer practice last night so all is back to the Italian "normale".
Eventually our plans got back on track in Florida and our house sold (not with the Covid realtor) in a short time and we had less than a 30 day escrow and here we are again. Only about 40 days past our original target return date, NOT BAD considering. 🤪
Arriving back this week we have been immersed again in the lovely, lengthily Italian bureaucracy known to expats as the "Welcome to the never ending paperwork trail". From having to get our Italian Identification Cards replaced which were stolen on our trip to Barcelona during the summer, to getting Justice re-registered for school after being gone for 2 years. Trying to navigate the health insurance application requirements and re-applying for our Italian residency status once again.
Don't even ask about how to get the Italian Green Pass since we have recovered from Covid. Our village doctor retired since we have been gone and the new doctor informed us he has too many patients now and we need to get a doctor in another town. Seems pretty funny to me since our village has the exact same number of people in it as it did two years ago when we left, hum!🧐 Anyway just another thing on our list of things to figure out. But in true Italian fashion we are constantly being told once again "tranquillo" it will all work out. I do love so much how the Italians never stress about anything and another glass of wine or cup of expresso solves all of life's problems. 🍷☕️ The rest of the world should really learn to adopt this life's philosophy and there would not be so much strife.
Our life here has resumed pretty much where we left off, with welcoming guests at our historic farmhouse down the hill from our village and Rick back doing the never ending list of maintenance issues on a 350 year old house. Click here to see it. and me plugging away with my travel business again now that the world has opened up to tourists again. Travel-DreamFamily.com
The picture to the left is our welcome home party, better know here as the "Annual Chestnut and Polenta Festival" which just happen to get going on the day we arrived home. 😀
Since moving here originally in 2013 this will be our third move back. We HAD to leave here in 2016 after the devastating earthquake rocked our region and our homes were in need of repair. So we went back to California for 9 months until we could return here.
Then in 2019 we decided to move to Florida and try out that part of the US. Soon after reaching the fantastic warm weather of Florida the pandemic hit the world and we were happy not to be in Italy at that time. Since it was being ravaged by the virus and life as we had known it here was shut down. We of course looked like geniuses for having moved when we did but obviously we had no idea the pandemic was soon coming. It was purely God protecting and guiding us.
So we will keep you apprised of our new adventure's here in Italy as well as the rest of the world.
But for now, Arrivederci and goodbye 😘 Ciao.
Susan, Rick and Justice
P.S. If you would like to experience "La Dolce Vita" yourself on a regular basis and own a slice of Italian history check out pictures and information here
Our local hardware store owner found this picture of our village home where we live from more than 100 years ago when it was a cantina and boarding house.
Before and After!
If you are looking for a tropical 🌊🏖🌴 vacation please consider our Costa Rica beach house, you can see it HERE!
