Have you ever thought about running away to Italy?

How about running away to Italy to start a magical indie bookshop in a little town north of Rome?

Is it even a possible dream? Well, that remains to be seen, as I haven’t done it yet. But this, dear reader, is my attempt at giving it a go, and I’m going to write it all down for you.

Who am I? A six-year-old with giant glasses, hiding under the covers with a flashlight to finish a book. A teenager up a tree writing poetry. A hopeless Italophile.

I was in my twenties when I first ran away to Italy. I failed, and then failed again a few years later. And then yet again. Turns out nothing about running away to Italy is easy. But how many things worth doing are?

It wasn’t for nothing. In the meantime, I’ve lived on five continents, learnt a few languages (rather badly), and managed to make it more or less permanently to my preferred side of the Atlantic. California is still where we take the kids to visit both sets of grandparents, but for the past several years my husband and I have called Amsterdam home.

Still, I’ve never quite gotten over Italy. Circumstances involving the pandemic, parenting, and the inevitable passage of time are making it seem possible again. So I’m taking this long-held dream of Italy out of the cupboard, dusting it off, and taking one more chance, this time with a twist: starting my own bookshop in an Umbrian hilltop town.

The practicalities of all this are, of course, daunting. Moving to a foreign country, with all the red tape, logistics, and packing that entails. Finding the perfect location, building a beautiful interior, figuring out the business side of things. Sourcing books!

But I am nothing if not motivated. And I figured I’m probably not the only one with a dream like this. Who knows? Maybe I can share something that makes your dream feel a little more possible, or even just give you some armchair traveling pleasure, So brew yourself a cup of your comforting beverage of choice, and come along for the journey.