Katie O'Brien

My parents took me on my first camping trip when I was 2 months old and I haven’t stopped traveling since. My curiosity for new people, cultures, landscapes, food, ideas and opinions has brought me to where I am today: married and living with an Italian in a small town in Tuscany. But this blog catches me at a particular juncture in my life: preparing myself and my husband (and our dog) for a move back to the States. In my 5+ years on the ‘ol’ boot’ (as I lovingly call her) I’ve been so lucky to meet people from all different backgrounds. From the African immigrants who arrived by boat with nothing but the clothes on their backs to the Chinese immigrants in the textile industry to American expats like myself to Italian families who are so connected with this land that their ancestors date back to the Etruscans, I’ve learned so much from them all. I’ve also immersed myself in ‘la bella vita’ and in doing so have tried to adopt/embrace all of the positive cultural aspects of life here in Italy to the best of my ability and I’ll be looking as to how to carry on with the same back in the USA. From the hilarious to the depressing, all the delights as well as trials and tribulations that come from living in another country, it's been a wild ride that has made me grow in ways I never predicted. So now that my time in this wonderful country is coming to a close, I’m taking advantage of that ticking clock to finally get some these experiences on paper (or screen in this case) with hopes of continuing the journey once we move, and all the reverse-culture shock that will ensue.

In the end, the blog (http://thisameritalianlife.net/) is coming about because I feel like I’d explode if I kept all of it inside any longer. If it ends up that only my family and friends will read this, then that’s enough for me, but please feel free to comment/share a story of your own. My philosophy is: the more we know about it others, the more we can relate and understand other cultures/beliefs etc, the better off we all are.