Happy belated Thanksgiving, ya'll. Yesterday I flew back to Calabria after spending two weeks in the U.S. I deliberately chose to fly on Thanksgiving, hoping the flight wouldn't be too full! In case it's not obvious, Italians don't celebrate Thanksgiving. To them, it's a vague concept that somehow involves turkey. Honestly, it's my least favorite holiday, so I don't miss it too much. What I do appreciate about Thanksgiving is that it's a reminder to be grateful for what we have. And on that...

Ciao, friends! As someone who coaches women moving to Italy, I talk a lot about the magic of the culture, the beauty of the towns, and the best way to get your permesso di soggiorno . But for those of you who, like me, are moving here to either c ontinue or launch your own business, there's another side to la dolce vita —the one involving a commercialista   (accountant) and a whole lot of paperwork. The freedom of working for yourself in a country you love is priceless, but the process of...

Think you know Italy? These things might surprise you. They certainly did me! Cable TV is Free In the U.S., we're bombarded with deals for cable television, especially now that video apps like Netflix have taken over. But in Italy, you don't have to pay for the privilege of having far more channels than you can possibly watch. Well, I shouldn't say that cable is totally free; it's a fee that's baked into your electricity bill. So it's not optional. Everyone gets it. And I like that it's free!...