After living in Manhattan for more than two decades and New Jersey for five years, Charles 鈥淐huck鈥 H. Stevens and Berardino 鈥淏en鈥 Di Rienzo were ready for something new.
The U.S. couple, who鈥檝e been together for around 37 years and married for 12, say they felt as though they were spending most of their time working to keep up their lifestyles and something had to give.
鈥淲e were getting towards retirement age, and we were trying to decide what to do,鈥 Stevens, who previously worked as a creative director, tells CNN Travel.
鈥淣ew York is very expensive. And we had really kind of done everything that we wanted to do.鈥
Although they hadn鈥檛 spent a lot of time in Italy, both felt a strong connection to the European country after having travelled over to meet the family of Di Rienzo, who is of Italian descent and had returned a couple of times since their first trip.
New beginning
When the global pandemic hit in 2020 and they lost a friend to COVID-19, Di Rienzo and Stevens say they realized that they 鈥渘eeded to start enjoying鈥 the lives that they鈥檇 鈥渨orked so hard to afford.鈥
It was then that they decided to bite the bullet and begin looking for their very own property in Italy.
鈥淲e wanted to do more travelling, and spend more time in Europe than in the United States,鈥 explains Di Rienzo, who previously worked as a business office manager for an assisted living company.
鈥淪o our initial thought was to live six months in the United States, then six months in Italy.鈥
Although they were searching throughout all of Italy initially, the couple decided to focus on the town of Vinchiaturo Molise in southern Italy鈥檚 Molise, known as the 鈥渇orgotten region,鈥 which happens to be where Di Rienzo鈥檚 family are from.
鈥淏en said, 鈥業f we鈥檙e going to do this, I鈥檇 like to be close to my family,鈥欌 explains Stevens.
They soon found a listing for a property in an older section of the town, where Di Rienzo鈥檚 great aunt had once lived, and were immediately impressed by the views of the Apennine mountains and the valley below the town.
鈥淭he view is what sold us on the house,鈥 admits Stevens.
The pair went on to purchase the two-bedroom property in September 2021 for just under 100,000 euros (around US$108,000.)
鈥淲e had seen all the one euro houses,鈥 adds Stevens. 鈥淎nd I was looking at ones for around 40,000 to 60,000 euros in this town.
鈥淏ut they needed a lot of work. This one just needed a little bit of cosmetic work.鈥
鈥淏ut the beauty of this one was that it came with two stone ruins that we are actually going to work on.鈥
Permanent move
Although the couple had planned to move back and forth between Italy and the U.S., after trying it out for a little while, it didn鈥檛 take long for the pair to discover that they preferred life in Italy.
鈥淓ach time that we came, it was harder to leave,鈥 says Stevens, noting that learning that the company he worked for would be relocating to the west coast of the U.S. played a factor in their decision.
鈥淏oth of our parents are deceased. We don鈥檛 have children. So when it came through about my job relocating, it was just kind of like, 鈥楲et鈥檚 do it.鈥欌
Di Rienzo goes on to explain that they knew that Italy would ultimately offer them a better lifestyle during their retirement years.
鈥淲e analyzed our quality of life in the United States versus our quality of life in Europe,鈥 he says.
鈥淎nd Europe just gave us a better quality of life 鈥 and I could be closer to my family here.鈥
Di Rienzo鈥檚 Italian heritage meant that the visa process was much simpler for the pair.
鈥淢y father was an Italian citizen when I was born,鈥 he explains. 鈥淪o legally, I just needed to be recognized as an Italian.鈥
Stevens was able to get a carta di soggiorno, which allows him to remain in the country for five years, as the spouse of an Italian.
Once they鈥檇 made up their minds, the couple went about making arrangements to sell their home in New Jersey and completely leave their lives in the U.S. behind, a process that took them just three months.
鈥淲e both had to quit our jobs,鈥 says Stevens. 鈥淲e literally sold [nearly] everything we owned. We booked the flight with our dog. And we were here. Our friends were like, 鈥榃hat is going on?鈥欌
Big adventure
In October 2022, Di Rienzo and Stevens arrived back in Italy, with their beloved dog Max in tow, safe in the knowledge that they would be remaining for the foreseeable future.
鈥淔or the first couple of months, it felt like we were on vacation,鈥 says Di Rienzo. 鈥淸We felt] like we鈥檙e going to need to pack up and leave [soon].
鈥淎nd then reality would hit and we鈥檇 realize that we don鈥檛 have to leave. We鈥檙e here. This is not a vacation. This is now our life.鈥
Since then, the couple have thrown themselves into life in Vinchiaturo Molise, learning how to make cheese, press olive oil, grow their own food and even how to 鈥渒ill and butcher a pig.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e had so many amazing experiences this past year,鈥 says Stevens. 鈥淛ust learning about real Italian life living. Being in a rural area that has kind of been untouched has been amazing.鈥
They鈥檝e been welcomed with open arms by the locals, particularly Di Rienzo鈥檚 family, who are thrilled that they鈥檝e decided to live there permanently.
鈥淚t just restored my faith in humanity,鈥 says Stevens. 鈥淏ecause people are genuinely respectful, and kind. They鈥檙e so excited. We鈥檙e known as 鈥榯he Americans.鈥欌
While Di Rienzo speaks a little Italian, Stevens says he鈥檚 鈥渟till learning.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 speaking it like an American, and I need to speak more like an Italian,鈥 he says. 鈥淪o I need to find an Italian teacher here this year.鈥
While they were concerned about how Max the dog, who had to be microchipped and cleared medically before they could bring him over, would settle in a new country, they鈥檝e been pleasantly surprised.
鈥淗e鈥檚 happier than he鈥檚 ever been,鈥 says Di Rienzo.
They all spend a lot of time outdoors now, and say they feel that their lifestyles are much healthier.
鈥淓verything here is fresh,鈥 explains Stevens, pointing out that they鈥檝e had to get used to buying produce daily rather than stocking up on everything in advance like they did in the U.S.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 do that here. Since everything is so pure, the life of the food is short.鈥
鈥楲a Dolce Vita鈥
The couple have also learned to do lunch the Italian way, and joke that they spend much of their mornings discussing their lunch plans.
鈥淓veryone takes lunch very seriously here,鈥 adds Stevens, before describing their 鈥渨onderful three-hour gourmet lunches鈥 during summertime.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of the height of the day,鈥 says Stevens. 鈥淲e鈥檒l do a little bit of work in the garden in the morning. But at midday, everything stops for lunch.鈥
When it comes to eating out, they鈥檝e been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the local restaurants.
鈥淭he chefs in the area here really put their heart and soul into things,鈥 says Di Rienzo. 鈥淲e鈥檝e found some restaurants that are Manhattan quality at a quarter of the price.鈥
They also love the accessibility of living in the Molise, which is considered to be Italy鈥檚 least visited region, and the fact that they鈥檙e just a few hours' drive from Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast.
鈥淲e love to travel and this is a good home base,鈥 says Stevens. 鈥淲e really like travelling through Europe.鈥
Both concede that they鈥檝e found it difficult to adjust to driving in Italy, which is very different to the U.S.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know about other parts of Europe,鈥 says Di Rienzo. 鈥淏ut Italian drivers are much more aggressive.鈥
Thankfully, their home is situated within walking distance of the local restaurants, doctor鈥檚 office and grocery stores, so they can get to most places on foot.
鈥淥ur mobility is way better,鈥 adds Stevens. 鈥淚t reminds us of living in Manhattan.鈥
As for affordability, the couple say that their pension goes a lot further in Italy, while medical costs are also considerably less.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 realize how overly-priced medical [care] is in America, for the same sort of procedure,鈥 says Stevens. 鈥淎nd I find the quality level comparable to the New York/New Jersey area.鈥
There are few other expats in the area according to the pair, who describe their new town as 鈥渁 beautiful slice of real Italy.鈥
And Di Rienzo is hugely grateful to be living in a place that has so much history for his family.
鈥淭o think that I鈥檓 walking the streets that my great-grandparents walked is just mind-boggling sometimes,鈥 he says.
鈥淢y grandfather was actually born in the house that鈥檚 three doors down from ours. And my mother was born just a couple of houses up the block from us.鈥
The renovation work on their home, which has so far cost 25,000 euros (around $27,000), is still ongoing.
They鈥檝e already made some modifications to the main house and plan to transform the ruin behind their home into a large rustic kitchen.
However, they say they鈥檝e learned to be relaxed about the speed of the renovation process.
鈥楶iano piano鈥
鈥淭he first words I learned from the Italian workers were 鈥榩iano piano,鈥 which is 鈥榮lowly, slowly,鈥欌 jokes Stevens.
They say that they鈥檇 advise anyone hoping to buy and renovate a home in Italy to be mindful that things might not move as quickly as they would hope.
鈥淭he expectation of getting your house renovated within six months to a year, that鈥檚 not going to happen,鈥 says Di Rienzo. 鈥淵ou have to be able to come with the mindset that it鈥檚 a process.鈥
In fact, the pair, who launched a YouTube channel about their experiences in 2022, stress that relocating from the U.S. to a country like Italy requires a great deal of flexibility in general.
鈥淚f you expect the world to change for you, this is not the place for you,鈥 says Stevens. 鈥淵ou need to come here and learn. Like any country, you need to learn to blend yourself into their culture.鈥
Now happily settled, the couple is extremely excited about the future and can鈥檛 envision living in the U.S. again.
And while Di Rienzo aims to return to visit his U.S.-based relatives at some stage, Stevens has no plans to go back at all.
鈥淧ersonally, I have no desire [to go back,]鈥 he says. 鈥淚 did everything I needed to do [in America.] I鈥檓 very happy here.鈥
While they may not be in a rush to return to the U.S., there are some things that they miss about living there 鈥 diverse food options being one of them.
鈥淲e鈥檒l watch a movie and there鈥檒l be Chinese takeout,鈥 says Stevens. 鈥淎nd we鈥檒l be like, 鈥極h Chinese takeout.鈥 Or, 鈥極h man, Mexican tacos.鈥 But that little bit does not outweigh all the pluses [of Italy.] It鈥檚 been an amazing adventure.鈥
Di Rienzo was officially recognized as an Italian citizen last January, and Stevens plans to apply for citizenship as a domestic spouse once he鈥檚 eligible.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been here a little over a year now, and I鈥檓 still like, 鈥楶inch me, is this real?鈥欌 says Stevens.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 in an Italian movie. It鈥檚 been wonderful. It really was the best decision of our lives.鈥
