Month 6 | Vietri sul Mare, Italy
Where this month found me
Most of this month was quiet – enjoying some downtime while getting ready for a couple of weeks back in Canada. We became nocturnal while cheering on the Jays as they broke records in the World Series (time zones suck). I leaned into filling the slow days with good reads and hours of writing travel content, while also taking a bit of a social media pause. Overarching theme: anything that’s good for the soul.
Finding a rhythm
If last month was all about building a routine, this month was all about living it! In the weeks before heading home to Canada, I leaned into the comfort of routine. With no guests, no work hours, and a slow social calendar, it was nice to have a little self-imposed structure.
Language & learning
Learning a language is a weird, slow process. Especially when it's not learning through a structured course. Mentally I feel like I’m still at the point of, “Solo parlo un po’ italiano.” But this month I’ve started to branch into new verb tenses, and my vocab is definitely broader than it was. My mission for the next couple of months? Get more confident in my speaking and better at listening — even if it’s not perfect.
Side quests
Is travelling to the country you’re from a side quest? I suppose when you’re paying rent in a different country, it kind of is. We’re currently halfway through a two-week visit in Ontario, having spent the first half back in our hometowns with family, the second half will be filled with the “family” we made in Toronto.
People & connection
Before we hopped our flight to Canada, we snuck in a hangout with our Italy friends, Tys went with the lads, I went with the ladies and we all met up for the end of the evening. We chatted about life, future plans, our read of the month… good old fashioned girl talk!
In the week since we landed here, though, we’ve been on the go!
We spent the first few days with Tys’s family. We were treated to a belated Canadian Thanksgiving dinner at his mom’s, a dinner out with his dad, a few hours of treating his niece and nephews (we need to make sure they remember us as the cool ones while we’re away), and had some catch-up time with his sisters.
We drove up to Toronto for a night to celebrate a friend’s 30th. We caught up with some of Tyson’s good friends and snuggled with their seven-month-old — and yes, my baby fever is in overdrive!
Next up was my side of the family. We got together with my Aunt and Uncle who visited us in Italy last month, and their kids along with my mom and brothers, for an “early Christmas”. I went wedding dress shopping with one of my cousin-in-laws-to-be (she said “yes” to the dress). Then we enjoyed a quiet night of board games.
Just before heading to Toronto, we spent the night at my best friend’s new house. Sneaking in a partial Lord of the Rings marathon while filling each other in on the past few months was the perfect way to close out week one.
As we begin week two, we’re feeling exhausted, but happy. Our cups are definitely full.
Culture Shocks
Halloween in Italy is done a little differently than back home. Instead of walking through the residential neighbourhoods, the children flock to the main street in town and trick-or-treat at the local businesses. With most residential buildings being apartment-style with endless stairs, it just makes more sense!
On my bookshelf
I’m finally back on track with my annual reading goal (50 books!) which is more than double what I read in 2024. I read about 4-5 books a month on average, but these were the ones that stayed with me.
Book Club Pick: Dark Matter, Blake Crouch | 4.75/5
This book surprised me, I went in relatively blind to the plot and I think that kept me more engaged. The story is a sci-fi-y read that blends beautifully with an introspective look at what makes your life so intrinsically yours. The main character gets dragged into the multiverse and fights to get home. It made me think about the choices that have shaped me and left me feeling very thankful for the life I’m living.
Personal Read: Alchemised, SenLinYu | 3.75/5
I cheated and listened to the audiobook for this one, which I honestly think was a mistake. It’s a really dense book and a little hard to follow. But overall, I enjoyed the story. I strongly suggest looking at the trigger warnings before jumping on this trending read!
Small joys
Watching Tyson’s six-year-old niece’s face absolutely light up when she saw him was the undisputed number one highlight this month. We picked her up from school, and the joy on that little girl’s face just melted our hearts!
I also have to say this: Italian coffee is delicious, but there is something so comforting about a casual-sipping, “shitty,” Canadian coffee that I will always love. Thank you, Tim’s, for staying consistently mediocre. Ti amo.
The hard parts
Knowing that it will be another six months before we see our families again is one of the most difficult parts of choosing to make this move abroad — especially seeing how much the little ones grow in such a short amount of time. Struggling with the reality of that is something we’ve come to terms with to make this dream happen, but it is hard nonetheless.
What this month taught me
Living abroad isn’t easy. There are going to be days when you feel a little lost, you miss your people, and you notice something you can’t get in your new home that you wish you could. But for me at least, the pros outweigh the cons during this phase of life.
Looking ahead
The next couple of weeks are going to be a little crazy — bouncing around between our friends’ places, then country hopping on our way back to Italy — but then we get home just in time to see how the Italians celebrate the holiday season.
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.
