{"id":236490,"date":"2024-12-29T18:40:13","date_gmt":"2024-12-29T18:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extramiles.it\/the-question-i-hear-the-most-why-return-to-italy-after-life-in-the-states\/"},"modified":"2025-01-08T10:15:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T10:15:23","slug":"the-question-i-hear-the-most-why-return-to-italy-after-life-in-the-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extramiles.it\/en\/the-question-i-hear-the-most-why-return-to-italy-after-life-in-the-states\/","title":{"rendered":"The Question I Hear the Most: Why Return to Italy After Life in the States?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I spent the last years of my life in the United States living in places that no longer felt like mine. Although I still consider Los Angeles a part of me (and always it will), I wasn\u2019t truly living: I was simply going through the motions of daily tasks\u2014automatic, repetitive, and nearly identical. It was as if \u201cautopilot\u201d had become a habit, one I carried with me for a while even when I returned to Italy. <\/p>\n

Coming back to Italy, my homeland, after 15 years of life abroad\u2014especially during those formative years when you grow both, professionally and a personally \u2014felt like a leap into the unknown. My dominant emotions swung between overwhelming excitement and almost paralyzing fear.<\/p>\n

I left everything behind: a stable, secure life and a job I loved (a job that had helped me grow both professionally and personally in ways I could never have imagined). In exchange, I embraced uncertainty and unpredictability, stepping into a new and challenging role within a system that was significantly different (although I wasn\u2019t fully aware of this at the time). Even today, I often jokingly describe it as “working in reverse” compared to how I was used to in the States.<\/p>\n

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The first years were, in a word, \u201cchallenging.\u201d<\/em> For me, that term perfectly encapsulates the experience.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Italy gave me the chance to embrace more balanced and natural rhythms<\/strong>. Through this shift, I rediscovered my dependence on nature, learned the patience of waiting paired with the determination to succeed, and savored the joy of a genuine smile, the warmth of true hospitality, and the beauty of a fully appreciated sunset. <\/p>\n

I realized that it\u2019s not the journey itself that fulfills me, but the lives, experiences, and stories of the people I meet\u2014each with their own challenges, tears, fears, and smiles. At the same time, I took important steps toward becoming the woman I aspire to be. <\/p>\n

I needed to reclaim balance<\/strong>, enriching my life in all its dimensions\u2014career, health, and relationships\u2014so I could face the inevitable challenges and temporary difficulties along my path. Italy is wonderfully giving me this: a daily, constant journey that is enriching and meaningful. <\/p>\n

Did I need to return to Italy to discover this? It\u2019s not meant to be a rule for everyone, but my personal answer is yes..<\/p>\n

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This journey of personal rediscovery also led me to reflect on the precious professional lessons I learned during my years in the United States.<\/p>\n

Professionally, I became fully aware of the leadership values I experienced overseas, so brilliantly summarized by Richard Branson<\/em>:<\/p>\n