Ciao, the calm and the restless!

I took a short pause, because life in Italy -just like in Latvia – is moving at full speed, carrying both its weight and its lightness at the same time. While visiting my hometown, Ventspils, so many people encouraged me to continue that I felt it clearly: I can inspire.

No, no—not to move to Italy.
But to show that being true to yourself and doing what feels right is the real value.

Thank you to everyone who stopped for a heartfelt conversation, to those who read, write, and follow along. I truly appreciate it.

Writing feels difficult right now, because moving to another country sometimes feels less like an adventure and more like survival. There is simply so much. You know what I mean -this doesn’t exactly spark inspiration.

But – I wrote this on one of the harder days, and today everything already feels right again. That’s exactly what this year has been like – a rollercoaster.

Either way, this relocation has not taken away my desire to write. I will continue.

3 Things That Bring Peace After Moving to Italy

1. Home is home

We have arranged our apartment exactly the way we wanted. And wherever I may go right now – this is home.

It’s cozy, light, and calm. How incredibly important it is to have that personal oasis where you can breathe, be with yourself, and with your people.

Since starting this relocation journey, we moved four (!) times. Expert level, I’d say.
Now there is peace. We have our own home, and that makes everyday life abroad much easier.

How we chose our place to live — read here.

2. Children and sports — 10 out of 10

There was never any doubt about our son – we continued football after moving to Italy. Weekends are filled with tournaments, and just like in Latvia, we are his biggest fans.
At the moment, there’s a break due to an injury – another challenge – but I hope he’ll return to sports very soon.

For our youngest, we found swimming, which she loves and which helps her stay active. Sports at school here are not as emphasized as in Latvia – especially in the lower grades, where sportswear isn’t even required. That surprised me, though it may depend on the school.

In any case (and now I’ll say something very original): sports help regulate emotions and improve well-being.
It’s very likely that I need that too. I even started going to the gym, but right now there’s so much going on that I paused. Probably a mistake. I promise to think about how to fix that.

3. Communication and community

3 Biggest Challenges of Living Abroad After Relocation

1. The feeling of failure

It sneaks up on me constantly. You’re no longer who you used to be – and even though you don’t need to be, sometimes it still feels like you don’t quite know who you are at all.

My work is still largely connected to Latvia, so I can’t really call myself Italian. Yet my daily life is here, and overall, I know this move was something I truly needed.

But tell me – how quickly can you throw yourself back into the work grind after relocation, forgetting your basic needs?
In my case, less than a year was enough.

And here I am again, at the same realization: until we change internally, changing the environment won’t help either. And no, I’m not talking about a spa – that always does help in the short term.

2. Language barrier and identity

I’m an extroverted introvert. I don’t jump into conversations right away – I need time to observe – but I love talking, listening, and going deeper. Communication is my field.

Even though I’m learning Italian and can manage basic conversations, it’s hard when I can’t fully express myself—from the heart. This language barrier affects not only communication, but also identity.

Those who know me well know that I also have a strong “business gene.” If something doesn’t feel right, I’ll find a way to justify it. If conversation isn’t enough, I’ll pull out statistics, turn on analytics—and then it usually works.
That’s what I miss right now.

Technology helps, of course. But I can’t describe the joy of being in Latvia and reading a product’s ingredients without using ChatGPT. I even lived here for a month without face cream, simply because I didn’t have the energy to choose one while translating labels.

3. School and the adaptation process

When children grow older, life becomes easier – they manage homework themselves, talk to teachers themselves, understand expectations themselves.

And then – after moving abroad – we find ourselves learning how to learn again. All of us. Together.

How our school journey in Italy began — read here.

For our son, this year is the hardest. According to the Italian education system, he must finish middle school this year – which in Latvia would be eighth grade. There are so many uncertainties, so many decisions to make.

Our plans don’t always align with others’ expectations that he’ll be fluent in Italian overnight. On top of that, we must choose a high school – and that is far from simple.
Understanding the system, visiting open days, choosing a school, planning logistics – the decision has to be made very soon.

Yes, this worries me deeply. Not because something is wrong, but because I lack a few years of lived experience in Italy to fully understand it all.