Another Italian summer lived and loved

My usual come-back post after living in Italy for a bit. If you’ve followed me for a while then you probably aren’t surprised I didn’t post a blog all summer. In the past year I’ve given myself a lot more freedom with this blog and my social media. Life is evolving and so are they.

As I’ve written in the past, my life in Italy is always so full and I’m constantly doing something, especially during the summer. Friends are always coming and going and everyone is in and out of Rome between summer holidays (mostly trips to the sea to escape the heat). I’m so in the moment in my life there that I usually don’t even think about blogging, though I do spend a lot of time on trains and at cafes writing my thoughts down in my journal—that’s one of my favorite places to be. It usually isn’t until I’m back in the states that I have time to really process and reflect and, as you can imagine, more time to blog.

Now that I’ve gone back and forth so many times, I’ve noticed how different my life is in one place versus the other. The reverse culture shock is always hard, but accepting that my life is different and embracing certain aspects of a slower pace when I return to the states helps me to feel better. It’s now October and I’ve joined a gym near my apartment here in Minnesota and am leaning into slower nights at home working on plans for my future and creative projects. The number of friends I have here has shrunk, I won’t lie, but I’m still happy to spend quality time with the people I love here, before I leave again.

Being a digital nomad as I am now is such an interesting life, and I’m lucky to have some friends who are doing the same and can relate. It’s not easy to go back and forth, emotionally and financially (trying to avoid paying two rents a month is key). But, for me it’s been absolutely worth it. To have more time to live in Italy has been priceless, and nothing I would ever take for granted. When I look back at this year—which isn’t even over—I’m already in awe of what I’ve been able to do.

I’ve built a life in Rome since three years ago when I was an au pair there. Every time I return I pick up right where I left off, and every time it gets better. I become more engrained in my life there, new doors open, connections become stronger, and new friendships and relationships are made. Having such a full life there makes it harder to leave, each time more so than the previous. Which is why I’m really committed now to figuring out how I can move to Italy for reallllllll. So stay tuned on that, as it’s how I’m focusing most of my time, energy, and money right now.

I’m planning to write a post recapping where I went this summer, as that’s always fun to round-up like I did for last summer. I think I’ll write more of a summer reflection in that post, because tonight I really just wanted to say hi and write this update post. (To be honest, I’m a bit overwhelmed still to even put this summer into words, it was so magical and exceeded all my expectations.)

Plus, soon I’ll write my annual ‘where I traveled this year’ post, which I already can’t wait for. It’s always interesting to see where I wanted to travel in the year vs. where I actually went—and now that I have a fully remote job that I love I feel like I have even more freedom to control my life and travel where I want. Making it happen has been a big theme for 2022. And like I said, it’s not even over yet.

Anyways, expect more posts from me now that I’m back at my desk in the states with more time to write here. And as always, let me know if there’s anything you want me to cover. This blog was born out of the desire to share my life with others and inspire you to live intentionally and beautifully, so I’m always happy to see how else I can help you do that. xxMaggie