The Story
Who are we?
Italy, a country full of life and passion. A country where everything revolves around life. It’s not just about good food and drink, but a whole culture and art that embraces you and lets you get lost in the soundscape of its language. Music that will penetrate your heart. And beyond that, innovation, design, fashion…
Italy is not just a destination, it’s a lifestyle. From „dolce far niente“ to „cosí fan tutti“. Thanks to my own incomprehensible desire, I learned first to listen to this life, then to understand it and finally to live it. And all thanks to my mastery of the language.
Today, for me, Italian is no longer just about greetings and polite phrases, but I read Italian literature like a native speaker, talk to the lady at the market about the weather and have job interviews about inclusive education. And, of course, I use common colloquial expressions to discover the secret of the local ice cream or to discover where they have the best local meal.
This isn’t just language, it’s entering a world where every sentence becomes a little work of art, and I feel like I’m part of this symphony of life. Walking the streets of Milan or staying in a Tuscan country house, I discovered that Italian is not just a tool of communication, but the key to the heart of this country. Whether at the table with an Italian family, where the best recipes or life stories are heartily shared, or even when visiting small cafes.
Thanks to Italian, I also discovered that each region has its own story recorded in everyday life. Life in Italian is not just about words, but about experiencing the smells of the markets, the dancing in the squares, the sun shining on the breathtaking beaches. Thanks to my mastery of Italian, my daily interactions have become richer and deeper. It is no longer just a courtesy phrase, but the key to opening the door to Italian culture and society.
The journey I have taken to become part of Italian life has not been easy. At the beginning of my adventure, I only encountered the Italian language through understanding basic words like „ciao“ and „grazie“, and Italy was just a kind of unknown village, full of unfamiliar tones and colors. I walked through an unfamiliar landscape and often experienced moments when my excellent English was unfortunately not enough. I felt lost, unable to understand what they were trying to explain to me on the street, I didn’t even know my way around the subway, and I felt alienated and inadequate in everyday life. This is probably not how the typical tourist normally perceives it, but I longed for more than just the tourist view. I wanted to go deep into the culture, to blend in, and to really experience it.
I finally achieved that. The key factor at the time was a strong motivation, a kind of inner voice. It was a driving force, and that was the love of art, which I wanted to study in Italy. But fate had something else in store for me, and that was the very first evening in Milan, when it sent Emanuele my way.
My life suddenly took a new direction, and with it began my adventure with Italian. It was time to travel back and forth, writing letters, correcting each other’s, and gradually moving from fluent English to non very fluent Italian, which I was gradually perfecting. I self-educated myself daily through songs, movies, classes, and visits to each other’s families. Tell the universe you want to speak Italian, and it will send you a guide. I fell in love with mine.
Almost 28 years have passed since then. My Emanuel and I are still together, I studied in Italy, I lived there to the fullest. I worked there, our son was born, my greatest work of art. And day after day I had the opportunity to live the culture of this beautiful country. Eventually we built a home both there and here. When we are in one country, it is always the other that we miss. It’s like an endless dance between two worlds.
That’s why our project is about a little more than just learning Italian. It’s about bridging cultures. Comparing. Who’s from who. Sometimes that’s how we do it at home. We tease each other about who’s better at what and how it should be done. But we love each other and we understand each other through Italian. It’s helped us understand each other and connect.
We decided we didn’t want to keep our experiences to ourselves, so we’re bringing you the beauty of Italian through our unique story. We bring you the guide that I personally missed so much in the beginning. We ourselves will be your guides. We plan to immerse you in the world of the Italian language not only formally, but above all through emotions and experiences. We bring you lessons that are fun and authentic.
We will introduce you to Italian cuisine, immerse you in the musical rhythms of songs, and together we will immerse you in the magic of Italian cinema.
Our free Challenge Cullinary cards in form of e-book will give you a taste for living Italian. It’s not just a language, it’s an entry into a world where every word is a key to the door of this magical country. Accept the invitation to discover Italy not only as a destination, but above all as a way of life.
