Month 5 | Vietri sul Mare, Italy
Where this month found me
Winding down, enjoying the bliss of having nowhere to be, and holding onto the end of the warm weather for as long as we can. We hit the brakes after a highly scheduled summer and just enjoyed the day-to-day.
Finding a rhythm
Living without structure is fun and all, but there’s a comfort that comes from a little bit of routine – even for this nomadic soul. And I’m leaning into it, scheduling time each day for things that I want and need to do.
Reading: I am extremely behind on my goal of reading 50 books this year, so I’m starting my days by grabbing a book and reading at least a couple of chapters.
Language: Setting aside time each day to work on my Italian, I’ve been relatively consistent, but in the midst of constant visitors it's hard to keep the daily habit. So I’m committing at least 30 minutes a day to the task.
Movement: Moving my body. Back in Toronto, I was regularly making time for spin classes, and sprinkling in a pilates class or two, on top of home workouts. Since moving here, trying to keep up with that just hasn’t happened, and I miss it.
Creative Work: Treating developing this blog like a job so to speak, I’m committing a few hours a day to creating content and sharing my travels.
Side quests this month
Compared to the past couple of months, this was a quieter month. We started off month five aiming north, where we spent a few nights in Rome and then continued up to the small Tuscan town of Arezzo. While we were in the area we took a short train ride over to Florence to spend a few hours wandering the artsy city.
A couple weeks later we also spent a day in Pompeii, walking the ancient streets and marveling at the wildly well preserved ruins. But, other than that, we’ve kept things local, enjoying our chosen home.
People & connection
My mom headed back to Canada shortly before the end of September after our time in Rome and Arezzo. While we were in Arezzo, we spent a little time with my aunt and uncle who were spending a month in Italy (really making the most of retired life). They ended up taking a few days down in Vietri a couple weeks later. We showed them around, played card games, drank wine, and had a great time.
Tyson and I checked out a couple of vintage markets in Salerno with a few of the other expats we’ve met, and I discovered the other girls are also readers! Book Club: Italy Edition has officially commenced. First book? Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch. I loved the book club back home, and starting one here is something I’m so happy has panned out!
Culture shocks
Italians seem to believe that as the seasons change, you should dress for the expected weather, rather than the weather that it is. Let’s run a hypothetical situation:
If it is 27° (celsius) and sunny, on August 27th would you wear:
a) puffer coat, pants and a scarf
b) shorts and a tank top
c) sweater and pants
Now, if it is 27° (celsius) and sunny, on October 7th would you wear:
a) puffer coat, pants and a scarf
b) shorts and a tank top
c) sweater and pants
If you didn’t answer A for the second scenario, in Italy at least, you are wrong. So, as a couple of Canadians wearing shorts and a sweater in 18° weather out for an evening gelato run? Endless side-eyes!
Allora, è così.
What this month taught me
There is as much beauty in routine as there is in chaos. I think I’ve always leaned away from too much structure, but I think the best scenario is a happy medium between the two.
Looking ahead
Month six is on the horizon! Truly unbelievable. We’re heading to Canada for a couple of weeks for an early Christmas of sorts. We’ll be hopping through a couple countries on our way back to Italy. Really looking forward to seeing friends and family, especially Tyson’s niece and nephews who grow so much in such a short amount of time.
A dopo!
Since moving abroad, I’ve had a lot of people ask how we managed visas, work, and housing logistics. We figured most of it out ourselves — but in hindsight, having support would’ve saved a lot of stress.
I’ve recently partnered with Languages Canada, who help Canadians apply for Youth Mobility Visas, find work, and get settled abroad. If you apply through them using my referral link, you’ll receive a $200 Air Canada voucher. I didn’t use this service personally, but something like this would’ve been so helpful during our planning stage.
If you’re in the “thinking about it” phase, this might be a good place to start.
