Unedited 3/21 - Blessed is She

Today is a week since we pulled the green shutters closed and locked the front door. We walked away from quite possibly the most amazing experience Mike & I had ever been on. We then said goodbye to Camilla (the sweet cat) and all our neighbors & new friends. My grandfather always said never say “goodbye” always say “so long”. Good bye is final. But, so long means until next time. So a very bitter sweet – so long to Via Regina Elena, Poggio Nativo.

While there for the month I absolutely went through all the emotions multiple times. Complete ups & downs. Being 5000 miles away from home brings with it a lot of stress and worry.

For me anyway. I worry about everyone & everything. So if you ever need someone to worry about something for you, just send me a message…I got you covered:).

Having the new home and all it had going on was overwhelming. The first week there in Italy was an absolutely authentic 5 alarm true flippin sh*t show. Day 1 was the epitome of overwhelming. Truthfully, week 1 and 2 were. But, by the time we were leaving last Saturday, I knew soon, I would be missing this little place in Italy.

Have you ever planned a trip and when you arrive home, you ask yourself “was that even real?”. The excitement leading up to your trip. The preparations you go through. Then the trip comes and goes in a blink. An actual blink. The excitement of our home purchase was off the charts. Waiting for the final documents to be signed and then the deed to be filed….then the email that the deed couldn’t be filed because of a name discrepancy. I’m telling you the truth when I say “if it could go wrong, it certainly did go wrong”. Every day. Every damn day something went wrong.

But, as quick as each problem arrived, I think we managed to resolve them just as quick. I’m lying. We left Italy without a modem installed. No wifi. Next trip. I hope the other Kerri Lee Dunn Smart has paid her outstanding invoice to Vodafone for cripes sake!! I managed to get through the trip with just a few extra migraines! Oh, then there was this little thing called covid. Trying to fly into a foreign country during a pandemic, unsure if we would even be allowed to enter. Not just 1 checkpoint, but numerous. The ticket agent at JFK, then customs then landing in Italy and going through all of it all over again. Then the covid testing stress. What if it’s positive? What if it’s a false positive? For the Love of God the stress was real lol. I still can’t believe we went and have already came back home already. It was all a whirlwind at flipping hurricane Katrina speed.

Since probably January 2020, I would look at Mike and say “Do you want to buy a house in Italy?”. Fast forward to October 2020, I would look at Mike daily and say “Are we buying a home in Italy”. We would pass each other in the kitchen and I’d say, “Are we really buying a home in Italy”. That quickly turned into “We ARE buying a home in Italy” from 11/11/2020 to 2/22/2021. I said every time Mike walked by me.

It didn’t seem real. It felt like one of those outrageous dreams that would never ever happen. How could it. Who just buys a house in Italy? Who just buys a house they have never seen? Who does any of the things we were about to do? There’s got to be a meeting for people like us. Hand raised, Hi, my name is Kerri and I talk my completely normal husband Mike …aka Smartie into doing the most insane things. I get a dream and then I become obsessed and then I act on it. Sorry.

Well, we did. We really did it. We did all of it. I miss all of it. I really miss waking up looking at each other saying “what the hell will go wrong today?” And then seeing a familiar face ☺️ Or the most gorgeous sunset and feeling absolutely blessed. I’m feeling homesick again. Homesick for my perfect little house, in the most perfect little village in Italy. Poggio Nativo.

Now, we are home already. A full month come and gone. How did that happen. How does 30 days go so quickly. I look back thinking about each week and the different stresses that came with that new Monday. Even prior to going to Italy, back during the process and waiting on that email from Linda @ the Attorney’s office. Usually we found ourselves in a situation we had either a question or an issue we were waiting on. The 6 hour time difference would really be present, especially on a Friday late afternoon. If we didn’t get our answer in before the end of the day (our mid day)…..Monday took forever to come! I remember a few times, Mike and I would set an alarm for 2-3 am (our time) just to be able to receive that email in a time sensitive manner. It seems like we are always waiting on something or wishing for something. Are we enjoying the process? Or are we just rushing it, all of it. We wait so long for something. Something comes and something goes even quicker. Cherish the process. Enjoy the moments. It goes by so quickly. 30 Days in Italy has already come & gone.

I’m the photographer of the group. I am always taking pictures. Always. I love documenting each and every moment. Some people would say put the camera down and just enjoy it. Why? Trust me I do enjoy it. I enjoy all of it. I don’t miss anything. There is something so enjoyable later on & being able to watch a video that you didn’t find so funny at the moment. However, now home sitting in bed or on the couch….missing Italy…missing the insanity you called life for 30 days you find these moments flipping hysterical. I cherish these photos and videos. I now only wish I took more. Mike is always quick to get annoyed at me. Let me rephrase that, Mike is quick to get annoyed at me while I have the camera in his face, as he’s pushing a 100# box up a cobblestone street …..with church bells ringing. Or, when the entire house lost electricity and he’s got a flashlight trying to figure out Italian wiring…..Hey Mike…. smile 🙂

Or when the kitchen ceiling was leaking from my recent shower. Photos….are capturing memories!! Take the photos. Take the videos. Look back and laugh. Look back and smile. Look back and be proud of what the hell you just went through with your hubby, friend or children. I have ALWAYS said to Mike “you never take candid shots of me”. He’s like what? I said to him one day, you never take pictures of me through the years doing stuff with the kids. So what does Mike do, I’m making christmas cookies with Brett on Christmas morning. Hair in a messy bedhead bun, flour on my face, probably no bra on and I see the camera zooming in…….Me: “MIKE what are you doing?”……Mike: “I’m taking a picture of you that you said I never do”. Me: “NOW- LIKE RIGHT NOW MIKE, get that camera out of my face”. God bless Mike he tries. He really does. So, some of these photos are of Mike trying lol. I was scrolling through his phone and looking at pictures he took. I think the one of me in bed hugging my pillow was a meltdown kinda morning. I think I may have said “I’m not even getting up today”. This absolutely was week 1. He also took a photo of me taking photos at the Abbey, aww how sweet lol. I told you, he tries! He’s the best. He really is.

Some of the funnier moments. These are in no particular order, just how they end up uploading for me. They are just some funny videos I’ve taken and been waiting to share. These are the real raw moments. Some contain swears, which I always have to cut the video short. We aren’t potty mouths, but sometimes in the midst of all the excitement or frustration it brings out a word or two lol. I definitely am a perfectionist. I’m a neat freak- hands down. I like everything to be in its place, look perfect and neat and tidy. Sometimes, ok most of the times our life is a flipping hot mess. Like spilling out all over the place oil spill mess. This is the real us though. I have no shame in sharing all of it. The perfect little squares and the ones that would end up in a shoe box under the bed lol.

We do not have it all together….BUT together, we have it all.

Mike anxiously waiting to watch a movie he downloaded off our neighbors wifi. Only to find out later, when we got home and put on the tablet…..it was in Italian LMAO. Try watching Avatar in Italian.
Mike trying to successfully complete our pre-covid testing checklist online requirements for our airline (and our flight the next day), walking the street outside searching for bars lol. This went on for at least 30 minutes.
The original video of us meeting Nicoletta. The listing agent who spoke NO english. Me trying to ask her if the washer machine has a dryer feature lol.
The early morning of Veteran’s Day 11/11/2020 – We had just found out our offer was accepted by the seller. Kailee and Ashtyn were a bit excited!! Kailee actually woke the house up with “Celebrate” blearing haha!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I hope you stay healthy and stay positive. If getting back to Italy is in your future plans and looking for your perfect home- It will happen. Just keep positive and keep searching!! But, enjoy the process. Take a moment and journal it. Take notes, Take a deep breath….and then take some pictures and videos! Looking back on these moments bring it all full circle. What an amazing journey it can be. Why not document it, if even just for yourself.

I have to say I love hearing from all of you. I love answering your questions and offering advice or recommendations. Please keep the questions coming. And again, thank you for your friendship! Maybe we will end up being neighbors in Italy one day! Maybe you’ll be laughing at us in person while we try to keep the shenanigans to a minimum. And our neighbors say “there’s those crazy Americans again”.

Ciao friends.

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