My phone alarm rings early, not because we have somewhere to be, but because the countryside is more merciful in early morning before the sun takes over. Long before most people are awake, Isidoro and I are already walking through the Umbrian hills wearing our weighted vests, the air almost cool enough to enjoy and the first light stretching across fields of sunflowers.

This year the heat has been relentless. Days have climbed past 102 degrees, and by early afternoon the pace of life changes completely. By noon, our neighbors’ shutters are pulled closed against the sun, the streets grow quiet, and everyone seems to wait hopefully and patiently for an evening breeze to arrive.

Living with my Italians husband has taught me that Italians don’t fight the seasons, they accept them.

Our morning route winds past freshly baled hay and rolling hills that seem to change color every day as the wheat is harvested. A few weeks ago we noticed a handwritten sign tied to a tree at a nearby farmhouse.

“Fresh eggs from happy hens.”

We are now loyal customers.

By the time we finish our four-mile walk we’re hot, sweaty, and incredibly grateful for air conditioning before settling in for a day of work.

One of the pleasures of living in Umbria is that summer isn’t only found in the countryside.

For ten days each July, Perugia transforms during Umbria Jazz. Music and people spill from cafés into the piazze, musicians perform on nearly every corner, and the city stays awake long after sunset. People linger over dinner, children play in the street, and conversations continue late into the evening because one is in a hurry to go home. It is a traditions that reminds me how much of Italian life happens outdoors

Because our spring and early summer client work has slowed, we escaped for a few days to Calabria. Isidoro has been vacationing there for decades, and he pines for “Il Mare” during our summer in landlocked Umbria. It is completely understandable. The water in Calabria is impossibly clear, our afternoons unfold without much of a schedule, and as the sun begins to set the lidos slowly empty while the restaurants and piazze come alive well into the night.

There’s something so soothing about this Italian summer and I am entirely grateful for it.

Before long, August will arrive, and then, almost without warning we will be in the midst of autumn. Mornings will become cool enough for an extra layer. Harvests will begin, our clients will be traveling, and the afternoon light will give way to dusk earlier. It happens every year, yet it always feels as though summer disappears overnight.

For now, though, it is still July.

Tomorrow morning, we will wake up before the sun, walk our neighborhood country roads, and return for fresh eggs if we need them.

A very sweet life.

—

Monica

Original photography by Monica Kennedy. Unauthorized reproduction or use of photographs is prohibited without written permission.

Con le scarpe tutte rotte; (With her shoes all torn)

Con le toppe alla sottana; (With patches on her skirt)

Viva, viva La Befana! (Long live The Befana!)

Ciao Amici!

Tonight in Italy, we are awaiting a visit from La Befana!

La Befana is a beloved figure in Italian folklore, traditionally portrayed as an old, witch-like woman who soars through the night sky on a broomstick on January 5, the eve of the Epiphany, traveling from home to home delivering candy and gifts to children.

The name La Befana is derived from the Italian word Epifania, meaning Epiphany (from Greek epi {ἐπί}: "on" phaínein {φαίνειν} “appear”). Her story blends Christian tradition with much older, pre-Christian beliefs tied to the agricultural calendar. In the most familiar legend, La Befana encounters the Three Wise Men on their journey to visit the Christ Child. Because she is busy with her household tasks, she declines to join them, only to later regret her decision. She sets out in search of the child, carrying gifts, and along the way leaving treats for the children she meets, hoping one of them may be the child she is seeking.

Historically, La Befana is also thought to align with ancient Roman festivals that celebrated the end of the harvest year and the cycle of renewal. Over time, these traditions merged with Christian symbolism, transforming La Befana into a figure who represents reflection, generosity, and the closing of one chapter before another begins.

 Despite her unconventional and sometimes stern appearance, La Befana is a benevolent and affectionate figure. One of her most endearing qualities is her dual nature: she rewards good behavior while gently encouraging better choices in the year ahead. For well-behaved children, stockings are filled with sweets, fruit, nuts, and small toys. For those who may have misbehaved, La Befana leaves symbolic “coal”, not as punishment, but as a playful reminder to do better. Even then, the coal is often made of sugar or chocolate, ensuring the tradition remains lighthearted and kind. At her core, La Befana reflects the Italian sense of dolcezza; a blend of sweetness, warmth, and affection. She is a figure of generosity and care, embodying the spirit of love and goodwill that defines the holiday season.

In more recent years, La Befana has also come to symbolize Italian identity beyond national borders. Celebrated in Italian communities around the world, her story has traveled wherever Italian culture has taken root, preserving a sense of heritage and continuity across generations. 

There is a saying in Italy, “L’Epifania tutte le feste porta via” (“The Epiphany takes all the holidays away”) marking La Befana’s visit as a festive farewell to the festa(holiday season). Before she departs, she is said to sweep the floors, brushing away the troubles of the old year and clearing the way for renewal. In this quiet, symbolic gesture, La Befana leaves behind not just sweets and tradition, but a sense of closure and a fresh beginning as the new year truly begins. 

Wishing you sweet, fresh beginnings to this new year!

A presto!

People told me I was crazy to worry. (People always call the people who see what's coming "crazy"). Isidoro is a temporary green card holder. When you are first approved for a green card, you are granted a temporary status. We came to Italy as a result of my medical leave for a serious health condition. We decided to focus on the business while I was trying to get my health in order and literally keep what remains of my large intestine. While in Italy, we applied for his extension (USCIS requires it be done by mail) and we explained our extenuating circumstances. (There is zero privacy when the government is part of your relationship). He was granted an extension but we are required to apply for "advanced parole" because of our time out of the country. Believe me, the immigration process is long, extremely complicated, and it is a stressful part of a bi-national couples' relationship. For us, it is complicated in a good way, because we both love our countries and families and want to be with them, too.

As we see what is unfolding in the USA, we think the decision to wait was probably the best decision we could have made. Because Isidoro applied for his green card when he came to the US after our marriage (we worked with an immigration attorney who handled our case) ICE agents could potentially decide that it was not legal to make the request then, that he overstayed his visa, and he could be deported from the USA. If he travels to the USA, he can have issues because his status is complicated by our time in Italy. Even if he plans to return to Italy, ICE agents can decide he might try to stay in the US because he is married to me. ICE agents are given the authority to decide someone's intentions-- even if they are wrong. Immigration is such a complicated process. (People who have not experienced it have ZERO idea what it is like, yet they speak about it like they are experts on immigration policies). Isidoro and I recognize our privilege of being white, able to afford the guidance of an attorney, and that we are seeking a green card for our marriage, not for asylum due to escaping from  persecution.

When you immigrate to the USA for marriage, you have to share private messages, photos, compile letters, and create a voluminous file proving that you have a legitimate relationship. You wait on pins and needles after you present your case to a USCIS officer, answering random personal questions, to find out if that individual believes your marriage is, indeed, legitimate. The potential green card recipient cannot work during the application process (for us it was a year) unless an additional lengthy form is filed and approved. They cannot travel outside of the USA (Isidoro's elderly father had open heart surgery and he could not be there.)The process is invasive and very stressful and is a strain on us and our lives. I cannot imagine the stress on asylum seekers with language barriers who are traumatized and re-traumatized as they tell how they were tortured over and over to prove their story is consistent and true and therefore they have the "right" to stay. (I do understand language barriers - I experience this in Italy.)

People endure all of this because they are trying to be a couple, or a family, or literally to escape torture or death. And in the meantime we build a life in a different country that is not "ours" while we miss loved ones and life in our countries and all sorts of things. It's not easy and, again, Isidoro and I are lucky. We are lucky, even though he will not be able to travel to the USA to spend time with my children and my family over the next 4 years (hopefully only 4). We are lucky because (hopefully) we can reapply if necessary. We are lucky because, right now we are not in the USA where we would have to worry about Isidoro's potential detention and deportation. It is inconceivable to me that any of this is a reality.

I am so angry that all of this is happening. I am so angry at the ignorance of people who think of human beings as "illegals" who actually believe there are huge benefits given to people by the American government (cell phones, free healthcare, luxury apartments). I am so angry that these hateful people are happy to witness people living in more fear and uncertainty than have already experienced. I am appalled that people are fine with their fellow humans being detained and deported without due process, most to torturous conditions, some to the ultimate torture, never to return from El Salvador. I am so angry that they voted for this because they are full of hate.

I don't write this to garner sympathy. Isidoro and I made the choice to be a couple and to navigate this situation. I write to shed light on what it is like to be an immigrant, to go through the process, to live in a place that is not truly "home" (even if it is a beautiful country like Italy or America) to live with uncertainty, to face separation, or worse.

It's funny, Americans in Italy refer to themselves as "expats", like they are a different breed, but they are actually immigrants. Many of them voted for Trump. Some of them did so precisely because of how they felt about immigrants. Some days I wonder how they would feel if they faced in Italy what is currently happening in the USA. I wonder how they would feel if Italians treated them with the contempt that immigrants face in America. I wonder how they would feel to have their life upended or to live in fear of deportation. I hope they (me included) will never have to find out.