A New Year, A New City, A New Life

It’s been a long time since I’ve written a new post.

So many changes in my life, most of them negative. I know I’m not the only person finding this time of life difficult and challenging. Losing your parents rewires your world.

The fog of that grief is just starting to lift. I still have moments of deep sadness and I miss them but there are positive memories too.

We’re living through some unprecedented times. Personally, I would like to return to the boring precedented era. It’s all too much.

I returned from my father’s funeral in Saint Martin to a bombshell from my landlord in Rome. She was going to sell my apartment. Immediately I knew I was going to move to Milan.

I loved my old neighborhood but there was nothing on the market. More importantly, it was time to leave Rome.

I stepped out of my comfort zone and started a YouTube channel. This video, explaining why I was leaving Rome, went viral. I used to get three hundreds views or so per video (not bad for a new and small channel) but this video received over thirty-five thousand!

The apartment search was on. Everyone told me it would be impossible given how tight the long-term rental market was in Milan. I tried to stay positive and not freak out. I had to move out of my current apartment by the end of 2025. It was a stressful time.

I found one (details on my channel)! It’s been about a month and so far I’m loving Milan. This city is underrated. It’s annoying when people tell me it’s ugly or there’s nothing for tourists to do. It really depends on the tourist. I don’t want to live in a city where tourism is more important than the needs of the residents anyway.

The energy and vibe here is completely different from Rome. Before my move, people kept asking me if could handle living in a faster paced city. I used to live in New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.

The movers recently delivered my things. I’ve repainted the living room, office, and my bedroom. My new home is slowly coming together.

The last few years have been 🗑️. I’m looking forward to this fresh start in 2026 (despite the craziness in the world). Already my life has changed for the better since this move to Milan. More about that later.