Lessons your learn when you move life abroad (or specifically: What happens when MLK shifts from full time office life to freelancing in Italia...)

What a whirlwind. These past few weeks have been probably some of the busiest and most exhausting of my life, most honestly. It's been chaotic and draining, but also utterly exhilarating. I would've written something sooner but firstly, I had no idea where to start, and secondly, I've had no time!

However, I thought it important to post an honest account of goings on, for fear that the insta posts and happy photos mislead anyone into thinking it's been anything like plain sailing of late. ;)

So. What have I learnt in the past month? Well, a whole lot. But I will try to summarise the key things below:

It doesn't matter if your flat is too small to swing a cat, two triathletes still accumulate more stuff than will fit in a small Hyundai...

To be exact, you will somehow have enough stuff to fill that car ten times over. And once you've decided you don't want to put anything in storage, but you also want to take all your possessions to Italy in one small car, it soon becomes clear this is an impossible task.

Nonetheless, kind family and friends all pitch in, and you muddle through somehow.

Limiting what you bring also makes you realise how little we actually need as humans. Honestly, it turns out no-one *actually* needs 15 jumpers and 10 pairs of leggings, who knew?

Waiting to board the ferry to Calais

If you think moving house is stressful, moving house to another country is 

a whole different ball game

I vastly underestimated how emotionally draining leaving a happy place can be. We loved the memories we made in Henley. So throw that together with cramming in visits with as many friends as possible, and your husband already having moved abroad, it soon becomes an exhausting time. By the time my last day of work came around, I barely knew my own name. I wish I was exaggerating!

Luckily, other people sensed my total disarray, and rallied round to get me over to Italy in one piece. I'm so grateful to everyone that kept me pushing along in those last two weeks. Even the little messages sent my way on social media were incredibly powerful, and I was left feeling overwhelmingly supported, so thank you to everyone who played a part there.

Buuuut... a road trip across Europe is always a good idea

Prior to those final two weeks, Tom and I took the car across to Italy over a couple of days. We went down through France and over the Alps through Chamonix, and despite the yellow vest protests causing some chaos, we spent a joyful couple of days, listening to numerous podcasts* and Disney sing along playlists. Honestly, it was wonderful, and even if you're not crazy and relocating your life elsewhere, I'd still recommend a similar trip. (But maybe don't pack your car so full that you can't see out the back and sides, hey..)

The view as we reached the Italian border

*The Modern Mann, Ross Edgley, and Flintoff, Savage and the Ping Pong guy  all featured heavily, if you're interested!

Italian food really is mind blowing

Once out there, despite Tom's obsession with the rules ("No cappuccino after 10am, NEVER call an Espresso an Espresso, it's normaaaale" - just call him Hermoine Grainger), it didn't take us long to realise how insane the food is.

Modena is world famous as one of the most foodie cities in the world, and so to those with a penchant for Italian food this may not come as a surprise. However, every single thing I have tried so far, the pizza, gelato, coffee, pasta, seriously - that list goes on forever (whoops), it has all tasted beyond belief. To top it off, none of it is expensive. I mean sure, if you go to Osteria Francescana (the actual number 1 restaurant in the world), you'll pay hundreds. But outside of that, it's all seriously reasonable.

I can only say it's a good job I love to train!

When they tell you moving abroad is a rollercoaster, 

you don't realise quite how true this could be

Let it be known that until I moved, I don't think I'd ever experienced a true emotional rollercoaster before. But in the last few weeks, the highs have been outrageously good. Cycling up new climbs in the winter sunshine to panoramic views deserving of a postcard. But then within the space of a few hours, the gravity of what you're doing and the degree of change you've put yourself through comes crashing down when you realise for example, that the daily foods you are used to at home simply aren't easily available here. That's the point you find yourself crying about squash, and oats. No, truly.
I'm learning to roll with it though, and hey, what can't be replaced with pizza, really? I know.

You don't need to speak the same language to make someone feel welcome

I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a triathlon club via a friend made online, and they have been wonderful. Not all of them speak english, especially not the coach. But has that made an ounce of difference to how welcome we could feel? Not one bit. I have never been shown such kindness from strangers before. They are so, so friendly. They smile, they say hi, and someone will always translate to make sure we aren't totally in the dark! We are getting used to a friendly rapid fire stream of Italian interspersed with "l'inglese", followed by a gesture in our direction and laughter. Normally, someone fills us in on the joke!

Let that be a lesson to us though - there's never an excuse not to make newcomers feel welcome, and I can guarantee they will appreciate every effort you make more than you could know.

In a similar vein, if you only know a few words, use those. Ciao, Allora, Grazie... people seem to appreciate that you've tried, and will always help you make yourself understood. and a smile? Well, that's universal. :)