Does leaving your former life to live in paradise really need much explanation? I had a dream to live in Italy. After four years of teaching and almost as many summers traveling, I knew that something had to be done. I needed to cook every day with that fresh, locally-grown produce. I needed to connect with people who made their own wine and bought their whole chickens with the feet still on. I wanted to live in a culture whose inherent passion for gastronomy was not born of pretense, but of the knowledge that what is so fundamental to life should also be ENJOYED. This, for me, is the definition of "la dolce vita Italiana." While it may not always be sweet, it is always Italian.