Ciao For Now: Estrella of La Casabloga

Hello and Happy Humpday readers! I'm back today with the inaugural post for my newest series called "Ciao For Now" where I'm doing something a little  unconventional- chatting with former expats who lived in Italy at some point in their life and ultimately left. We see so many blogs and stories about people who are currently living the fabled "dolce vita", but what about the ones who made the leap and then said "ciao for now", "arrivederci Roma", "alla prossima"? Being a naturally curious person, I see a ton of potential in making these stories known. Being an expat is not easy for anyone and sometimes I think Italy might be one of the hardest places to adjust to and I think that opening up this topic to discussion will hopefully help some of you who are maybe in a dilemma at the moment whether considering moving here or moving away from here. This is a series for all of us who have ever had a dream, lived it, and found a new one. It's a series for you, you with the little sing-song voice in your head saying- should I stay or should I go? 

Introduce yourself.
My name is Estrella. I'm a first generation Salvadorian-American raised in the south, also lived in Miami for 4 years before taking the leap abroad and spending almost 2 years in Italy. I currently live in Los Angeles, CA. I come from a large family of 8 siblings (including myself) and have a toy poodle back home named Marley, who I adore. 

When and where did you live in Italy? 
I lived in Italy from 2016-2018 with a short stint back home the summer of 2017. I lived in Rome the entire time. 

What brought you there? 
I went for the love of travel and Italian culture. My partner and I vacationed in Italy for a week a year prior to moving there. We completely fell enamored with everything and it was during that 8 day vacation that we decided we wanted to live there. 

What made you leave? 
We found it difficult to imagine a life there long term as our financial situation wasn't the most sustainable there. We also were English teachers in Italy and wanted to go back to working in our respective fields pre-Italy, which is marketing and finance. 

Where are you now? 
I just relocated to LA 4 weeks ago!

Any regrets? 
Not one. Moving to Italy has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. 
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Do you think you'd ever return to Italy? 
Absolutely! Given the right time and circumstance, I would in a heartbeat. 

I asked two more questions to Estrella:
What do you miss most about Italy?
What advice would you give someone contemplating leaving Italy?

To see her answers, click here to head over to her blog, La Casabloga! Grazie mille Estrella for being part of this series and being the very first guest interviewed! Keep an eye out for more additions to this series, and more importantly, if you would like to share your story, send me an e-mail! ​​​​

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