You can hate me and I'll totally understand. I know, it's been too long. Our hearts have been empty and longing for a little romance and I left you out in the cold this whole time. I know one love story can't undo this desperate situation I've created, but let's try anyways. I'm happy to bring back Love Story Lunedì this Monday, one that started very dreary and grey here in Bergamo but miraculously the sun came shining through in the afternoon. Whether you're a believer or not, this particular love story is one that was most certainly orchestrated by God and kept together through faith and a little Southern Italian charm.  Please note, Bethany shares her own commentary in anything you seen in brackets below. 

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
I'm from Mississippi and Manu is from Napoli.

My last year (5th year of college…by choice) I was fairly certain that I wanted to do a 2 year program with an evangelical organization that involved living overseas. I really wanted to go to Mexico or somewhere in South or Central America. (Anyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed with Hispanics.) But the Lord put me in Italy…and for a pretty good reason.

​Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
I visited a church my first Sunday there where my future husband played the keyboard. He noticed me, but I didn’t notice him. I just moved to a city I knew nothing about. I spoke maybe 5 words of Italian thanks to Duolingo. I wasn’t checking out the “maschi “(boys) He didn’t speak to me that morning because he didn’t want anyone picking on him for going to talk to the new foreign girl. That night we both were at another church at an event with many different churches. The family I worked with met him first and told me to go talk to him since he spoke English. (not many people do in Napoli). He did speak English but I barely understood anything he said…and not because of what you may think-an Italian accent. No this Neapolitan guy had a Northern Irish accent! I can only understand it now because we later lived in Belfast together after getting married.​

​Curator's Note: an Italian with a Northern Irish accent might be cutest thing in existence. 

Who made the first move? 
OMG just looked through Facebook Messenger and found the first message he sent me. (5 days after we met) He wrote it in Italian and then in English;

“Hello Bethany, how are you? Thank you for accepting my friend request. (LOL) In this way, you can contact me in case you need anything! (I guess better than asking me for my digits right? ). How are your Italian lessons going? Fine I hope! It’s never easy to learn a new language, but I’m sure that you’ll speak Italian in a perfect way soon! (Still working on that). Ok I wish you a very good night, and remember that if you need anything, you can count on me! See you on Sunday, bye!.”

What was your first impression of him?
He’s always been the sweetest. Anyways, we were friends for a while. With time (piano, piano) I thought maybe I could like him more than a friend. (I put him in the friend-zone twice when he
approached me about wanting to be in a relationship but that never stopped him from always being there for me). After my best friend came to visit me and gave me 100% approval I told him we could officially start dating . I’m not sure if I could have survived Napoli without Manu’s help. I was from a small town in Mississippi and Napoli was a loud and chaotic city.  From getting internet in my house to putting things outside my balcony to prevent birds from pooping everywhere, he did it all.

​Curator's Note: oh you know it's true love honey when they make it a priority to prevent birds from pooping on your balcony. 

Where do you live now?
We currently live in Napoli. Our first year of marriage we lived in Belfast because Manu had already lived there before and work was always much more stable there than Napoli. I couldn’t cope with the
weather so we moved back to Napoli. We may end up in the States one day. Chi sa? (Who knows)!

Have you learned each other's languages? 
Manu was pretty fluent in English when we first met. He makes small grammar mistakes but besides that I would say his English is amazing. Sometimes I think it comes more naturally for him to speak English. I’m still learning Italian (and Neapolitan) but I feel like I’m fluent enough to get by. (Being able to get tasks done at the comune is fluent enough for me). I can also argue with someone to get what I need.

​Curator's Note: I'd say if you can argue in Italian and not leave any public office building in tears, that's pretty darn good Italian for me!

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
It SUCKS. Sometimes I was mad at Manu because I was just unhappy that we were so far apart. So don’t get mad at the other person. It’s no one’s fault that you have to be in your own country at some point. Communicate everyday of course. Don’t end a call or message at night being angry. Countdown the days until you see each other again but also enjoy the time with the people you’re with. (Maybe family or friends that you won’t be with in the future if you’re going to be living overseas).

As far as being in a mixed culture relationship, you really learn so much, I think more than a “regular” relationship. It helps if one of you already knows the other’s culture. But even then, you’ll still be learning. Take the things that you like from each other’s culture and use them. The things that you don’t like: discuss them and try to understand why they do something in a certain way. Your life/family will be different from the way each of you grew up. You get to create your own mixed life and it’s a beautiful thing.

Curator's Note: I think we need that last line on a mug or something. Amen. 

How did he propose?
Well before you get too excited, it wasn’t anything too special. I knew I wanted to marry Manu by the time I was heading back to America after 2 years in Napoli. He needed a little more time to think about marriage. So I didn’t get proposed to with the panoramic view of Napoli with Vesuvio in the background unfortunately. After 4 months of being apart, I came to visit him in Northern Ireland. It wasn’t a special place for us but I thought “Well getting proposed to by a castle in Northern Ireland would be cool.” But that didn’t happen. A month later, Manu came to America for the first time. (Talk about culture shock.) Many Italians expect all of America to be New York (because of movies), but most of America is nothing like New York. Anyways, it was Christmas Eve and we were at my mom’s house after being with family all day. I was washing dishes and Manu asked me to come in the living room. He said some sweet things which I didn’t think anything of because he always says sweet things. Then he got down on one knee. I freaked out and kept asking if he was serious. (Just wasn’t  expecting it that night since the gift he gave me earlier that day was an MP3 speaker instead of a ring!) I think it’s hilarious because my brother also proposed to my sister-in-law in that living room. While my brother-in-law was super romantic and proposed to my sister on the beach with candles and rose petals- the whole works. Manu said he waited to propose to me in America because he wanted to ask for my family’s permission.

Curator's Note: this was the absolute perfect proposal. The part about him waiting to get to America to ask for your family's permission is that kind of old-school Southern Italy that is swoon-worthy.

​What do you love most about being married?
I love being married because I get to live with my best friend. He might bug me every now and then by being goofy or getting the house dirty right after I clean it but besides that I love being with him. I feel like I can totally be myself and have always felt so comfortable with him. Living as a foreigner I never “sento al mio agio” (feel like I fit in) He makes me feel special and loved. Being married is the best!

Well hello hello STRANGERS. Yes, it's been a long time since we've seen each other and the world has basically imploded since then but I'm here on this dreary Monday to bring some love back into our lives. Gina provided a backstory and was so precise in her details that I won't spoil anything with an intro, let's just get right into her words! 

Backstory:
I had dreamt of coming to Italy since I was thirteen. My middle-school journal has a list of dreams that include traveling the world, living in Italy and maybe even marrying an Italian guy (along with becoming a marine biologist, writing the next American novel and learning dozens of languages....).

​Little did I know at thirteen that at least some of those dreams would actually come true.

At 19 I had done all the work: found a study-abroad program, got a loan and booked a flight – I was finally going to Italy!

I came to Italy a month before my study abroad experience started in Florence to travel. The plan was to tour around for two weeks with my mom and nonna, then stay for two weeks with distant Italian relatives who had stayed in touch. The girls I was in contact with were my age and I was excited for the chance to get to know them in person, work on my Italian and have a support system in Italy.

I did everything I could to not find a guy while I was there and, when I met Marco, I did everything I could to keep him at arm’s length. After all, he lived in Italy, I lived in America and still had nearly three years of school left. I already had the experience of long-distance breakups from going into college and didn’t want to repeat that. I was convinced that it didn’t make sense to get romantic.... but it turns out, Marco was my support system in Italy, and he didn’t give up on me.

You can read all the (rambling) details of our story here, but it involves a lot of traveling, a lot of talking and a full year of falling in love. I repeated the facts in my head like a mantra, “we live 4,000 miles apart, we live 4,000 miles apart,” but my heart wouldn’t behave.

Nothing about our relationship has followed normal relationship time limits. Instead of first dates, we traveled Europe together. Because of this we shared a hotel bathroom before we had ever even kissed. Instead of meeting his parents over an awkward dinner, I said hi then promptly lived at their house every other weekend. And instead of our parents meeting slowly before a big wedding, we got married before our parents had even met. And you know what? It all worked out.

We often wait for logical answers to questions like, “How the hell can I date someone from another country?!” But sometimes the answer isn’t logical. Because anyway, every love story involves a certain amount of “leaping in” and I’m so glad that I did.

Now I live in Italy with Marco and our fun, spunky, bilingual 2-year-old Italian-American daughter, Adeline.

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
​I’m from Columbus, Ohio in the United States and Marco, my husband, is from Sovico, Italy, a small town in the Monza Brianza province in Lombardy.

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
I met Marco in a town of maybe 50 permanent residents in the Bergamo Alps. His family has a vacation home there and I was staying with distant relatives in their vacation home next door. They grew up hanging out together during summers in the mountains. During the week I stayed with them my relatives, Marco and another friend and I hung out from morning to night. But to be honest, when I left the mountains to head to Florence I didn’t really think much of it.

Who made the first move? 
Definitely Marco. I had come to study the culture, learn the language and travel. I had left everything behind in America – including boys. The last thing I had on my mind was finding a boyfriend! But once I was settled into my apartment in Florence, Marco reached out to me to ask how things were going. Eventually we planned a sort of reunion trip to Cinque Terre with the whole group from the summer and ended up seeing each other again.

What was your first impression of him?
The first time I ever saw Marco he had just finished a hike in the mountains. He had on a plaid flannel, shorts and, knee high socks with hiking boots. I thought he was handsome but those socks!! Still, it quickly became clear that he was kind, understanding and patient. He helped me with my language barrier more than anyone and did everything he could to make sure I was comfortable. He was the glue that held the group together, making everyone laugh and making plans. I was completely charmed, knee high socks and all. (Later, when I started hiking, I understood better the practicality of knee-high socks to protect your legs from tall grass, spurs and snakes...).

Dish on the first kiss!
Our first kiss wasn’t rom-com material, but we definitely did have our Hollywood moment, and it happened on my birthday. My time studying in Florence was nearly finished. My birthday is December 15th and the 17th I had a flight home. Marco and I had already said goodbye when I had last visited him in Milan, but it was hard knowing I was still in Italy. My roommates and I had plans to go out to dinner for my birthday but for some reason they kept dilly-dallying. I didn’t mind because I was chatting online with Marco which is where I preferred to be anyway (if seeing him wasn’t an option.) It was getting later and later though and we still hadn’t left for dinner and I was feeling more and more depressed about everything when Marco and I lost connection. Just then he called me and said “Wow, it’s cold in Florence.” I didn’t understand until my roommates burst into giggles. I ran downstairs in my socks and threw open the door... only to find no one was there! Marco hadn’t expected me to race to the street so fast and was still a few doors down. I saw him, ran down the street and jumped into his arms. It was snowing and my roommates were watching from the window above. I’ve never had another moment like that!

That snow actually didn’t stop, and it ended up delaying my flight by three days. I went back to Milan with Marco and we got to spend nearly five more days together!

Where do you live now?
Now we live in Monza Brianza in Marco’s hometown.

Have you learned each other's languages? 
Yes, absolutely. I had originally come to Italy to learn the language, so that’s always been important to me. Marco, like most Italians, had studied English since elementary school but had never liked it. In high school he stopped taking English as soon as he was allowed because he wanted to be an engineer in Italy “and would never need English anyway”. Now he has an American wife, a bilingual daughter and does 90% of all his business in English. Good thing he learned!

Any advice for mixed/long-distance couples?
Ack this is a hard one. Long distance is really hard – especially at first when we had no plan for how it could work out in the future. I always joke that our relationship was the most expensive relationship ever with all those cross-Atlantic flights! Marco even moved to Ohio for six months and enrolled in college just to get a visa to stay with me. He learned English that way so it was helpful, but expensive!
Still, what made it work was the support. Even 4,000 miles away Marco was more supportive than any of the American guys I had met or been with. We talked multiple times per day through various technologies, we wrote long emails (21st-century and all) and then of course planned multiple trips to visit each other.

Cross-cultural relationships can be hard, even when you think your cultures are quite similar, there are plenty of differences to work through. I think if it all starts with a base of respect and a willingness to try to understand, you can work through anything.

I've found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said "love is blind". Now that is something I know to be true. For some quite inexplicably, love fades; for others love is simply lost.
 
Ok, so those were Iris’ words from the movie The Holiday, not mine, but they might as well be because they serve as the perfect introduction to today’s love story. Especially the last line. Sometimes love is simply lost. And that doesn’t make it any less worthy of sharing. Where there was love, there was something good and pure. While we might break up and not make up, the people that we love shape us and the memories will stay with us all the days of our lives. Today I would like to share a story that is a testament to this, Caroline and Lorenzo are no longer together but I hope that their love story can still remain a happy memory and can still inspire you readers to dare to love, to take the leap into the abyss. Sometimes you land on your feet and other times not so gracefully, but stories like these promise that in either case, you'll look back and see how far you've come and hopefully, know that it was worth it. 

​Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
I (Caroline) grew up in Omaha, Nebraska in the USA and Lorenzo was born and raised in Italy in Monterosso al Mare, a small village of 1,500 people on the sea and one of the five towns of the famous Cinque Terre.

Where and when did you meet your significant other? 
My mom actually met Lorenzo's parents years ago when she ate at their family restaurant in her 20s on a weekend trip to Monterosso while studying abroad in Florence. She fell totally in love with Monterosso and actually lived there with her college roommate for 6 months after graduating. She came back several times before getting married and having kids. I was 5 years old the first time I ever visited Monterosso but it wasn’t until I was 16 that Lorenzo and I were actually introduced. 
 
That was the summer of 2011 when my family spent a month in Monterosso. I remember the first day I met Lorenzo so clearly. It was a rainy morning and we had just arrived the day before so my mom and I decided to wander around town a bit. I still remember what I was wearing: some funky turquoise rain boots, dark skinny jeans & a striped navy blue and white top. My mom needed some olive oil so she decided to stop in Lorenzo’s family wine shop, which is connected to their restaurant, and Lorenzo happened to be working in the shop that morning.
 
When we ducked into the wine shop, I noticed Lorenzo immediately behind the counter. He was wearing a cozy blue hoodie and jeans. I could feel his eyes on me while we browsed around his shop and I remember feeling this strange unexplainable pull towards him. We got our olive oil, went to check out at the register, and on our way over Lorenzo’s dad happened to walk in. My mom started talking to him in Italian and at the time I didn’t speak almost any Italian so I just stood there smiling knowing my mom would translate later. I definitely picked up that they were talking about me since Lorenzo was blushing and kept looking at me with a shy grin.
 
As soon as we stepped out of the shop I asked my mom to spill the tea. She said that Lorenzo’s dad was talking about how Lorenzo was single and needed a beautiful American girlfriend. He then pointed to me and said I would be perfect for him! Lorenzo asked how old I was and realized he was quite a bit older than me so he said I was way too young for him. Then his dad said “What do you mean too young? My wife was 10 years younger than me when we fell in love!” Lorenzo blushed and said he would see me around. That was the end of our first official meeting but I remember leaving with so many butterflies in my stomach. I had never been in love before so it was a foreign feeling to me but I knew one thing, I wanted more!

Who made the first move? 
I actually made the first move since Lorenzo was pretty shy and I could tell he was hesitant because of our age difference. I’ve always felt much older than my age so I guess that didn’t bother me as much. Plus something about him felt different and I couldn’t help that magnetic pull I felt towards him. After meeting Lorenzo that first rainy morning I actually got right to work and told one of my mom’s friends in the village that I thought he was the cutest guy in Monterosso. Word spreads pretty quickly in such a small town so it wasn’t long before she came back to me saying Lorenzo was interested and told me to stop by his wine shop the next day.
 
It took all of my courage to walk in there and talk to him the first time. I think I walked by his shop about ten times before I finally had the guts to go inside. We chatted very briefly and exchanged phone numbers. After that I made stops at his wine shop everyday and we slowly started getting to know each other. I was spending a month in Monterosso so I wasn’t in a hurry and we really took our time opening up. The language barrier made it a bit more difficult but we made it work. Lorenzo had a little pocket dictionary so whenever he didn’t know a word he would pull it out. I loved his thick Italian accent and found his English errors so endearing. I would visit him at the wine shop almost everyday but it wasn’t until a few weeks into my stay that we actually had our first date.

Where did he think you were from?
I guess I was technically the “foreigner” in our situation since I was the one visiting Italy. Lorenzo said he could tell I was American right away from the way I was dressed, haha!


What was your first impression of him?
I thought Lorenzo was shy but there was something really cute about it. It wasn’t an offputting kind of shy, it was more like an “I want to get to know this mysterious guy” kind of shy. I could tell he was a good person right away after our very first conversation. He was very respectful and always made me feel safe. He made me laugh a lot and had such warm energy. He really drew me in from the start. 

Dish on the first kiss!
That first summer we met in 2011 both of us were pretty shy. Lorenzo was embarrassed about his English and I was so young and just had no idea how to interact with a boy. We let weeks roll by without anything happening until the very last week of my stay in Monterosso. At that point I finally got the nerve to text him and make something happen since I wanted to leave Monterosso with no regrets. I texted him asking if he knew a good spot to look at the stars in Monterosso together and that’s where it all began.

That night around 11pm we met up once he finished his shift at his family’s restaurant. I was so nervous and had so many butterflies in my stomach. I walked to the piazza where we decided to meet and found him sitting on a bench looking so cute and very Italian. He had on a tight fitted striped blue and white hoodie, light washed jeans & nike shoes. I was wearing a dark green summer dress and sandals. He smiled when he saw me and told me to follow him. We walked up the street and arrived at a huge gate. He pulled the gate open and told me to go ahead. Once he closed the gate behind us, for a split second I was having second thoughts. It was dark and nobody was around. I really didn’t know much about this guy besides our chats in his wine shop. I impulsively told him not to try anything he would regret and he laughed nervously and said he wasn’t like that. My gut told me I could trust him so we went ahead.

It was dark so he held my hand to guide me. He led me up some steps, opened another gate, and I realized we were in a lemon grove surrounded by lemon trees! (See photo below). He led me up a spiral stone staircase and from the top we had a beautiful view of Monterosso all lit up at night. He told me to look up at the stars and they were so bright above us. The town was so quiet that we could hear the waves crashing on the shore down the street.

He hugged me and I remember thinking that he felt so warm. It was so nice to finally be alone with him. Then he started to touch my face and I got so nervous because I knew the kiss was coming. I turned away and said “Wow the stars are so beautiful!”. He didn’t waste any time and just took my face in his hands and kissed me. We kissed and kissed and kissed. Then he led me up some more stairs with an even better view of the town and the stars and we kissed some more. I have no idea how long we were together but it felt like hours. I actually ended up losing an earring that night in the lemon grove and once I left for America a week later Lorenzo happened to find it. He sent me a picture and said he would keep it for me until I came back to Monterosso. Two years later when I did come back he still had it for me!

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