An Ordinary Life with An Extraordinary Backdrop

This post is for all you young expats or would-be expats, those of working age who aren't loaded and can't afford to retire and bask poolside on a yacht in Portofino (magari!). I would just like you to know, that as you plan or even just dream about your life abroad, it's going to be pretty ordinary in a sense. You are going to find a job, a hot Italian boyfriend (wink), work during the day, come home, cook, watch terrible Italian variety shows, and go to bed. Repeat. Sometimes expectations of grandeur can cloud the reality of life in Italy. I've spoken with many a prospective expat who all seem to think Italy is an eternal vacation. When I reflect on my day-to-day life, the best way I can describe it is as completely ordinary but with an extraordinary backdrop. It's these surroundings that make the difference. Imagine you took the most heinous, bland play in history but gave it the costume designer of Sex and the City and the best of the best set designers. That's your life in Italy. And the problem with that is it's easy to also become immune to the "set". Often, I try to actively remind myself to take a look around me as I frantically drive home to let the cat in, or to the grocery store to stock up on wine. Therein lies the beauty.

Photograph: My beautiful friend Sunmi perusing a fruit market in Forio, a small town on the island of Ischia in Italy. An absolute must-see and highly underrated by all tourists (except Germans, someone tipped them off!).