Introductions

Ciao and Hello!

Welcome to our blog! The place where we'll detail all the exciting stuff around our escape from the UK and into the Italian Alps. Join us on our adventure, follow our challenges, successes and excitement as we start a new life, create new businesses, explore the country and create a sustainable life for ourselves.

Who we are

We are a family of 5: Neil and Sabi, Leonardo and Lucia and Lobo (the dog). I am sure you'll learn more about us as time goes on and I won't bother with detailed write ups now.

The main thing you need to know is: Sabi is Italian, born in the 'borough' of Piedmonte back in 1982, Leonardo was born in Piedmonte in 2016, while Neil and Lucia were both UK born (1985 and 2019). 

As luck would have it, our marriage allows me, as a UK citizen, to gain residency in Italy without any issues, with this, I can maintain my European residency and freedom of movement that would otherwise be lost to me. 

Lobo, the dog, joined us in October 2020 from Portugal, with a Spanish passport meaning that I (Neil) was the one person in our family most limited in my ability to travel abroad!

Where it began

Approximately 6-7 months into the UK Corona Virus Pandemic (October 2020), we started serious discussions about the idea of relocating to Italy. It was a subject we'd spoken about before, and even browsed houses online before, but it had never been a serious, short term plan. In October, we got serious.

Sabi, being Italian, was keen to be closer to her family again, lockdown and limited travel meant our usual annual visits were missed. While back home, although we didn't feel the effects of it, Brexit weighed heavy on our minds and the future for our kids. I was more than happy to drive forward on a new adventure, pursuing a better quality of life away from a country that appeared to be falling further and further into a state of hatred, corruption and xenophobia. 

Once we had made the decision, we properly and seriously started browsing houses, considering our budgets and potential work and school options. This is, without doubt, the best bit of the process. Excitedly browsing the Italian 'Zoopla' looking at houses that, quite frankly were way out of our budget alongside others that were affordable because they were falling down, or indeed one (a particular favourite of mine) that was a set of three ruins, set in 5 hectare of Sweet Chestnut woodlands. The cost of knocking down and rebuilding was probably a bit much, so we moved on from that option. 

While we browsed houses, we thought about the other important bits and pieces: how can we make money? where will the kids go to school? 

The second question was neatly answered by a friend of Sabi who told her about a 'forest school' in Italy that spent 80% of their time out in the woods/meadows no matter the time of year. We were immediately sold and found one relatively local to the area we were browsing houses for (it seems fate was on our side). The first question was and remains the biggest question. How can we make money? Lots of options and as it stands, we'll be exploring a range of viable business opportunities and jobs and seeing what sticks. 

It's all a bit terrifying. 

Here is Lobo.