English (Original)
Cassandra and her family used to live in New York, where life was very expensive. They paid $2,000 a month to rent an apartment in Brooklyn. They knew it would be very difficult to save enough money to buy a home there. So, after their daughter was born, they decided to completely change their lives.
In 2023, they moved to a small, traditional town in the Abruzzo region of Italy. They bought a house for only €11,500 (about $13,000) and paid in cash. The house needed some work, so they spent another €15,000 on renovations. The most expensive part was fixing the plumbing for the whole house.
Life in Italy is very different and much cheaper for them now. Abruzzo is beautiful, with mountains and no mass tourism. For example, full-time preschool for their daughter costs only €60 a month. In the US, it can cost around $3,000! They spend about €120 a week on groceries, and they buy their meat and cheese from local shops. Cassandra says the quality of the food is much better than in the US.
To live in a small Italian town, they had to learn the language. Cassandra practices Italian every day to feel more confident. She also changed how she thinks about her career. She earns less money now, but she is much happier. Because they own their house and do not pay rent every month, she feels free and relaxed. She misses her family and friends in the US, but she does not want to move back.