It’s nearly time to return to a country that is dear to our hearts.
Why Italy? Why now?
The short answer is that it’s been an aspiration of both Rose and myself to spend an extended time in Italy.
It’s our heritage, we got married there in 2018 and it simply is a beautiful country that we really have only scratched the surface.
Isabella finished 4-year-old kinder last year and is eligible to begin prep in 2027. This represents a chance to fulfil this dream without disrupting Issy’s primary school years.
How it came together
Rose gets the credit as the mastermind. She has been planning this for years. It was one of the reasons why we started Issy in kinder as soon as she was old enough. Rose wanted the option of a ‘gap year’ in 2026.
But it wasn’t until March 2025 that we made the call to turn this into reality. We realised we had the opportunity to do this, especially given my fully remote work situation.
Simultaneously, there were plans to relocate from our beloved, but small home on Greene Street. In some ways, this added complexities to an international move, but in other ways, it simplified packing your life into a suitcase.
It also helped that Rose, Isabella, and Ilaria are Italian citizens and hold Italian passports. I need to pass an Italian language test to get my citizenship (which I intend to do as part of this trip), but I’m eligible for a 12 month VISA that gives me all the same rights as Rose and the kids.
Being an Italian citizen also made it easier to get a rental. Rose’s cousins were a huge help, inspecting apartments on our behalf and helping with the paperwork.
What we want to see and do
First and foremost, we want to experience the Italian culture and lifestyle. We hope that we all return to Australia able to speak Italian fluently.
We won’t be able to see and do everything, especially with two young kids. That is completely fine with us.
Even with many exciting trips already planned, we expect that the simple things will be among the most memorable experiences.
Eyes wide open (yes we are a little crazy)
Even with our extensive Italian relatives as our support network, this will not be an easy trip in any sense. We certainly aren’t doing it for relaxation.
We’re optimistic that the girls will adapt to the Italian lifestyle as well as not having their Australian family and friends around (even if they’ll miss them immensely). We keep telling ourselves that raising kids has challenges no matter where you are.
But realistically, we will be voluntarily putting ourselves in more uncomfortable and difficult situations than if we stayed home. But that’s OK, we have no doubt that it will be all worth it.
The countdown begins
In less than a week, we will be in Italy. As I look around our room right now, the most generous description I can give it is organised chaos. However, I’m confident we will be ready by the time we leave for the airport this Thursday.
We’re excited, but we’d be lying if there are no nerves. But that’s normal. Even though I feel we’re as prepared as we can possibly be, there’s no room for complacency. Especially when you’re faced with a 24+ hour journey on two aeroplanes (and likely two buses at Doha airport) with two kids under five.
Wish us luck. We’ll need it.
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