Since visiting Italy two years ago, I have become obsessed with retiring to this beautiful country. Really, I have my sights on Venice, as the City of Water has all the elements that would keep my family on our toes. Food, art, amazing sunsets, a contagious buzz of excitement throughout the streets, and did I mention food? My husband, who has an adventurous soul, is on board. Check. My boy Nacho, he needs details, visuals, and an ongoing conversation on how I see our retirement years, Italian style!
We took a Sunday to have fun and chat about our Italian retirement dreams. Luckily, my boy has been in Italian class since pre-K (this is pretty cool for a public school!), where for two years he has been learning the alphabet, and has had the chance to visit the Italian Consulate. I thought since he’s had such a great education in Italian culture and language, that he’d be excited for all of us to visualize what our retirement will look like in Italy.
First, we made food—the kind of food that we’ll eat when every day when we retire. I kept it easy and we made an Italian cheese plate for Papa. It was yummy…and gone in a flash.
Then we took some tomato sauce we froze over the summer and cooked spaghetti. It was simple yet delicious.
While the pasta cooked, we practiced the language, and I let Nacho show me the cities he recognizes from school. We talked about the places we will visit once we become residents of Venice and where he can go to college—gulp. My baby is growing up fast. Yet somehow sharing, preparing, and having an open conversation about our future helps me in knowing this can be a reality.
Most importantly…Nacho will know that his parents’ retirement will be an exciting chapter in all our lives.
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