Bentornati a Love Story Lunedì and you might be wondering why I'm all of a sudden welcoming you in Italian. Well loves, today I have a special treat. It's my first footballer sharing a love story that is very close to home, in fact, he used to play for Bergamo's team- Atalanta! Godberg Cooper is the definition of young, cool, and talented. The Ghanian-Italian (he was born right around the corner from me in the comune of Seriate) was super eager to share his story with his new love, Gloria. Their relationship is the stuff of what the future looks like for young Italians. As the children of immigrants and their children come to a sense of belonging in Italy, more and more, we will see these mixed culture relationships between Italians of every skin color. It's an exciting time but there is also a long way to go and I can't say that these couplings aren't subject to the close-mindedness of prior generations and even the ignorance of younger ones. We can only do our very best to usher in a more inclusive and accepting era by supporting each other, sharing stories, and most importantly, living and loving to the best of our abilities. There is nothing that can demonstrate love knows no race, culture, language, religion than by being proof of that to the world. This is what I hope to be contributing to in the tiniest way with these love stories.

Notes: I've provided the original text in Italian and the translation was done by me below.

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
Il mio nome è Godberg Cooper e ho 21 anni, sono nato in Italia precisamente a Seriate (BG), ma ho origini Ghanesi, da l’età di 3 che gioco a calcio ho giocato pure nell’Atalanta e ora mi trovo in Portogallo in una squadra di Serie C in prestito dall’ Auroca squadra di Serie B. Dal 11 di gennaio quindi 2 mesi sono fidanzato con Gloria, italiana di 20 anni, però ci sentiamo dalla fine di Agosto inizio Settembre. Penserai che siano pochi mesi, ma per come è la nostra relazione mi sembra di conoscerla da decenni e soprattutto per le cose che condividiamo e che continueremo a condividere.

My name is Godberg Cooper and I'm 21 years old, I was born in Italy in Seriate to be precise, but I have Ghanian origins. I've been playing soccer since the age of 3 and I even played for Atalanta. Currently I'm in Portugal in a Serie C team on loan from Auroca, a Serie B team. I've been together with Gloria, a 20 year old Italian, since January 11th, so 2 months, however we've been talking since the end of August/beginning of September. You'll probably think that's not many months but for how our relationship is, it's as if I've known her for decades and especially for the things that we share and that we'll continue to share.

Curator's Note: Una volta eravamo proprio vicini di casa, quando ero appena arrivata in Italia, abitavo a Seriate! We were once pretty much neighbors, when I had just arrived in Italy, I lived in Seriate!

Where and when did you meet your significant other?
Sembrerà bizzarra come cosa ma io l’ho conosciuta tramite sua sorella, perché inizialmente “”mi scrivevo”” con lei su Instagram, poi un giorno ho visto Gloria in una delle sue foto, e da quel momento le ho scritto e abbiamo iniziato a sentirci. Purtroppo però una settimana dopo, sua sorella l’ha scoperto e anche se ne io ne sua sorella "A" avessimo avuto niente, in termini di relazione, anche perché il nostro sentirci era basato interamente sull’amicizia, senza nessuna malizia a lei dava fastidio che io scrivessi a Gloria, quindi da quel momento per non creare situazioni difficili e per rispetto di sua sorella ha deciso di chiuderla.

Destino vuole che io chiarissi con "A" perché a me Gloria piaceva molto e sistemate le cose abbiamo iniziato a risentirci.

It'll seem bizarre but I met her through her sister because initially, I was writing her on Instagram, then one day I saw Gloria in one of her photos and from that moment on, I started to write her and we started to chat. Unfortunately though, a week later, her sister found out and even though her sister "A" and I never had anything in terms of a relationship (our communications were entirely based on friendship with no bad intentions), she was annoying that I was writing to Gloria so from that moment, I decided to end things with Gloria in order to not create a difficult situation and out of respect for her sister.

Destiny wanted me to clear things up with "A" because I liked Gloria a lot and having fixed things, we started talking again.

Curator's Note: Sei stato un vero gentiluomo quando hai deciso di chiudere tutto per non mettere a disagio sia "A" che sua sorella, non tutti i ragazzi della tua età avrebbero preso la stessa decisione. Ma come hai detto, non puoi combattere ciò che è destinato ad accadere. You were a true gentleman when you decided to end things to not make things awkward for both "A" and her sister, not all guys your age would have made the same decision. But as you said, you can't fight destiny.

What was your first impression of her?
La prima impressione che ho avuto di lei, tralasciando la bellezza che si sa, per prima cosa la simpatia, quando una ragazza mi fa ridere è fatta, il suo sorriso stupendo, il suo essere timida, gelosa ma allo stesso tempo decisa e tenacia, e poi il modo in cui mi parla e i suoi modi di fare, davvero anche un solo piccolo gesto tipo un “ciao amore” a me rende le giornate felici, per me lei è il mio punto di riferimento e di questo ne ho davvero bisogno soprattutto perché sono da solo in una paese “straniero”.

The first impression that I had of her, aside from her obvious beauty, was first of all her kindness, (when a girl makes me laugh it's over), her amazing smile, her shyness; she's jealous but at the same decisive and tough, and finally the way that she talks to me and her mannerisms - really even just a little gesture like a "hi love" makes my day. For me, she's my point of reference and I need this, especially because I'm alone in a foreign country.

Curator's Note: Alla fine della giornata, la cosa che conta davvero e stare con la persona che ti fa ridere. At the end of the day, the thing that counts the most is being with the person that makes you laugh.

Dish on the first kiss.
Il nostro primo bacio è avvenuto il 23 di ottobre tra l’altro giorno del suo 20esimo compleanno, io ovviamente per il calcio mi trovo in Portogallo e vivo pure li, ma per lei anche perché non ci eravamo mai visti, ho voluto farle una sorpresa, e non ti dico quanto è stato bello vedersi per la prima volta dopo 3 mesi di soli messaggi, e la felicità di baciarla, cosa più bella in assoluto.

Our first kiss happened on October 23rd, which also happened to be her 20th birthday. Obviously for soccer I'm currently in Portugal and I live there but since we had never seen each other, I wanted to surprise her and I can't tell you how amazing it was to see each other in person for the first time after 3 months of only messaging and the joy I felt in kissing her, the most beautiful thing by far.

Where do you live now?
Io ora vivo in Portogallo e lei vive in Italia.
I live in Portugal and she lives in Italy.

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
Un consiglio che possiamo dare per le relazioni a distanza, è innanzitutto la fiducia reciproca anche se è più difficile, perché per noi la fiducia sta alla base di tutto e senza quella non si va da nessuna parte, successivamente la comunicazione e il confronto perché essendo lontani, è più facile fraintendere ciò che il Partner dice, per cui non abbiate paura a dire ciò che si pensa e a parlare dei propri dubbi, soprattutto se si è ansiosi, perché altrimenti a lungo andare, le paure che vi tenete dentro diventeranno ostacoli per la vostra relazione.

E inoltre cercate di essere il più presente possibile in quanto, essendo già la lontananza un’ostacolo è importante far sentire la propria presenza al vostro partner seppur lontani, in modo tale da condividere giorno per giorno le vostre esperienze INSIEME.

Consiglio invece per le coppie miste, di non ascoltare i pregiudizi altrui, ma di seguire sempre il vostro cuore che è la cosa più importante, l’amore vale più di qualsiasi cosa al mondo.

Some advice that we can give for long-distance relationships is firstly to have mutual trust, even if it's more difficult, since for us, trust is the basis of everything and without it, you can't keep going. Next, communication and dialogue because being apart, it's easy to misunderstand what your partner says so don't be afraid to say what you think and to talk about your doubts, especially if you're a worrisome person, otherwise in the long-term, the fears that you keep inside will become obstacles for your relationship.

Furthermore, try to be present as much as possible, with distance already being an obstacle, it's important to demonstrate that you're there for your partner even if you're far apart, in order to be able to share your experiences day to day with one another.

For mixed couples, I would advise them not to listen to the prejudices of others but rather to always follow your heart which is the most important thing- love is worth more than anything else in the world.

Curator's Note: Cosa posso dire, non avrei potuto dirlo meglio. Siete saggi nonostante la vostra età e spero che continuerete ad essere un esemplare esempio del potere d'amore. What can I say, I couldn't have said it better myself. You're wise beyond your age and I hope that you'll continue to be an exemplary example of the power of love.

Submitted by Godberg.

Here's how you can connect with him:
Instagram: @godbergcooper

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME BELOVED READERS AND ROMANTICS. I know, I've been terrible at being regular and I'm not talking about my bowels. This series is called Love Story Lunedì and I should be posting a new story every Monday but fortunately or unfortunately, life also happens and Mondays come and go without me realizing it. So here we are, better late than never (literally the unofficial motto of every Italian I know so it's befitting really). Sometimes I think I'm selfish for doing this series, profiling couples from all parts of the world. It just tickles my heart and lifts my mood to think about all these people who have moved mountains for love and I'm really so honored to be privy to your stories.

Today I have Kelly, who is actually one of my Instagram friends that I've yet to meet in real-life, but somehow I feel like I know her so well already. We're both far from home, she's from Cape Town, South Africa and are married to impossibly handsome dark-haired Italians with names that start with M. That's about where the similarities end though, because Kelly's Italian is named Michele and he hails from the land of everything delicious and by that, I mean he's from Piemonte where Barolo and truffles come from! They have a killer meetcute that involves what they call "the love boat" and their adventurous souls have taken them across the globe from the US, to South Africa, the Netherlands, and now, Italy. Kelly was kind enough to write us a backstory, so I won't steal her thunder.

THE BACKSTORY
Michele and I have a keen passion for travelling and at the time of meeting, we both worked for a
company who operate spas onboard luxury cruise vessels. I actually remember the day we met like
it was yesterday! I had come back onboard, to the spa, after spending my morning off in Venice.
Michele had boarded our ship that day to help us install some new online booking system. (I knew
somebody would be coming onboard to do that for us, but I assumed it would be a lady because I
recalled seeing a note saying “Michele” was coming onboard. Needless to say, I had no clue it was
an Italian name for a guy?!? Lol! That is… until I saw this handsome, well-dressed, dark-eyed, dark
haired man standing in front of a door I needed to enter inside the spa!!!). Fast-forward, our love
story took us to living in a few different countries since then; the US, South Africa, The Netherlands
and of course in Italy.

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
My husband comes from the amazing region of Barolo and truffles – yes, that’s right, Piedmont! He
was born and raised in Torino; he’s a city boy with a great love for the mountains! I come from the
beautiful coastal city of Cape Town, also known as the Mother City, or the city that has a mountain
in the shape of a long table (it really does, Google it!) in South Africa. I, on the other hand, have a
great love for the ocean!

Curator's Note: If I lived in Piedmont, I would surely be a glutton/alcoholic. Truffles and Barolo are probably two of my favorite things in the entire world. I'm jealous of YOU and you being related to this region via marriage. 

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
Michele and I met on what I like to jokingly call our “love boat” lol! Seriously though, we met on a
cruise ship back in 2008.

Curator's Note: This love boat thing is so entertaining. What a great way to tell it, fabulous for cocktail parties. It's amazing how being in one place at one moment in time can change your life. 

Who made the first move? 
Hmmm, good question… boh!? We worked together so it’s a bit challenging to say, as we both
didn’t want to break any professional boundaries! I’d say we started off as friends and as we got to
know one another, I’d have to say he made the first move, with those dark alluring eyes! (You know
the “speaking with your eyes move” lol!)

Curator's Note: THE EYES THE EYES THE EYES. Oh I know. I know girlfriend. Sometimes I have to avert my eyes from random Italian strangers because they look at you in a way that makes you feel like you're cheating on your husband almost! I don't know where they have perfected this art but, seriously, Italians, we give you a 10 e lode for it. 

Where did you think he was originally from?
I think I’d probably have to go with American because he had a bit of an American accent when
speaking English, but at the same time, I could hear he was foreign.

Curator's Note:  This is the first time I've heard of someone mistaking an Italian for an American!  I'm impressed. Bravo Michele! 

What was your first impression of her/him?
I thought he was smart, professional, and serious at times but also very friendly, funny and
approachable! A charming enigma!

Curator's Note: A charming enigma, that's Italian men in two words. 

Where do you live now? 
We currently live in Como, in a little town along the lake. It is soooo very different to all the places
we’ve lived in, however we have come to enjoy it!

Curator's Note: I'm hittin' you up next time I'm there, we come often on the motorcycle in summer. It's a gorgeous area. ​

Have you learned each other's languages?
Well… let’s start with Michele, lol! He’s fluent in English; he had learnt the language before we met.
Myself, however, it’s been a few years in the making. I must say though that since living in Italy it’s
come a heck of a long way, I’m still not where I’d like to be but it’s getting there, piano piano! Living
here really forces you out of your comfort zone and motivates you to learn, even if you sound
ridiculous half of the time! Everyday is an opportunity to improve!

Curator's Note: Absolutely, especially the last thing you said, you have to approach it that way  to keep moving forward in learning. 

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
To mixed culture couples: Be respectful and open minded about each other’s backgrounds and
cultures. Things will certainly be different compared to what you’re used to, but find a good balance
and make it work for both of you. I always try to see our differences as a good thing, as they say; variety
is the spice of life!

Long-distance couples: Technology is a great thing, so use it! Communication and trust is key in order to make dealing with the long distance a little easier. I also believe that being on the same page about
your goals in life will ensure that your happily ever after works out in the end!

What do you love most about being married?

This one’s a tough question because there are sooooo many reasons why I love being married to my
amore! I love that I have my biggest supporter as my partner in life and we get to share all kinds of weird and special moments together! Also, I get to have the best cozy sleep over parties with him every night!!

Curator's Note:  That's why it's so important to marry someone you consider to be your best friend because then marriage really is like getting to have a sleepover with your BFF every night and with no mandatory lights-out time either! 

Submitted by Kelly. 

Here's how you can connect with her:
Instagram and YouTube: @curly.expat ​

Welcome to the first Monday of March! Today we are finally going off the Italy trail for a bit and I have to say I'm really excited about it. Not that I don't love all these Italian + foreigner stories because I do, but I think it's about time that other cool combinations get a moment in the spotlight too. A cool combination like Sonja and Ricky, for example. She's from beautiful Switzerland and he's from the City of Angels in the great US of A. I particularly wanted to share their story because I think it's a glaring case study into the new era of dating and relationships. With Instagram, Snapchat and so many other apps, young people these days aren't just looking at the boy or girl next-door as potential relationship material, now the entire world is one big playing field and every country is fair game. Throw in a lingua franca like English and you've got a love story like this one- young, international, and connected by Instagram! 

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
I'm from Switzerland and Ricky is from Los Angeles.

Curator's Note:  I'm thinking of Switzerland and thinking of Los Angeles and about how different your places of origin are. 

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
He found me on Instagram and we started talking, The first time in person we both met in London at the airport.

Curator's Note: Oh Ricky, just sliding into the DMs. Did you know that this is how a lot of celebrities hook up as well? I think Nick Jonas slid into Priyanka Chopra's Twitter DMs and now they are the cutest couple ever. How much do you adore the first meeting at the airport? This is why I have always loved airports. Yes, they are places of grand goodbyes which are the absolute worst but they are also the setting of beautiful beginnings. 

Who made the first move? 
He made the first move. He send me a DM on Instagram.

Where did HE think YOU were originally from?
He had no clue where I was from at first because I looked so exotic to him.

Curator's Note:  I've always found this attraction to the exotic to be a very valid motive for people ending up with foreign partners. The whole idea of something being unfamiliar to us, the curiosity drive, is definitely alive and well. 

What was your first impression of her/him?
I was overwhelmed by his beautiful smile! His aura drew me in.

Curator's Note: I personally find that Americans smile more and "bigger" than Europeans. Apparently there's actually evolutionary reasoning behind this as well that has to do with immigration in the United States and the fact that in the past, in order to overcome language issues, people would smile and use non-verbal communication to connect with others. 
​

ALOHA! If you follow me on other social media, you'd know I've just come back from a wonderful stint in Hawaii visiting my mom and grandma and drinking all the coconuts. Sorry to leave ya'll so love-deprived over Valentine's week and all. But I'll make it up to you today because we're back with another love story today and it features a Canadian and Italian...sounds familiar eh? Loriana was working in a bar in Termoli when her friend Michele showed up with a blue-eyed hunk...*hunka hunka burning love*. She found out his name was Giovanni Carlo and basically had the same reaction as Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun when she first asks Marcello his name, it went something like "...of course it is". Of course handsome Giovanni Carlo walked into the bar and the rest is history. Actually no because these two love birds JUST GOT MARRIED! After 13 years together and 7 years of living under the same roof, Giancarlo and Loriana got married on July 28th, 2018 and she made a stunning bride at 60 to prove that love stories can happen at any moment in life, even when it's late in the game (ok, I quoted Under The Tuscan Sun again, I'll just stop now). 

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
​I am from Montreal, Canada and Giancarlo (Giovanni Carlo) is from San Martino in Pensilis but was born in Juvisy in France.

Curator's Note:  Three cheers for Canada! Hey girl heyyyyy...!! 

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
We met in 2005 when I was working at a bar in Termoli (in the region of Molise).

Who made the first move? 
Well let’s say me...because he came in with a friend of mine Michele, so I called Michele the next day and said, "Next time you come with a good-looking guy please advise me!". 

Curator's Note:  Oh I love it, you totally made the first move! 

Where did you think he was originally from?
I knew he was Italian...good-looking and well-mannered.

Curator's Note:  I hope that there are very few Italian men that read this blog because they're all going to end up rather high on themselves, look at all this praise they get! 

What was your first impression of her/him?
Wow, his eyes...blue like the Mediterranean Sea. When he spoke he was gentle but what hit me was that he was a  man... Not pretentious, kind, and he was smart, he is well learnt in art, history, and culture so we can talk for hours on so many topics.

Curator's Note:  This is a common underlying theme again, just growing up in Italy and having all the art, history, and culture as part of the educational norm really sets these guys up for success if I do say so myself. 

Dish on the first kiss!
That was such a long time ago, but it was after a few dates...One evening when we had gone out for dinner he kissed me like usual but then he looked into my eyes put his hand in the back of my head as though not to let me get away and kissed me with such passion that I felt his love. 

Curator's Note:  That sound you just heard was the sound of a million girls swooning and a few fainting onto concrete sidewalks. Oh who doesn't want to be kissed like that....! 
​
Where do you live now? 
We live in San Martino in Pensilis, (Molise) because Giancarlo is an Architect and has his studio there.

Curator's Note: I have never visited that area but I would love to. 

Have you learned each other's languages?
I knew a little Italian but mostly dialect but living in Italy I picked it up easily, Giancarlo who worked in Bosnia with Americans and Canadians understands English and speaks it let’s say “good” for an Italian! 

Curator's Note: "Good" for Italian is already great! 

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
I think it’s important to understand where he is from, if he is from a small town and is of a certain age and/or has a specific job then don’t expect him to move! I was living in Termoli for example, and that has a population of 45,000 thousand people...one day I asked him, "why don’t you move your office to Termoli’” he said, "no, my life is here in Molise and my contacts and my work etc". Thus it’s important to accept and understand where they are from. 

Submitted by Loriana. 

Hey lovers, sorry I'm late this week. I'm actually typing this out while watching the first night of the Sanremo Festival. If you're not Italian or living in Italy, it's a music competition strictly in Italian and I absolutely adore it. Today I'm showcasing a couple that are very close to me, in a geographical sense as well as emotional one because Enzo is a BERGAMASCO. I want to know what's in the water in Bergamo. Seriously. On this series, I think I've featured a handful of couples with Bergamo Boys and in addition to these, I know another handful that I haven't been able to feature due to privacy issues. You can read them here:

​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Jasmine and Massi
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Angela and Davide
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Brittni and Alberto
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Jennie and Davide

What can I say, the girls love the immensely sexy accent from this region of Italy I suppose (this is very hilarious if you're familiar with dialects and accents because the one from Bergamo is quite strong and distinctive and not exactly regarded as "sexy" by most listeners!). Anyways, our Enzo stole the heart of Nina, an all-American girl from Illinois. They met in Bergamo of all places, while she was studying abroad for a summer. Who knew that studying abroad is like code for "falling in love with an Italian"?! This is a fun post because it was actually submitted by Enzo, so it's always fun to have the male perspective on a love story. I had the chance to meet up with these two when she was in town visiting Enzo and I'm honored to be able to feature them! Read on! 

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
I’m from Bergamo, Italy and Nina is from Illinois, USA but now lives in Florida aka the Sunshine State. 

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
We met at the University of Bergamo where Nina was studying abroad for a summer. We had friends in each other classes and we would all hang out together. Almost 4 years ago, time sure flies! 

Curator's Note:  I always considered Bergamo such a small place but in truth, there are tons of international students that come and go. Time flies when you're having fun kids! Definitely a good sign. 

Who made the first move? 
I made the first move one night at a outside party on the wall of Città Alta. I asked her to dance. Oh gosh, I remember I was so embarrassed! 

Curator's Note:  Again, it's like your Italian boy DUTY Enzo. I wouldn't have published this story if you hadn't made the first move. I love this asking her to dance thing though. You don't get that so much as a first move anymore hey?

Where did you think SHE was originally from?
Nina was the foreigner, but I already knew she was American because of the university program. Definitely her look did not resemble an Italian girl.

Curator's Note:  I am so immensely curious about what you mean by that last line. 

What was your first impression of her/him?
Nina: My first impression of Enzo was that he was a “player”. He talked to EVERYONE so I thought he was flirting with all the girls (maybe he was ).

Enzo: My first impression of Nina was difficult to describe. I really wanted to talk to her but at first she looked kinda of introverted and it took me a while to ask her for her phone number. The more I talked to her, the more I wanted to know more about this girl. I got compelled by her smile, so natural and contagious. 

Curator's Note:  Nina, your description is cracking me up but I could definitely see that about Enzo. He's incredibly sociable although he's Italian so maybe he WAS flirting with everyone. 

Dish on the first kiss!
Ah the first kiss! It is said you can’t forget the first kiss. In our occasion, our friends took a sneak picture of us kissing for the first time. It happened in Città Alta at the party that we danced at.

Curator's Note:  OMFG so you actually have this photo, this moment captured in time forever?! That is going to be perfect for your wedding slideshow...! 
​
Where do you live now? 
We are still long-distance for a few more months after almost four years. I live in Bergamo, Nina lives in Miami. I will move to the USA soon!! (TBD what city!)

Curator's Note: I can't wait to find out which US city you choose!

Have you learned each other's languages?
I knew English before we met but I have improved, and I lost most of my British accent (I’m slightly turning American but I don’t want to admit it). Nina is slowly learning Italian. She’s getting better and better and I’m sure she will be able to speak it soon. 

Curator's Note: What's wrong with an American accent?! I'm mildly offended hehe. I'll just have you know that whenever I'm in London, I always get complimented on my Canadian accent! 

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
Our advice is simple: talk about everything and be each other’s support. If you’re long distance try to make time for phone calls every day if you can, talking to each other is important.

Be open to their ideas. There’s not one right way to do most things. We are still learning this one!


Submitted by Enzo. 

Here's how you can connect with them:
Instagram: @theitalianguest, @ninamclernon 
Blog: www.theitalianguest.com 

Welcome back lovers, we're at the start of a new week and I'm so excited to be sharing today's love story with you. This is a testament to the digital age, the age of Instagram in particular because Chiara and I came to know each other through Instagram and coincidentally, it's the same way she met an Italian boy named Andrea while she was studying "abroad" in Siena with Erasmus. Why did I just say "abroad" with quotations? Well in case you didn't notice, Chiara is an Italian name and Chiara is in fact, ITALIAN, her parents are both Italian but she was born and raised in Germany. Andrea is a born and raised Tuscan (my favorite!). After connecting on Instagram, the two had one of those magical Italian summers. She didn't actually tell me this but I can imagine it because Tuscany at the height of summer is pure magic - it's sunsets over terracotta roofs, that golden light that only exists in Siena and the Val d'Orcia that pours into the piazza and drips into the narrow backstreets, everything is gilded and everyone is drunk on Rosso di Montepluciano and you can't escape the romance, it's just the best moments of life, period. I think I could fall in love with a rock if you just give me a July evening in Tuscany, a sunset, and a bottle of Brunello. Let's get on with it and find out the love story behind this pair of dark-haired stunners. 

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from? 
I’m Italian, but I was born in Stuttgart, Germany (I’m living in Germany). Andrea is from Piombino, Tuscany. He studied law in Pisa and moved back to Piombino.

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
He wrote me on Instagram in in the middle of July. He came to visit me in Siena on the 28th of July (I lived in Siena for one year, studying abroad/Erasmus).

Curator's Note:  Hip-hip-hooray, three cheers for Instagram and its underlying matchmaking abilities!

Who made the first move? 
He did. We wrote for a few weeks and he wanted to meet me immediately, but I had exams in July., so he had to wait to meet me personally! He was always very interested and wanted to call me and talk.

Curator's Note:  ...but of course he did, otherwise he wouldn't be Italian right? 

Where did you think he was originally from?
He first didn’t understand why I’m Italian  although I was born in Germany. But since my parents are both Italian I got the Italian nationality/passport and never took the German one. Also it was confusing for him that I studied "abroad“  in my home country, haha. But I missed Italy and always wanted to live in Italy. Also studying art history in Italy became even more important for me, because I fell in love with Italian Art.

Curator's Note:  This made me giggle. I just find in general that Italians seem to struggle with the concept of people being born in countries that don't align with their actual ethnicity. I've had to explain so many times and go back so many generations in my family to explain how I was born in Canada and not an Asian country! However, how lucky you are to be able to have to many cultures and languages to call "home". 

What was your first impression of him?
I really liked the sound of his voice and how he looked at me, no one ever looked at me like he did. I was really impressed by the feeling he was giving me, it felt like we knew each other already.

Curator's Note:  I hear this one time and time again which really leads me to want to do some kind of research as to why and how Italian boys are so good at LOOKING AT THINGS. Do ya'll think it's because they've grown up being taught to appreciate beautiful things and are constantly surrounded by beauty so they're just experts at staring? Someone please do a thesis on this. 

Dish on the first kiss!
Well our first kiss was an accident. He came to Siena by train and I was picking him up at the train station. I saw him and said "ciao" and we kissed each others' cheeks, just the traditional Italian Cheek Kissing. Normally you lean first to he left and then to the right, but I was kind of excited and confused left and right! That’s when our accidental kiss happened. He just smiled  and said that he liked this kind of greeting and kissed me again.

Curator's Note:  Oh goodness, I ADORED THIS. I feel like I can picture exactly how this happened. I love how the Italian cheek kiss gets you up close and personal with everyone and almost lends itself to happy mistakes such as this one! 
​

So today is January 21st, the so-called "saddest day of the year", otherwise referred to as Blue Monday. But, ladies and gentleman, you've come to the right place at the right time because it's Love Story Lunedì and I've got something rather unique in store for you. This story I'm about to share was not submitted to me, but rather, it is the real-life love story of author Malena de Blasi. The 66 year old American writer and chef was born in New York and was living in Saint Louis when a routine trip to Venice would change her life forever. On November 6th, 1993, she would find herself sitting with friends at a local bar, sipping Amarone when a stranger called asking to speak to her. The stranger ends up being a Venetian named Fernando who had noticed Malena not only on this trip, but on a past occasion that she was in Venice nearly a year ago. She speaks mainly culinary Italian, he speaks even less English but yet eighteen days after their fated meeting, Fernando arrives in Saint Louis, USA. The two are now married and living in Orvieto, Italy.  She writes about their meeting and her eventual move to Venice and their wedding in one of my all-time favorite books about Italy: A Thousand Days in Venice. The photos I've included are of my actual book, it's been read probably a thousand times and every other page is dog-earred. This book is particularly close to my heart as it in many ways "accompanied" me on my own journey in preparing to move to Italy, I even gave it to my husband to read. As all of you probably know, I'm a sucker for a love story and this is without a doubt, the ultimate grown-up love story. Read on lovers. 

NB: I did not interview Malena for this feature, the answers come from what you, as a reader, would be able to divulge from her book. I thought it would be a fun twist on the prompt for this month's Dolce Vita Bloggers linkup which was "your favorite Italian book or book about Italy". For more information about the linkup, click the LINKUP option in the Top Menu. To add your own link, scroll down to the bottom and click the blue button and follow the instructions. 

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from? 
I am from Saint Louis, Missouri and Fernando is from Venice, Italy. 

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
We met in November 1993 in Venice. He called me multiple times at a Vino Vino, despite always being there in person, he could never work up the nerve to approach me face-to-face. Instead, he would leave the restaurant and call and ask to talk to me. He would ask me in very studied English something along the lines of " Is it possible for you to meet me tomorrow, alone?". I would always respond no but on my last morning in Venice, I finally decide to meet him and it was magic. I found out that he had seen me in Venice last December in Piazza San Marco when he described to perfection my long white winter coat. 

Who made the first move? 
Fernando did of course, with all the persistence of a typical Italian! He absolutely wouldn't take no for an answer and luckily that was the case otherwise we wouldn't be where we are today. 

Where did you think he was originally from?
I knew he was Italian due to his extremely formal and almost school-like English he used on the phone with me. 

What was your first impression of him?
That he looked like Peter Sellers! I really noticed the blue of his eyes and how he is all at once, both shy and familiar to me. 

Dish on the first kiss!
Five hours have passed since I left the hotel. I call my friends who are still waiting there, and I vow to meet them and my baggage directly at the airport. The last flight to Naples is at seven-twenty. The Grand Canal is improbably empty, free of the usual tangle of skiffs and gondolas and sandoli, permitting the tassista to race his water taxi, lurching it, slamming it down brutally onto the water. Peter Sellers and I stand outside in the wind and ride into a lowering, dark red sun. I pull a silver flask from my purse and a tiny, thin glass from a velvet pouch. I pour out cognac and we sip together. Again, he looks as if he's going to kiss me, and this time he does- temples, eyelids, before he finds my mouth. We're not too old. 

(excerpt from Chapter One of A Thousand Days in Venice)

Where do you live now? 
We live in Orvieto, Italy. 

Have you learned each other's languages?
Yes we have, although we tend to speak in Italian when we're together. 

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
Close the distance as quickly as you can, if you hearts are in it, you will find a way to overcome all the difficulties. There will be doubts and doubters. I left my children behind in America and it was one of most heart-wrenching of decisions. "I knew the difference between going off to university, knowing that home is few hundred miles away, and having one's mother dissolve that home to go and live in Europe. Now home would be six thousand miles away, not accessible on long weekends.". 

For more information about Marlena de Blasi and to check out her numerous books about Italy, check out her Amazon author page. 
​

This is part of the #DolceVitaBloggers Linkup – #12 January 2019.
​We are looking forward to another year of this wonderful community. Our goal is to connect over our shared love of Italy. Thank you all who have participated before, and those who join in the future!
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below!
​
Past #DolceVitaBlogger Link-Ups:
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup – #11 October 2018 – Hilarious Travel Mishaps
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup – #10 September 2018 – Favourite Italian Recipe
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #9 August 2018 - Culture Shock
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #8 July 2018 - La Dolce Vita
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #7 June 2018 - Hidden Gems in Italy
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #6 May 2018 - Five Italian Words
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #5 April 2018 - The Perfect Day in Italy
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #4 March 2018 - International Women's Day
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #3 February 2018 - A Love Letter to Italy
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #2 January 2018 - Favourite Italian City
​#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #1 December 2017 - 'The Italian Connection

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to "dare un'occhiata" at all of the  Love Story Lunedì. 
There are so many amazing stories to read so make sure you're all caught up. And should you want to share your own story or know of a couple who would, please get in touch. The majority of these stories have been brought to me through word-of-mouth, so let's keep spreading the love. 

Here are our past Love Stories in no particular order: 
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Sherry and Andre
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Faith and Valerio
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Bianca and Luca
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Paula and Pontus
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Alicha and Dennis
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Arachi and Ciro
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Genia and Mattia
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Amanda and Michelangelo​
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Carmela and Paolo
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Evelyn and Fabio​
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Margarita and Andrea​
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Viki and Que
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Athena and André
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Rosa and Rocco
​​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Hayley and Mike
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Philippa and Nick
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Camie and Marco
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Alannah and Eros​​
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Cheyenne and Giulio
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Jade and Daniele
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Chloe and Andrea
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Coral and Riccardo
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Rachel and Riccardo
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Daria and Francesco
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Briana and Dami
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Kayla and Luca
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Sarah and Michele
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Bailey and Carlo​
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Gregory and Stefania
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Sofie and Emilio
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Isabel and David
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Jasmine and Massi
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Tiffany and Adam
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Angela and Davide
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Kristie and Graziano
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Brittni and Alberto
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Maddie and Gio
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Jennie and Davide
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Lauren and Luigi
LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Rebecca and Leonardo
​LOVE STORIES by Questa Dolce Vita: Jennifer and James

I know it's late but better late than never right? First off, wishing all of you a wonderful start to this new year and hoping it'll be overfilling with love and happiness. If you need a few extra drops of those, you've certainly stumbled on the right place today. Let me just assure you, this one has all our favorite classics including an American abroad, a hot TUSCAN summer night, a crowded piazza, and a winking Italian. IT ALSO INCLUDES talking all night until the wee hours and the most awww-worthy wake-up call. Faith is a Maryland-native that stumbled upon the world's sweetest Italian in Arezzo, Italy while attending graduate school in the Tuscan city. Clichés fell into the place as they always do and Valerio stole her heart by being a normal Italian boy (read: handsome, charming, stylish, romantic, affectionate, and the list goes on!). Read on lovers. 

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from? 
I’m from Maryland in the United States and my boyfriend Valerio is from Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. I came to Italy about 2 years ago to go to graduate school in Arezzo, and met Valerio after I had been there for a year. 

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
I met him in a crowded piazza on a hot summer night (classic). I was out with friends (also American students) and some of them had met Valerio already so they introduced us. He was asking what I was doing here in Italy, and I told him I was studying theatre. When he shook my hand he said to me in Italian, “I can tell that you’re an actress,” and then throughout the rest of the conversation he kept winking at me. What a flirt. By the end of just five minutes, I thought, “Okay, this is going to be something.” 

Curator's Note:  thank you so much for setting this scene, I think there's nothing I love more than a hot Italian pizza on a crowded summer's night. PIAZZA I MEAN. PIAZZA, not pizza. A CROWDED PIAZZA ON A HOT SUMMER'S NIGHT. But also pizza. 

Who made the first move? 
He did! As a group we walked from the piazza to a block party in celebration of the joust (I totally feel like I’m living in medieval times sometimes) and we hung back to walk together alone. I remember he stopped at a little prayer shrine to Mary and said, “Oh Santa Maria, please help me teach this girl Italian!” Then we walked to a little park and sat and talked for hours, and that was where he first kissed me! The next morning he texted me “Buongiorno!” and I saw him again that next night, and every single night after that. 

Curator's Note:  the best lines in this whole thing are clearly "we walked from the piazza to a block party in celebration of the joust".  I doubt I'll ever read anything more #LivingInItaly as long as I live. 

What was your first impression of him?
My first impression was that he was handsome and very charming, but I could also tell instantly that we had chemistry and that he was as drawn to me as I was to him. I also noticed what a good dresser he was, and in general really put together. Being an American I wasn’t so accustomed to men being better dressed than I am! Then, as the days progressed, I was pretty blown away by how affectionate and romantic he was, physically and verbally, and how forthcoming open he was with his romantic side. I remember the first night he spent the night at my apartment, his phone alarm went off in the morning, and it was “At Last” by Etta James, one of the most romantic songs of all time. I remember being so surprised and impressed by his emotional side and attentiveness to me! He was also just so fun – he’d show up and surprise me with random treats or to ask me to go on a walk with him. 

Curator's Note: my little 'ol heart just melted all over my kitchen table. Seriously, it's a huge mess and it's all your fault. In order to enhance this part of the story, I've included the song that was Valerio's phone alarm below so we can all just listen to it as we mop up our melted hearts and mould it back into place. 

​Dish on the first kiss!
We were sitting really close and talking about something, and he looked into my eyes and said, “sei molto sensibile” and then kissed me. Then he walked me home and we basically stopped and kissed every quarter mile. And that was just the first night we met!

Where do you live now? 
We live in Arezzo!

Curator's Note: I am coming to visit without a doubt. Thanks for the invite guys! 

Have you learned each other's languages?
Valerio’s English is so so good, and we mostly communicate in English. I am in the never-ending process of learning and improving my Italian, but we probably speak 70% English and 30% Italian. We try to speak it more, and get a little better every day! Sometimes he speaks in Italian and I answer in English, or I speak in Italian and he answers in English, or we just throw a random word in the other language in there every so often when we don’t know the translation. Our translator app is our best friend. Anytime we have a fight Valerio gets impatient with me because I talk a mile a minute in English and he’s trying to translate everything he wants to say but I talk too much to let him, haha.

Me not being so great at Italian is a big struggle for me mostly because I have a hard time participating in conversation when we’re with his friends or family, and I feel like it’s hard for Valerio’s loved ones to get to know me, because I can’t adequately express everything I want to. It can be embarrassing or isolating for me at times. That sucks, but I know the better I get at Italian the easier it will be. 

Curator's Note: we have ALL been there, every single one of us that has ever been featured on Love Story Lunedì. I think I've only ever featured one couple when the non-Italian half was already studying Italian in school prior to meeting her fellow. So just want to tell you that you're not alone and that this period won't last, it only goes up and sometimes it doesn't feel that way because it's hard to notice your own improvement in a language over time but trust me, you are improving. 

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
I always say that being in a mixed culture couple is a blessing because you can never run out of things to talk about. We are always discovering new things about each other or about each other’s culture. Of course miscommunication and cultural differences occasionally create challenges that other couples don’t have, but I think we’ve both learned to be more flexible and understanding because of them. 

Curators note: this is so true, Massi and I are always having fun explaining new words in Italian or English to the other and just the other night, we got into a big discussion about something in English that he interpreted one way and that I interpreted in another. 

Submitted by Faith. 

Here's how you can connect with her:
Twitter: @thefsullivansho
Instagram: @faithsulli
​

After a short dry spell there (hey, it's all relative), I am back with another love story for you and just in time for the holidays. What's a better gift than sharing some love right? Sometimes I can't decide if these couples that I have the honor of connecting with exist in real-life, that's how incredible their journeys are. Today I have Bianca, who grew up and was educated in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, and Luca, originally from Sassuolo but now finishing up his post-secondary studies in Milan. It was love at first smile for these two who broke all the rules of shared accommodation and fell for each other as if it were a Hallmark movie plot- Bianca was Luca's AirBnB host. Over the past 10 months, they have been in 7 countries together and lucky for me, they've found themselves in Milan for Christmas! Bianca, as a fellow lover of words and the power of language, has written a beautiful account of their jet-setting story so I'll leave the floor to her now...

Where are you from and where is your significant other from? 
I was born on Long Island, NY and have spent my childhood and college years in NY, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Luca is a Sassuolo native, and moved to Milan for his undergraduate, graduate, and now postdoctoral years.

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
In my living room, where he had been pretending to be typing on his laptop while sitting on the couch and I had just come out of the first-floor bathroom.
 
He has since pointed out that with all his computer engineer workstations, have I ever seen him using his computer on the couch? Rather true. He had positioned himself in a public space so that he could finally meet his Airbnb host. He had already been at the house for a few nights before we met, but as I really never expected to fall madly in love with my guest, I hadn't prioritized our meeting in person.

Curator's Note: I'm just picturing Luca there typing nonsense words on his laptop onto a blank Word document (that's how I see it in my head).

Who made the first move? 
Well, my Airbnb inbox shows that Luca was the one who first sent me the unpersonalized stock message requesting to stay for 3 months as a visiting PhD student at a nearby university. He actually booked another place successfully, and then was messaged back with information that his reservation was cancelled. His second choice was then no longer available. Unlucky! Then, my listing!
 
But after our fateful internet introductions, I like the version of the story where our inevitable love was moved along by my intentional but very modest overtures of affection and interest. I have text transcripts that show anguished messages written to friends asking if there was an Airbnb policy against confessing your love to a guest.
 
One poignant story that demonstrates my romantic cunning is the Luca Birthday Party. I found out his birthday was a mere couple weeks after he first entered my living room and life, and so I promptly reserved him for a future birthday party where I would have an excuse to take him out. I told a few friends, and busied myself with “preparations.” But as I fell more in love with him, I unilaterally cancelled the birthday party without telling Luca, planning instead to “aw gee, Dean and Aaron aren't available this is so disappointing but I can still take you out to dinner how about that [I LOVE YOU] is 7 okay?”

But he kissed me first.

Curator's Note:  First off, what's the answer as to the Airbnb question?  Second, I also like your version where you seduce him with your sly lies. 

If your significant other was the "foreigner"in the situation in which you met where did you initially think he was from? 

I didn’t even know Luca was an Italian name when he had first reached out on Airbnb. I have invested my life in studying East Asia, Southern Africa, Central Asia, and Turkey and the Middle East. Basically, not Western Europe. I wrote off Italy after having traveled through every major European city and becoming distracted instead by less “overrated” destinations (e.g. Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan). So I knew Luca was hailing from Milan, but literally thought nothing of it. Other than the fact that he asked if the kitchen had pots and pans and I wrote back that yes, he could cook his spaghetti fettuccine with a winkle emoji (I’m really terrible, but getting better).

Curator's Note:  I will be needing to speak to Luca about this spaghetti fettuccine. 

What was your first impression of him?
Love at first sight, then more love at first word, and then absolutely gone when I saw that smile. Oh dear, he had me. We both smile a lot and laugh easily. He has a cute bouncy way of speaking; instead of what could be an American monotone he punctuates his words with a sort of bravado that makes his sentences more impactful than they normally would be. 

Curator's Note: I have noticed that so many Italians have such drop-dead gorgeous smiles and they almost never have had braces. Genetics? 

​Where do you live now? 
A question I receive about every 2 months from concerned/confused friends. We are based out of Milan, but I work in China for part of the year, and return to NY semi-often. Honestly it comes down to where your stuff is, right? So my material life is still in the basement of one of my houses in Philadelphia, most of my family is spread out over 3 boroughs of NY, my adorable nephew and niece are in Denver, but my love is in Milan and so is my electric toothbrush so that’s home for me.

Curator's Note: That last line should be on a greeting card. Although thinking about it, perhaps just the location of your electric toothbrush is enough to pinpoint "home", at least it is for me! 

Have you learned each other's languages?
In progress! Luca came to me already speaking English fluently, and whatever “holes" there were I quickly identified and promised that with me by his side, he would soon speak with the American accent he always idealized! My strategy was to make myself indispensable by teaching him the all-important words such as “robe” and “squirrel.” Actually, he would counter that with stories about how I taught him the wrong things on purpose so that I could create inside jokes between us, thus winning his heart.
 
I’ve learned Turkish and Chinese, but Italian is completely stumping me with its obsession with vowels. If Luca would just leave me with his grandma in Sassuolo I might learn faster, but perhaps he’s concerned instead I might dredge up all of the Spanish words I once knew in a confusing maelstrom of sound. But as it were his entire Milanese social circle is composed of the most highly-educated folks in Italy, fluent in English and all the slang and colloquialisms. So once I return from China and another trip to the US and maybe a short Balkan New Year’s tour (I’m writing from Hong Kong now), I will start back up with Italian classes, and try to stop saying yani and tamam so often in the classroom. Luca has picked up more Turkish mannerisms, masallah, than I have with Italian. 

Curator's Note: the only thing I can say is that I WISH I had this issue - as in, that I were too linguistically talented that it became a hurdle to learning Italian. I refuse to help my husband anymore because he must not lose his endearing accent which is more or less half the reason why I married him in the first place. So I only laugh at his mistakes now and refuse to tell him the correct way to say things. 

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
Our greatest cultural difference may be that Luca is 100% engineer, and I am a diehard liberal arts evangelist. Our first meeting of the minds was when I declared myself a recreational engineer of intercultural communication from the training I received in the relationship.

Our second mixed cultural aspect is that I am Protestant and he is Catholic. Thankfully, I began to endear myself towards Catholics in college, by hanging out in the Catholic part of the fellowship hall because they usually had better snacks and games.

The toughest one yet may be that I have miraculously inherited the Italian work ethic and he, the American one, at least representative in terms of working hours. But we are working on striking a balance where I don’t start my aperitivi until a reasonable time has passed since lunch.

And then there’s the Italian/American, White/Asian bit. My humble advice to the non-Italian part of the couple:

Curators note: SO MUCH YES HERE. 

- Refrain from calling tortellini in brodo “tortellini soup.”

- Gnocchi is not pasta, prosciutto is not ham.

- Wine is not served at just two temperature categories, but all the gradations in between.

- If you’ve been to Italy before, go again. Better yet, move there.

- If you are recommended not to “fill up on bread,” it is not the same admonition from your mother who is anxiously watching your Asianish figure plumpen. It is because there are still seven more courses.

- Try to relate to each other on “culturally neutral ground;” travel to “third-party countries” for holidays so that you’re both off of home turf. In 10 months we have been in 7 different countries together—an absolute privilege to explore our surroundings with one another as our closest cultural complement!

- Trust intention. I can’t embrace this mindset enough—the person who has the closest thing to unconditional positive regard for me of course did not mean to slight my feelings by choosing that word. Stop coddling your pride, Bianca, and let your wounded emotions be released from the self-righteous grip that clear communication holds on you. I’m a stickler for words, and a lover of words, but I can only pity myself on the occasions when I choose to love words over Luca’s honest heart for me. Trust intention.

- You can wear the ugly sneaker-boots and not heels if you want to.

In all seriousness, I think one of the most difficult things about transplanting yourself into a different world, descriptive of all folks who have experienced such things, is the disappearance of perhaps much of the achievement you’ve worked towards in your life thus far. The material and institutional accolades from which you derive value may not be so neatly transferred into your adopted culture. In my case, I was an Ivy League graduate and a Fulbright grantee, but Luca and his world had heard of neither, nor of the other accomplishments that I had been conditioned to think were of the right stock. When I moved into his world I found myself the only one who didn’t have technical skills, an engineering PhD, the common language, or even knowledge of the food we were eating. Simply put, we learn to walk again, trying anew to find cultural purchase in a world slow to recognize us. It may be obvious to say, but my most earnest advice is to support one another. Taking baby steps after you’ve run a marathon is not invigorating, it’s rather humbling and will be an excellent time of growth if you support one another with a fervor for understanding the contours of each others’ experience.

Curator's Note: this last part, especially the commentary on the disconnect between North American "markers" of success and those of other cultures and being forced to put on your humble hat really hit home for me. Honestly, reading it gave me shivers. I don't think we've had a submission that has ventured into this area and so I am truly grateful to Bianca for writing these words. 

Submitted by Bianca. 

Here's how you can connect with her:
Blog: https://thetravelerstoolkit.com
Instagram: bianca.sue.brown
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Bianca.Sue.Brown
​