English One thing is certain: in life, nothing ever stays the same. We spend years living a certain way, dreaming about how things could be if we only had the courage to change everything.
After a career as a federal prosecutor in Oregon, Kate Bickers decided to do just that, leave everything behind and start a new adventure in Europe. After several years in France and just as many trips to Italy, she finally decided to move – first to Tuscany, and later to Giardini Naxos, a small town of 10,000 inhabitants in Sicily near Messina.
Moving from USA to Tuscany
Kate grew up in the United States, on the West Coast, in the state just north of California. She worked there as a lawyer, and for over twenty years, she served as a federal prosecutor with the federal government. “It was a high-pressure job”, she says, “so whenever I had the chance, I took the opportunity to travel”.
After retiring, having studied French in school and always loving France, she decided to settle in Nice, in an apartment near the sea. But with Italy just across the border, she often found herself drawn there for weekend getaways. So finally, in 2002, a visit to Tuscany changed everything.
“It all started when some friends told me about a small apartment for sale in Fabbrica (PI). The village had fewer than 700 residents, but as soon as I saw it, I knew it was the right place.”
Located near Peccioli, the apartment cost just €79,000, well below her budget and far less than what she would have paid for a similar property in the US. “It didn’t need any major renovations, which was key for me” she explains, “And the setting was exactly what I was looking for: quiet, historic, and authentic.”
The purchase moved quickly. She first visited the property in March and finalized the deal by early June. Including taxes, notary fees, and realtor costs, the total came to about $87,000 at the time.
Discovering and Falling in Love with Sicily
In 2007, while on a cruise, Kate stopped in Taormina and was captivated by Sicily’s landscape and atmosphere. Years later, the idea of living there returned to her, especially when she learned about a ten-year tax incentive for foreigners who establish residency in smaller towns with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants.
Thanks to the structure of her elective residence visa, Kate also realized she could travel outside of Italy for up to two months a year and still retain her eligibility for a long-term stay permit. So she finally decided to sign a long-term rental lease in Giardini Naxos, while keeping her house in Tuscany as a second home.
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to spend as much time at my place in Nice, so I put it in a rental pool. Sicily gave me the coastal lifestyle I loved, and thanks to budget flights between Catania and Tuscany, I could easily move between the two homes.”
Living Like a Local and Loving It
Despite not speaking fluent Italian, Kate has found integration surprisingly smooth. In small villages, she says, it’s easier to form real relationships:
“Very few people in my village speak English, but everyone is so welcoming. When I returned after being away, people would greet me with “Benvenuta” (“welcome back”).”
In terms of cost of living, she’s found Italy, particularly Sicily, far more affordable than life in the US. Grocery shopping alone, she says, costs at least 30-40% less. Her rent in Giardini Naxos is just €500 per month, and even her beloved Fiat Panda only cost €7,000, complete with a warranty and free transfer of ownership.
That car, she adds, wasn’t a random choice: “If you’re going to live in Italy, buy an Italian car. Don’t get a Subaru or a Ford Fiesta, get a Panda. It fits anywhere. I’ve even got a photo from the other day of four Pandas lined up in a row. It may seem minor, but things like that help you connect with local culture.”
Getting the Italian Driver’s License
One of the more daunting aspects of expat life in Italy is passing the theory exam required to obtain the driver’s license. The test must be taken in Italian, and the language barrier can be a significant hurdle. Kate began studying in November with the help of an online tutor recommended by other expats, and by March, she passed the test, missing only two out of 30 questions.
Her advice is to practice as much as possible with the test:
“I did the practice tests so often they started to feel like a video game. Each one took about five minutes, and at one point, I was doing around 12 a day.”
A Simpler, Richer Life
The slower pace of life has become part of what she values most. Whether it’s a long chat at the checkout counter or hours spent waiting in a traffic tunnel on a FlixBus (yes, that actually happened), she’s struck by the calm and patience of those around her. Even the challenges, like the bureaucracy, or long waits at the Questura, have become part of the rhythm she’s learned not only to accept, but even appreciate.
“How much do I need to live on? A lot less. And not just in terms of money, but also travel. There are literally thousands of villages in Italy, and each one has its own character. I don’t feel like I need to go anywhere else to be happy.”
She also feels a strong sense of security, both socially and in terms of healthcare:“I’m really confident about the medical system here. I’ve heard a lot of good things, contrary to what some people assume. Sure, like anywhere, you might find areas where it’s harder to get to a doctor, but I honestly believe that if something happened to me in my home in Tuscany, or now in my apartment in Sicily, I wouldn’t have to shout very loud before someone looked out their window to help.”
One Piece of Advice for Anyone Dreaming of Life in Italy
Kate’s main advice to anyone considering a move to Italy is to be realistic, but stay open.
“When you’re deciding where to live, stay curious and look beyond the big cities or the most popular towns. You’re not taking a vacation, you’re choosing where to live. When I was in Tuscany, I lived in a very small village, but there’s a bus stop just steps from my house that takes me to Pontedera. It’s about an hour, costs a few euros, and the route goes through beautiful olive groves and vineyards. Once you’re at the train station, you can get anywhere in Italy.”
Living abroad has taught Kate that the sooner you stop expecting everything to work the way it does back home, the happier you’ll be. She’s proof that curiosity and a positive mindset are key to adapting, qualities that wouldn’t have led her to embrace this new adventure in Sicily otherwise.
Was this helpful?
