When I buy a book, I have developed a great interest for those few lines about the author. At times it looks like the author is exactly the person that would write a book as the one I’m holding in the bookshop. Other times instead the author is surprisingly far from my expectations, and I soon come to realise that the picture I had in my mind had nothing to do with the context and the life experience that brought the book to life.
I’m interested in a brief (or long) biography of the author, because I have the feeling that to truly get the full picture I need to understand, a bit at least, of the how and the why of the book. And learning about its author can tell me much about the book itself.
If you have come across our articles you may be wondering who is the expat couple in front of the laptop writing these extremely interesting articles ;)
So to feed your curiosity, let us introduce to you our story before and after we met.
Life before the couple
Born 300km and almost one year apart, Riccardo and Sara grew up in Italy. Riccardo loves practising many sports, but loves only one football team, AS Roma. Sara instead grows up playing volleyball, but she can’t wait to explore the world. So already during high school she is hosted in Brazil in a tiny town in the Brazilian counrtyside. The passion of discovery grows in her, and right after high school she decides the next step: Australia. And then once University starts in Siena, she is back to Tuscany. Not for long, though as a year in Porto is waiting for her.
And Riccardo? The traveller in him has long been awake and he grows his collection of European countries visited. Though he has to wait to be 22 to leave Rome and have a semester abroad. The destination is quite unpopular among students: Switzerland. But hey, don’t judge too soon, his time there is so unforgettable that he just has the time to go back to Rome and finish his studies to catch a flight to Prague and start his job there. Sara in the meantime finds a good excuse during her bachelor to reconnect with Brazil, and studies there for another semester. For her Master, is time to stay in Europe instead and she studies in the Universities of Innsbruck and Prague.
1+1=2
Yeah…you probably guessed it, Prague was the place were the two expats from Italy finally crossed each other for the first, never to leave each other again. We would have started working together in August 2019, but even before sharing the desk, we managed to meet at a bar, by chance. And after the initial lightning strike, day after day, week after week, the two began to share feelings, more than just the desk. Weeks become months and the relationship continues. All seems to go just fine and we were learning about each other when quite suddenly, comes the (not) needed news: a job offer from Germany for Riccardo. Sara is supportive of the plan and joins Riccardo on the way to Germany. The return bus is booked five days later, and then it will be a long-distance relationship.
And then Covid hits.
The borders are now shut down, and Sara did not take that bus back to Prague and with her little briefcase, closed stores and blocked deliveries, she stayed in Germany until June! Forced cohabitation during the toughest time, but another test was passed. For months Sara does not give up and continues unceasingly to look for a job in Germany.
If only she had listened more to the German teacher at school!
But it matters little, because in the spring 2021 she gets the job she wanted, and at the end of May it is time to gather everything up and leave one last time for Germany. For the girl who was looking for the sun, the sea and the beach (in a word, Brazil), this is a beautiful proof of love. Riccardo really hopes that Germany can be as nice a surprise as his welcome to their new home.
In 2022 the proposal comes!
Once the ring is found, Tel Aviv! But one last hurdle before you can kneel: the security officer who wanted at all costs to open the suitcase, open the box and take out the ring before realising what it was! But Sara is in another line at the security checkpoint and doesn't notice anything! Lady Luck is still on your side, Riccardo. Now that you are in Tel Aviv go to the beach, find an intimate but not deserted corner, wait for the sunset, find a reliable person to ask to take video while you propose and..... But really all that is worth saying is that Sara said "Yes".
The big day of the two expats from Italy
We finally have a date and a location, it was not easy to decide between Rome and Siena, but getting married in the location of the bride is a tradition and who doesn't want to get married in Tuscany?! The ceremony was in the main square of the city of Siena and then celebrating for over 12 hours in the amazing old farmhouse with friends and family was really a dream coming true! And yes we still remember a lot of that day, we did a good job on handling the alcohol intake. Two days later, we were ready for our honeymoon in Kenya and Tanzania, between beach and relaxation and safari and adventure.
After almost 3 years in Karlsruhe
The city started to feel too small and for two curious and busy people like us, we really needed a change. After a long discussion, research and a list of pros and cons for almost all the cities in Germany, the winner was… Munich! We thought we were done after deciding where to move, but the biggest obstacle was the flat hunt. After a couple of months of seemingly endless research and trips to viewings, we finally have the flat and we can move in right in time for Oktoberfest.
The beginning of the expat's blog
One thing people know about us is that our only routine is challenging how we do the things we love doing. At times it is extremely tiring, but it’s also how we love to live our lives: intensively. So that chilling is actually only planning for the next adventure.
And that’s how we decided to start this amazing adventure and write this blog. And here we are, trying out something new and extremely excited about sharing all the things we have come across in our life of expats!
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