About Me

Ciao,

I’m Ron, an American living here in Rome. I’ve started this blog to assist folks traveling to Rome. I remember my first trip to Italy. We were very excited but unprepared for the challenges we would meet. We made lots of mistakes. My goal here to to help you AVOID making those same time consuming and costly mistakes!

How did I end up here? It’s a long story… My wife and I decided to relocate to Italy back in 2007. As an former corporate officer and vice president, I had gone through some career changes and we found ourselves asking each other, “What do we really want out of life?” We both enjoyed traveling and for the last eight years had repeatedly traveled abroad. How could we combine traveling, our passion, with our lifestyle?

The answer did not come easy. First, we had to determine our current and future financial positions. Wish I knew then what I know now! We agreed that, at minimum, one of us had to work. So out went the resumes.

Me and My Better Half in Orvieto

My wife, Jeff (Yes – that’s her name; No, it’s not short for anything!) immediately got hits. She is a very talented teacher who is certified in multiple levels of Special Education. Her skills were in immediate demand in multiple English-speaking schools abroad. Our goal was to move to Italy and her best opportunities were in Rome. Lucky us!

We had planned a vacation in Italy and thus coordinated job interviews for the same timeframe. Needless to say, Jeff’s skills were in high demand (mine were not??) and she quickly received a job offer. We flew home wondering, “Is this really what we want to do?” Reality has a way of “waking you up,” and quickly!!!  We decided, yes, this would be the best direction for us! So she moved to Italy in August 2007. After selling our house, storing all our belongings, and selling our cars, I followed in Janaury 2008.

Upon arrival I encountered the many challenges that are “living in Italy.” Trust me, it’s not the same as vacationing here! In my many walks through town I constantly ran into fellow Americans on their vacations. Many were lost, confused, and befuddled by the chaos of Rome. I found myself helping folks. Always an individual who enjoyed research and public speaking, it was only natural I started showing folks around town as a guide. Coupled with online work,  I found myself extremely busy. I also participated in many travel boards and again tried to help folks enjoy their “dream vacation.” Over and over I, and many other ”experts” and expats, provided answers to confused tourists.

So now I’ve decided to write a blog. More of an information blog. I remember my first time traveling to Rome. I did ALL the wrong things! I waited in the wrong lines – some for more than 2 hours! I ate at all the wrong restaurants – because they were convenient… and I was lost – even with my GPS. My wife could tell you stories about that one! (Guys, make sure you change the setting from automobile to pedestrian mode before you calculate a route… I still hear about that “walk” eight years later!).

So my goal is to help you by giving you the benefit of my experience, my mistakes, and my travels. While I may not be a travel or literary expert, I am a battle-scarred European travel veteran! I hope you’ll enjoy my attempts to help make your trip successful and more enjoyable!  

I welcome your comments, subject matter requests,  and suggestions. If you prefer, you can Send me a private email message by completing the box above on the FAR RIGHT side of this page  with the header,  If you would like to send a private email to me, enter your msg below!  and then Click “Submit Query.”    Sorry I can’t post an email address here… When I first started the blog I did and got overwhelmed by SPAM – Ouch. But this method is a direct and private link to my email! Thanks for your understanding and I welcome your emails – or comments on the blog.

Good Luck in your travels!

Ron