We've moved from Baltimore, Maryland USA to Venice, Italy in pursuit of living our dream!



Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Happy Anniversary to Mike!





Five years ago today,  my husband Mike arrived at Marco Polo airport with 4 suitcases and our corgi Leopold ,about to embark on one heck of a ride - our new life in Venice, Italy.

Mike may have drawn the short straw, getting the task of coming over from Baltimore first to settle into our furnished rented apartment in Santa Croce. His list of "To-Do"s during the 10 days before I arrived with our other dog Sam was full of some pretty tough chores: get the apartment registered at the comune with the new landlords, apply for his Permesso di Soggiorno, and basically scope out the lay of the land in an area of Venice we were unfamiliar with.

By the time I arrived, Mike knew where the closest grocery stores were, where to buy dog food (a critical item), had met the shopkeepers in Campo Santa Margherita, and had even bought a candleabra for the dining room table. And he had tackled all those nasty bureaucratic items to boot.

He took on the move without one complaint, ever. He willingly gave up his career, his family, his friends, his car, everything he knew in life to move to Venice. Thankfully the wizard granted him courage and bravery, and Mike has demonstrated those every day of the last 5 years. He already had heart.

Over these 5 years Mike has had 3 exhibitions of his art, 2 here in Venice and one in San Remo. He's had 2 commissioned paintings and continues to sell both his oils and his photographs. His first novel is sold on Amazon, the second is in the process of seeking a publisher, and his third is currently in the works on his desk.  No, he hasn't been sitting idle!

Yesterday one of my friends sent me a message saying " Sounds like retirement is going well."  This isn't quite retirement. I'd say it's a "re-inventing".  We not only moved to a new country, we started a new business. We're learning the language, immersing ourselves in the culture, making new friends, exploring every nook and cranny in Venice, and  traveling to new places around the world.

We're happy. Really, really happy.  Most days we walk around with grins as big as a cheshire cat,  pinching ourselves in disbelief that we're here, even after 5 years. We traded in the roller coaster ride we were on for 2 vaporetto passes and the good life in this city- this incredible, grand, glorious city.

  Happy Anniversary, Mike!  Here's to another 5, plus 5, plus 5.......







16 comments:

Andrew said...

Congratulations to you both. A big step in the dark to a fantastic new life. Well done.

Lisa Corrado said...

Saluti a tutti e due! You're a great inspiration!

Rob C said...

Congratulation to you both.

Sandra said...

Happy 5th!! And to many more! Congratulations on following your dream. I have been to Venice twice, once for 4 days, and the last time we rented an apt for 2 weeks. I can tell you, I did not want to leave. I truly could have been happy there. I admire you for what you have done.

Anonymous said...

Good on ya both! It takes heart AND guts to do what you have done. May you have countless 5's in Venice.

Auguri, and then some.

karen said...

Grazie mille, tutti!!! Let the adventures continue!

jodi said...

Happy Anniversary to both of you. I enjoy reading about your adventures.

Michelle said...

You are both my inspiration and I hope to join the adventure as you know.
Happy Anniversary!
Michelle

Maxine Oliver said...

Happy anniversary....i truely admire your courage in making that move. And so glad it has been such a success. I new that Mike is a photographer but I didn't know about his other talents. I would love to see his work . Tom and I will be in Venice in April for 8 days. We're renting this time and hope we can have you, Mike and Yvonne over for dinner one of those nights. Ciao Maxine

Vagabonde said...

What a happy post! It is not easy to move to a different country and be totally happy – congratulation on being successful with your dream. I can understand grinning while walking in Venice – it is such a unique and beautiful city. I took close to 3000 photos during the few days we were there and now it is hard to decide which ones to show on my posts.

karen said...

Thanks, Maxine! Where is the apartment you will be staying in? Definitely we must get together. Looking forward to seeing you both in April!

Dianne said...

Wow! Has it been 5 years -- I'm trying to remember the first time I came to Venice for Italian lessons and we met for drinks in Campo Santa Margherita. It was probably shortly after you arrived. Anyway -- congrats on your first 5 years in Vence. Tanti Auguri per le prossime 5 anni! and another and another etc.

karen said...

Diane-Grazie! Yes, I think you are right, I met you right after we moved here. Where did those years fly to??? When's your next visit??

Karen

Laura McDonnell said...

Ah, that's a lovely post, it nearly brought a tear to my eye! I've loved reading every minute of your adventures in Venice. You made my trip to Venice in 2011 really come alive I felt like I knew the place before I arrived!!! And truth be told it was reading your entries that made me want to start my own blog about the city I live in!

Thank you very much for sharing and here's to the next five years!!!

:)

Dianne said...

Nothing planned for this year. I hope to come in 2014 for Carnavale. I know that it is horribly crowded but I want to experience it for myself, take loads of colorful pictures, etc. I might even rent a costume and go to one of the balls (although that is a rather wild dream). I will certainly let you know if and when I am coming so hopefully we can meet again. It was great to meet you by chance when I was in the hamburger restaurant on Campo Santa Margherita. Is it still there? How has he faired with getting outdoor seating?

karen said...

Diane- Carnevale will be awful with crowds, but worth experiencing just once. The hamburger restaurant Mood has long since closed it's doors, it did not survive the ban on outdoor seats in the campo. There is a new place that has replaced it, they don't have outdoor seating either, we'll see what sort of toll the summer takes on the new owner. I think they are doomed.