The Backstory:
Fabio's brother and another Italian woman have a farm in Vermont, they met my mom at a Farmers' Market (classic Vermont swear), I was about to be moving to Turin so my mom said I had to meet them. I came back for two weeks and he happened to be visiting his brother. So over I went to share some wine with them and in he walks, gorgeous, tall, tan, with his messy farm clothes and boots. I tried so hard to talk to him more, but he was quiet, and my mom was there, so there is only so much flirting you can push in. He was trying to stay in USA, and so we never exchanged numbers. Then a few weeks later my mom asked for my number to give to his brother because Fabio was coming back. He messaged me the second he got back to Italy. Moral of the Story: support local producers and be grateful for your mother eh.
When he was back he immediately wanted to find a job abroad, and I was just getting over an old relationship and trying to focus on me. But after the first week together we were completely hooked, it felt instantly like he had always been a part of my life and I could tell him anything. I remember after a few weeks he took me to lunch with his friends and on the way back I couldn’t stop looking at him, and we both admitted we had wanted to say I love you, but with such an unsure future about him leaving we stayed quiet. Then shortly after he came over saying he had something to tell me, I was sure he had taken a job in New Zealand and was leaving. Instead he showed up and said he took a job in Turin and would stick around. I wanted to cry I was so happy. Then we finally both told each other we loved each other, and it has been an amazing, constantly crazy, adventure since.
Curator's Note: ah ok, the Farmers' Market fits in with my vision of Vermont! Do people go there wearing plaid and drinking artisan coffee? The sentence I bolded about Fabio walking in is like all of my fantasies in one- Italian and farm clothes and boots, I'm dying.
Where are you from and where is your significant other from?
I am from Middlebury, Vermont, but came over to Italy right at 18 years old, so I often have to say Rome is my second home. He comes from Leini, a little town north of Turin.
Curator's Note: Wow, 18 years old! That's really brave of you. I admire that immensely. Also, I always have romantic notions of Vermont that involve plaid things and fireplaces. Not sure if that's accurate at all.
Where and when did you meet your significant other?
July 2017 on a farm in Panton, Vermont, aka in the middle of nowhere surrounded by little piggies and chickens, over a bottle of Barbera. (the full backstory was above anyways!)
Who made the first move?
Beh, bit difficult, I swear I tried to flirt the first time, but really, he messaged me first, I invited him to dinner at my house first, but he kissed me first. So, I but he set the stage but he followed my lead with the first move let's say. The cutest thing he did: I am a know-it-all about Italy, but I said he needed to learn some Fun Facts to impress me about his city. He messaged me before saying “just be impressed by the fact I am searching something to impress you, I hope the concept is clear” and I got all butterfly in the stomach and giggly in love.
Curator's Note: searching something!! Without the preposition "for", it's sooooo cute. I'm not sure if you noticed that you used "beh" in the beginning which is totally not English. I also like to use Italian sounds in English and pretend like my Canadian friends know exactly what I mean with "boh".
If you were the foreigner, where did you think he was initially from?
I didn’t put it together he was the other guy's brother, but knew he was from Italy, I thought he was a Southerner (my weakness and dream).
Curator's Note: well we can't have everything now can we? Just be happy that his name is Fabio and you saw him in plaid (I'm assuming).
What was your first impression of him?
Honestly, he was a truck mechanic on a farm, smoking and so quiet, I thought he would be like a country kinda guy. Also, he was quiet sooooo quiet, I thought he didn’t speak English or just hated me because he gave me no indication of being interested whatsoever. Second time we met in Italy though he was so different, he was crazy, flirty, and super smart and immediately felt like a best friend I had always known.
Curator's Note: crazy, flirty...sounds so much like some of the guys I've featured on here. I think we can just say that Italians are crazy and flirty or crazy/flirty.
Dish on the first kiss!
Ah, well, he actually first kissed me on the neck, which although was incredibly hot, I think ruins the cuteness of our relationship story haha. It was our second time seeing each other in Turin. We were sitting on my couch, I had forced him to watch The Young Pope, we were sitting close, like leaning into each other and I saw him get red, heard his heart beat SO loud and fast, so could tell it was building up. I have a ring I always fiddle with, he stopped my fingers and took my hand, then moved my hair and kissed my neck. Then he pulled away and kissed me for real. I am pretty sure I laughed at him after the first kiss for going straight for the neck. I definitely always laugh at him now for it. Later he told me he thought about kissing me the first night, when he dropped me at my apartment, because I was playing with my keys which Hitch told him was a sure sign a girl wanted to be kissed (it was true, I was so into him). But he decided not to since he was one of the only people I knew in Turin he didn’t want to be disrespectful or annoying Italian guy. That made me love him even more.
Curator's Note: I am SO into this neck kiss as a first kiss! I'm with you girl, incredibly hot, not at all the ruin of your relationship's cuteness.
Where do you live now?
In Turin! Ok well he is in Leini, but 20 minutes doesn’t make a difference.
Have you learnt each other's languages?
Well I still don’t understand a word of Piemontese, but yes, I had already spoken Italian, he surprised me with excellent English. I try to force him to help me with Italian, but he prefers English with me, he says my voice sounds better… Something I find beautiful about being with him though is that he is able to communicate emotions in English, while I struggle in Italian, so when we do have issues we can communicate.
Curator's Note: I personally think my voice also sounds better in English but not that it's an accent think, just my voice is deeper in English. NO idea why.
Any advice to "mixed" culture couples or couples doing long-distance?
Definitely try to communicate and understand the differences, sometimes its cultural sometimes its personal. But you’ll never get anywhere just by blaming and getting upset, it is important to identify your differences but not force changes. Also, for the long-distance bit: phone calls always are better than constant texting.
Curator's Note: that's always the hard part isn't it? Distinguishing between the cultural and the personal. Like, is this just your personality that you're busting my balls or is this an Italian thing? Hahaha. At least, that's how I feel sometimes.
Submitted by Evelyn.
Here's how you can connect with Evelyn.
Instagram: @evoo_boh
Vi auguro tante belle cose. xoxo
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.
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