Our Italian Journey

Can you imagine living in Italy for one full year? This was the dream. That was the promise. After a rollercoaster ride of three years to obtain Italian citizenship, Ilene and Gary achieved their goal. In 2019, they packed up leaving family and friends to live this dream in Italy.

This is their travel memoir and personal adventure, which has changed their lives forever. In Our Italian Journey, you will discover and share their desire for a genuine experience with an Italian family and how this dream came true. Enjoy their stories and witty insights about new Italian friendships, reconnecting with old friends, meeting up with subscribers to their blog, and the countless experiences through the various towns they stayed and explored.

In Our Italian Journey, Ilene and Gary provide you with an entertaining look at life in Italy. A journey with a bit of history, tradition, and culture that is written from their hearts. Experience and appreciate Italy’s charm and appeal while joining in the laughter as they also divulge the trials and tribulations they encountered along the way. Through this journey, they eat and drink their year through Italy visiting 8 regions and 46 cities; include Sicilia and—Licodia Eubea, their new Italian birthplace. They picked up their Italian birth and marriage certificates during the adventure in Sicily.

Their debut, writing this book together as their journey unfolded in 2019, was a step outside of their comfort zone and a new venture for them. Ilene and Gary invite you to take a glimpse of Italy through the eyes of locals and their pride as new Italian citizens. Our Italian Journey would make a great “Italy Read” prior to an upcoming visit to Italy or for someone who just enjoys the Italian culture and would like to experience it firsthand with this couple.