The concept of moving, in general, may encompass many different feelings and emotions for individuals. Ranging from excitement to anxiety and everything in between, people make the decision for various reasons whether personally or professionally. But what feelings does one have when they move to a different country altogether? That is what I wanted to find out and who better to ask than Princess Capps who moved from the U.S. to Italy…here is what she had to say.

Where are you originally from? ​ I was born in Philadelphia, PA. My parents are from the Philippines.

Having lived in the Philadelphia / South Jersey region your whole life, what was it about wanting to move not only out of state but to another country that solidified the decision? We got married in Rome in 2012. That was the first time either of us were in Italy. My husband’s mom’s family moved here in the early 70’s. When we got married in 2012, that was the first time Mike’s mom went back to Italy since she moved to the U.S. We loved Italy so much and after we spent three wonderful weeks here, Mike worked on his dual citizenship paperwork and got it after a few years. We’ve come back here two additional times before we moved here in August 2021. The 2nd time we did the Amalfi Coast area (Ravello, Positano, Ischia, Atrani) and on every trip, we always came to visit his family in the Molise region. The 3rd time we were here, we did the Tuscany area, which included Cinque Terra, Florence, Pisa, San Marino, etc. and again, came to Molise. After this third trip, we realized we would love to retire in Italy one day.

Then COVID came and we basically were like, “Why wait? Life is short!” So now Mike still works as a travel nurse in the U.S. six months of the year, and I have continued to work remotely for Access.

Tell us about the town that you currently live in. ​I live in Roccaspromonte, in the Molise region of Italy. It is a small village with less than 100 people. Niko (my son) goes to school in the next town over, Castropignano. There are about 800 people who live in Castropignano. The closest city is Campobasso, the capital of Molise. That’s about 25 minutes away.

How have you and your family adapted to your new residence? ​I think we have adapted well. It was easier to acclimate since Mike has family here. But everyone has been so welcoming and helpful. With it being such a small village, they welcome newcomers! Niko is 8 and has picked up the language pretty easily. It is a simple, peaceful life. This lifestyle is not for everyone. One has to have patience as the bureaucracy can be frustrating to navigate if you don’t have anyone to help you. Knowing the language is obviously a plus as well.
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How has your experience been learning to speak and communicate in Italian? ​ I have had an Italian tutor for a number of years now. However, being here and being immersed in the culture is the best teacher and I feel comfortable communicating in Italian at this point. And when I don’t know what someone said, I ask Niko. LOL

Anything from back home that you miss? ​A clothes dryer, but I’ve embraced the Italian culture of drying your clothes outside, and the diversity of food that you can get at any time of the day in the US! First thing I eat when I go back will probably be Chipotle! And of course, I miss my family, but our plan is to come back to the US for the summers, when Niko is not in school.

What would you like to say to the Access team? “Spero di vedere alcuni di voi quest’estate quando torneremo negli Stati Uniti. A presto!” (Translation: “I hope to see some of you this summer when we return to the US. See you soon!”)