Episodes

Twenty-two years ago, Samantha came to Italy with her mother, who was turning 60. She had no idea that the trip would change the course of her life. Now, one week away from turning 60 herself, Samantha is thinking about that first trip, the life she built in Italy, and what it means to reach an age you once thought meant you had already lived most of your story. Because she doesn't feel finished. Not even close. In fact, this is only just the beginning... Resources: Smart Move Italy offers g...

What does it really mean to experience Italy through a local lens? In this episode of A New Life in Italy, Samantha speaks with Martina Arezzini, a licensed tour guide and founder of SunFlorence Tours, about the people, customs, and everyday moments that reveal the character of Italy. Born in Tuscany and based in Florence, Martina shares why Italy cannot be understood from the outside alone. She explains how local knowledge, cultural context, and personal connections help us see a deeper side ...

Italy has a way of making us see our own lives differently. People visit for a week and come home asking questions they weren’t asking before. Not just about Italy, but about themselves. Why am I always in such a hurry? Is this really how I want to spend the next twenty years? When did life become something to manage instead of something to experience? In this episode, Samantha explores why Italy has a way of making us reflect on time, success, connection, and the kind of life we truly wan...

Most people don’t start by making a plan to move to Italy. They start with a Google search. Questions about Italian visas, cost of living in Italy, healthcare, residency, and whether moving to Italy is actually possible. But those aren’t the real questions. In this episode, Samantha breaks down the stages people move through before deciding to relocate, and what they’re actually trying to figure out at each step. If you’re somewhere between dreaming and doing, this will help you understand wh...

Can You Grow Old in Italy? The Question Nobody Wants to Ask Most people spend years planning how to move to Italy. They research visas, property, healthcare, taxes, and where they want to live. But very few people ask the question that may matter most: What happens twenty years later? In this episode, Samantha tackles a topic that is rarely discussed among expats and future retirees: growing older in Italy. What happens if you can no longer drive? What if your spouse passes away? What if y...

Thinking about retiring to Italy in 2026? Before you sell everything and book the one-way ticket, this episode is your reality check. In this episode of A New Life in Italy, Samantha Wilson breaks down what she would personally do right now if she were planning a retirement move to Italy from scratch today. Not the fantasy version. Not the Instagram version. And definitely not the “figure it out later” version. After a recent situation where a client became completely derailed by misinforma...

The world feels uncertain right now, and for many people dreaming about Italy, that uncertainty is creating one very big question: Is this actually a smart time to buy property in Italy? In this episode, I’m taking a realistic look at what’s really happening in both the U.S. economy and the Italian property market, why foreign buyers are still purchasing homes in Italy despite global uncertainty, and how buying property in Italy is often more about lifestyle than speculation. We’ll talk honest...

Well hello there, and welcome back to another episode of A New Life in Italy. I’m your host, Samantha Wilson. Today’s episode is one of those that might completely change how you see Italy. Because if you’ve ever tried to apply for a visa, buy a home, or deal with a comune… and walked away thinking “what is going on here?”… you are not alone. So today we are unpacking why Italy feels so complicated and what is actually happening behind the scenes. This episode is for anyone who is pl...

Thinking about retiring in Italy or reducing your tax burden? Italy’s 7% tax regime sounds almost too good to be true… and for some people, it is incredible. But for others, it can lead to the wrong move for the wrong reasons. In this episode of A New Life in Italy, Samantha Wilson breaks down exactly how the 7% flat tax works, the recent expansion that added 74 new towns, and the lifestyle trade-offs most people don’t consider until it’s too late. This is not just about saving money. This is ...

Thinking about moving to Italy but not planning to retire? Then at some point, probably soon, you'll face the question: what am I actually going to do for work? In this episode of A New Life in Italy, Samantha Wilson sits down with Aisling, an Irish expat who moved to Italy, changed careers in her late 30s, and built a successful freelance business teaching English to corporate clients. If you’ve ever considered teaching English in Italy, freelancing, or starting over in a new country, this ep...

You’ve planned it, dreamed about it, and finally made the move to Italy. But what happens next? In this episode of A New Life in Italy, Samantha Wilson shares the real experience of the first 30, 60, and 90 days after arriving in Italy. This is the phase no one fully prepares you for and where most people feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure if they made the right decision. If you are planning your move to Italy, currently applying for a visa, or have recently arrived and feel like things are h...

Have you ever noticed something strange when you visit Italy? You eat pasta. You eat bread. You eat pizza. And somehow… you feel better. People say this to me all the time. The bread doesn’t bother their stomach. The pasta doesn’t leave them bloated. They feel healthier even though they feel like they’re eating more. So what’s going on? In this episode of A New Life in Italy, Samantha talks with Dr. Anna Toker, a board certified colorectal surgeon with nearly 30 years of experience studyi...

What if you are not actually short on time… you are just investing it in the wrong places? In this episode, I sit down with international time management specialist, best-selling author, and life designer Kate Christie for a conversation that is about so much more than productivity. We talk about ownership. About intention. About what happens when life cracks you open and forces you to reassess everything. And about why “later” is a dangerous word. Kate shares how she walked away from corpora...

No one really talks about this until it happens to you. You wake up sick in Italy and suddenly everything feels heavier. New system. New language. New rules. And a lot of what you think you know about healthcare no longer applies. In this episode, Samantha records in real time, still in pajamas and actively sick, to walk you through what actually happens when you get sick in Italy. Not the official version. Not the perfect government website version. The real life, boots on the ground experienc...

Planning a move to Italy with your spouse or children can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to visas. One of the biggest mistakes families make is assuming Italy offers an automatic family visa or that loved ones can simply arrive together without careful planning. In this episode of A New Life in Italy, Samantha Wilson walks you through how family visas in Italy actually work, why so many families get delayed or separated, and what you need to know before you make a single move. Ita...

How much does it really cost to move to Italy? In this episode, we break down the real cost of moving to Italy so you can understand what to expect financially and emotionally before making a big decision. Not the Instagram version. Not extreme worst case scenarios you find online. Real numbers, real planning, and the real life behind the move. In the first episode of Season 4 of A New Life in Italy, Samantha Wilson walks you through the true costs of relocating to Italy, including one time mo...