Ciao, I’m Stef –
your Aussie contact
in Southern Italy.
I help Australians create a life they love in Salento, Puglia, and help Italians connect confidently with English speakers.
What We Can Do
Alongside our resident legal wizard, Valentina, we make everything
from the bureaucracy to the settling-in, feel seamless.
To Italy & Back is a boutique relocation agency based in Salento, Puglia, created to make moving here feel less overwhelming and far more magical. With Valentina handling the legal side and me guiding the lived-experience, we turn the bureaucracy and the settling-in into something calm and clear. If you are dreaming of a life in Salento, we help you step into it with confidence.
This is Valentina (left) and me, Stef celebrating my Italian citizenship approval!
More Than the Paperwork
We offer far more than paperwork — we help you build a life here.
You’ll get personalised neighbourhood guidance, insider-only recommendations and thoughtful touches like welcome groceries and help setting up everyday essentials. From cooking classes to curated day trips, we’ll introduce you to the people, places and experiences that make Salento feel like home.
Think of us as your local connection, your cultural guide and your first friend in Salento.
When I first dreamed of moving to Italy, I imagined Florence. Or Rome. Or literally any city I’d seen in a movie.
Salento in the wider region Puglia wasn’t even on my radar.
Then I met Valentina, the lawyer who ended up changing my life and she suggested I give Lecce in Salento a try. “It’s beautiful, welcoming… and the consulates and councils down here are far less overwhelmed,” she said.
So I trusted her. And I’m so glad I did.
When I arrived (in the heel of the boot), Lecce felt like stepping into a fairytale I didn’t realise I’d been looking for: warm golden stone, turquoise water, slow afternoons, friendly faces and a sense of belonging. The people here are generous, curious, joyful — they talk to you, remember your name and make you feel part of something.
Very quickly, I realised what Valentina meant:
Salento isn’t just a beautiful place to visit, it’s a wonderful place to live.
It’s why I help people move here, specifically because I know exactly what it feels like to discover this part of Italy for the first time… and to fall in love with it completely.
Why Salento? (a place I’d… literally never heard of)
Our Services
Thoughtful, personalised support whether you’re moving to Salento, mastering English, or sharing your Italian business with the world.
Legal & Relocation Support for English Speakers
Legal & Settling In Support
From legal support to help you make the move to local insight and curated experiences that help you connect, you’ll settle into life in Salento with newfound confidence.
I Also Offer Specialised Services For Locals
Learn English – Personal & Professional
Private English lessons for Italians and expats who want to speak with confidence. Personalised and conversation-based to suit your interests.
Experience Salento
Discover the best of the region with tailored experiences that connect you to local culture. Enjoy private wine tours, cooking classes, masserie visits and fun activities to enjoy with new friends .
Market Your Business to
English Speakers
PR and marketing support for Italian food and hospitality businesses looking to reach an English-speaking audience through strategy and storytelling.
A little about me
I travelled all the way from Melbourne, Australia to start a new chapter in Italy – and you can too!
ONE month after my 40th birthday, I packed up my things, put my PR and Marketing agency on hold, and followed my Italian roots to Italy to begin a new chapter in Lecce, in the area of Salento, Puglia. It’s right down in the heel of the boot, nestled between the Ionian and Adriatic seas, if you’re wondering!
Getting here wasn’t easy — the path to Italian citizenship was long, confusing and at times overwhelming. But the process also taught me so much about resilience, patience and what it truly means to go for something you want and finally, finally achieve it.
To Italy and Back was born from that journey; a way to help others make the move, experience the culture first-hand and create a life they love here in Italy.
Today, with the help of my lawyer and friend Valentina (who was responsible for getting me here!), I help Australians start their Italian story, and I also encourage Italians to share theirs with the world.
Whether I’m helping English speakers make their European dream a reality or supporting Italians with language and marketing their businesses, I approach every project with warmth, clarity and creativity.
If you’re thinking about a life in Italy, now’s the time!
Stef xx
Why choose us to help get you here?
Because we’ve done this ourselves.
I’ve navigated the chaos, the paperwork, the appointments, all with Valentina by my side. I can tell you first hand how to get it done and be there to guide you through it.
Because Italian bureaucracy… is very Italian.
We speak fluent Comune so you don’t have to decode the “just one more document” messages.
Because families need extra support.
Kids, partners, teens, pets — we’ve handled every type of move and we plan for all of it.
Because you want this move to feel exciting.
You focus on the new chapter. We’ll handle the admin chaos.
Because everything in one place = less stress.
Legal support, translations, apostilles, relocation — all streamlined.
Because communication shouldn’t be guesswork.
You get real updates, real answers, and a human who actually cares. Plus we’re across all the legal changes and amendments so you know exactly what’s happening and when.
Because what we offer is rare.
We handle both the bureaucratic side and the relocation side, all in one package. No juggling multiple providers. No repeating your story five times. Just one seamless, sanity-saving service.
Curated Experiences &
Community Events
Alongside my relocation services, I offer optional lifestyle experiences that help you feel at home in our beautiful Salento – and wider Puglia region. Think hands-on cooking classes with local chefs, sun-soaked weekends away to the Ionian with beach club access, masseria visits that feel like a rom-com movie, and intimate wine tastings hosted by a sommelier.
Whether you’re a digital nomad, student, retiree, travelling family, or someone who just loves a good apéritivo moment, these experiences are designed to help you settle in, meet great people, and fall in love with the Italy you actually live in — not the one in the guidebooks.
They’re flexible, fun, and always evolving. No pressure, no rigid itineraries, just genuine connection and the kind of days that make you whisper, “How is this my life now?”
Live, taste, explore, and settle into Salento the beautiful way.
If your heart keeps pulling
you towards Italy, we can help you get here
Letters from Salento:
Your Guide to Living in the Heel of the Boot!
How to Move to Italy & What No-one Ever Tells You
Why I Left Australia for Italy at 40 & Why I Don’t Regret It for a Second
The Cost of Living in Salento Versus the Rest of Italy
Why Salento is One of the Best Places to Live in Italy
Ready to Start Your Italian Story?
Let’s make your move to Salento feel simple, supported and exciting.