Why I Left Australia for Southern Italy at 40 and Why I Don’t Regret It for a Second
Most people don’t gear up to their 40th birthday, look around at their life in Melbourne, and think:
“You know what? Let’s move to the other side of the world in southern Italy and start again.”
And yet… that’s exactly what I did.
There was no dramatic crisis. No eat-pray-love meltdown. No universe-shaking sign. Just a quiet feeling, the kind you can ignore for years until suddenly you can’t anymore.
A little voice that whispered: “There’s more for you. Somewhere else.”
I didn’t know where that “somewhere else” was.
I only knew I needed a change. A big one.
And apparently, Italy agreed.
The Plan (…that wasn’t really a plan)
Originally, I imagined Florence. You know: cobblestones, espresso, maybe the occasional glamorous windblown moment.
Then I met Valentina, the lawyer who eventually helped me become a citizen — and she suggested Lecce in Salento. Her home city, and fondly nicknamed: “The Florence of the South”.
At the time, I had never heard of Salento, which is in the wider region of Puglia in southern Italy. I’d never travelled lower than Rome – crazy when I think about that now.
I nodded politely, pretended I knew where it was, then immediately Googled it like any sensible adult making a life-altering decision.
But something about the way she spoke about it: warm, confident, certain, made me trust her and realistically, I could go anywhere, it didn’t have to be Florence to begin with.
So I packed my life into two suitcases, paused my PR and Marketing agency, kissed Melbourne goodbye and flew to the heel of the boot.
So many photo opportunities in this wonderful region
And then I arrived…
Nothing prepares you for your arrival in Italy, and more specifically, my new home in Lecce.
The light hits differently here — golden, soft, almost theatrical.
People smile at you in the street.
Neighbours talk to you like you’ve lived there forever.
The sea looks Photoshopped.
Life moves at a pace that actually feels human.
By the end of the first week, I realised something:
I didn’t just like it. I felt an ease — like my shoulders had dropped for the first time in years.
By the end of the first month, I was completely in love.
The Bureaucracy Plot Twist
Now, don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t all spritzes, sunsets and carbs. Though I did indulge in quite. few breakfast pastries during those early months. Italian bureaucracy has a personality of its own, and it loves to test you.
Every appointment felt like a cross between a treasure hunt and a patience exam.
But here’s the best part: Valentina guided me through everything: the documents, the translations, the appointments, the “please come back tomorrow” moments.
What could have been overwhelming became manageable.
And somewhere between the paperwork and the aperitivi, something shifted.
Italy stopped being an experiment. It started becoming my life.
I made friends quickly. I joined a Digital Community and started going to social events from Week 1! I enrolled in Italian classes and explored the city streets at my own pace. It was one of the best times of my life.
The Truth About Starting Over at 40
People think starting over at 40 is reckless, but I think it’s liberating.
By 40, you know yourself.
You know what you want.
You know what you’re no longer willing to tolerate.
You have the confidence to begin again — and the wisdom to do it intentionally.
Moving to Italy didn’t feel like running away. I was perfectly happy in Melbourne – great family, friends – but I just needed something different.
I like to think of it as running towards something rather than away. Something warmer, something slower and more than anything: something new.
Thinking about making your own move?
If Italy is tugging at your heart the way it tugged at mine, I can help you understand your pathway, navigate the bureaucracy and feel supported from the moment you land. Get in touch.