As I stepped off a train in Florence into heat so brutal it felt like the city was actively trying to kill me, I wondered if I’d made the right decision.
This was my first time in Italy, yet I’d already committed to leaving the US and calling it home.
I’d dreamed of living in Europe ever since my semester abroad in college, but here I was — overstimulated, sweating, and on my way to move into an apartment I’d only seen through WhatsApp video calls.
Conventional wisdom says you should visit a place before moving to it and that committing to a city you’ve never set foot in is reckless. However, for single women without the budget or time for multiple international scouting trips, that advice feels paralyzing.
I’m glad I didn’t follow it and happy to report that about eight months later, I’m happily settled in Florence with my 60-pound pit-lab-boxer mix, Archie.
I did a lot of research when deciding which country and city to move to
In January, I started looking into where I might want to move by putting together the unsexy stuff: a massive spreadsheet tracking visa requirements, pet import rules (Archie is non-negotiable), and cost of living across multiple countries.
Despite never setting foot in the country, Italy won me over purely on logistics. Its digital-nomad visa seemed achievable, the country had few dog restrictions, and the visa income requirements were something I could easily meet with my freelance work.
From there, I had to pick a city. That’s where things got less straightforward.
I built a custom GPT to synthesize research my ADHD brain couldn’t organize on its own and asked it everything: What’s the cost-of-living breakdown in different Italian cities? Where’s the sweet spot between budget, safety, and actual vibes?
I used Google Street View to virtually walk neighborhoods, “visit” apartments, and check for green spaces for Archie. I watched travel series and documentaries, and asked friends who had been to Italy about where they think I’d fit.
Eventually, I narrowed my options to the Tuscany region because it’s centrally located in Italy — the perfect home base to explore a country I’ve never been to before.
Soon, I ruled out smaller towns on my list, like Montepulciano, because I’d have to travel to a bigger city like Florence just to get anywhere else. I wasn’t moving to Europe only to not be able to travel frequently.
Because I contain multitudes, I also consulted my astrocartography chart. Florence came up as a place that could offer me career recognition, creativity, and (most importantly) rest.
Logic said Italy. The stars said Florence. And, if I’m honest, my heart said Florence all along. Something about the place I saw through travel documentaries, blogs, social media, and research called to me.
It felt like a Goldilocks city — big enough to have a bustling social scene, but small enough that I could walk the whole thing in a night.
It’s also got a lot of English-speaking people, which I figured could be helpful as I learn Italian.
Once I decided, I started pulling together my documents, looking for apartments, studying Italian, and selling just about everything I own to fund Archie’s portion of the move.
Six months later, I found myself sweating in a country that would become home.
The move was rough at first, but Florence felt home after a few months
Within a few weeks of moving, I realized there was a lot my research didn’t prepare me for.
For one, I didn’t realize how overstimulating coming from rural Tennessee to a busy Florentine street with a tram running outside would be for Archie and me.
Plus, moving in the middle of June was a mistake. The heat made leaving the apartment nearly impossible for weeks, which made daily life feel hard and overwhelming.
I couldn’t have anticipated the mental exhaustion that would come with every errand and interaction, either. Not only was I navigating a new neighborhood and new routines, but I was also doing so in a second language (that I’m still learning).
After a few months in Florence, though, I felt like I could slow down and finally feel present in a way I never had in the US.
Just as in many parts of Europe, life here feels more peaceful, slower, and less tied to hustle culture.
Archie’s also been doing well —fortunately, many Italians really love dogs. I couldn’t anticipate how much of my social life would only exist because of him.
From day one, the ladies at the café downstairs spoiled Archie and knew his name before they knew mine. The same happened with the owner of the local pub on the corner, where I made my first Italian friend.
Even if people never learned my name, they knew of me — and they looked out for me. It was the sense of community I’d been searching for my whole life.
I’m glad I moved, and I could see my unconventional approach working for others
I’ve made a lot of big, scary moves in my life, and I can honestly say that my only regret about this one is doing it in the dead heat of summer.
Although this unconventional approach to moving has paid off for me so far, it’s certainly not ideal for everyone. It’s not for people who think staying put is the safer choice, or who need certainty before they can take the leap.
However, it could work well for those who don’t have disposable income for multiple scouting trips, and who understand that tomorrow isn’t promised. It’s for people who are 100% committed, trust their research, and trust themselves.
I made the decision using a mix of spreadsheets, AI, Google Street View, and astrology. A few months later, I’m standing in a city I’d never visited, and I’ve never felt more at home.
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