A Day in the Life: What It’s Like to Live in an Italian Mountain Town

Wondering what life is like for an American expat in an Italian mountain town? Let me take you through a typical day!

Time to Wake Up

Fra wakes up before 7, and usually when I hear him, I can't go back to sleep, so I fumble open the shutters to let light in, scoop the cat litter, and head upstairs for coffee. If my hubby is feeling extra nice, he'll make my cappuccino for me.

After I have 20 minutes to sip my coffee and wake up, I eat breakfast and see what the day looks like. Lately, it's been cloudy, rainy, foggy, or all three.

I head downstairs to my office, which also doubles as our yoga and exercise room. If I feel like breaking a sweat, I do, then sit down to work at my desk.

If I have errands to run, I usually do them in the morning when my work schedule is more flexible. I might walk to the farmacia or Poste here in Davoli, or drive down to Soverato to do grocery shopping or meet friends for coffee.

Time for Lunch!

Around midday, I wrap up what I'm working on and start thinking about lunch. Okay, to be honest, I've already thought about it and figured out what we're eating.

It's always something quick; Fra loves a piadina. Basically, it's a tortilla that I fill with whatever we've got on hand: beans or chickpeas, rice, veggies.

We usually have caffe after lunch, and I ALWAYS take a 20-minute nap!

Fra gives me a kiss and heads back out to work, and I settle back in my office to teach English online.

And in the Evening...

My favorite evenings are spent at home, sharing a Spritz with my man. We'll cobble together an aperitivo with what we have on hand: olives, taralli, cheese, and/or meat. We sit on the balcony in the summer, and on the couch in the winter, and catch up on our day.

Equally as fun (if not as romantic) is when we meet friends for an aperitivo, usually in Soverato. The food is much fancier, and it's always a good time.

Several times a week, we eat with Fra's family. Mamma usually wins me over by telling me she's made zucca con salsiccia (pumpkin with sausage) or fritelle (veggie fritters).

In the winter, we gather 'round the fire and talk and laugh. Papà teases me (mi prende in giro) when I make a mistake in Italian, which I don't mind. I love that they don't take themselves so seriously.

Back at home, Fra and I might watch a movie together. We alternate between Italian and American films. The other day, we watched The Man in the Iron Mask. I'd never seen it, but he had.

It's not an exciting day, I know, but that's the beauty of being an expat after a few years. It just becomes your life. And that's all I want!