Barbara Palermo

Author of "Over the Sicilian Moon" and "Retired in Sicily."

My husband and I are American Expats who retired in Sicily in July 2020.  I acquired Italian citizenship based on ancestry, then my husband got his through marriage. In 2014 we traveled to Sicily and met my cousins for the first time. It was an emotional and life-changing experience. Shortly after that we made the decision to retire in Sicily and purchased an old farm near Taormina. We traveled to the island every year, falling more in love with it each time, until we could finally retire and move to Italy in 2020.  All the mishaps and adventures of our experiences getting dual citizenship, locating long lost relatives, buying and renovating an abandoned farm, and moving abroad during a pandemic are described in my book "Over the Sicilian Moon."

Our adventures didn't stop once we achieved our goal. "Retired in Sicily" describes what happens next. Not only did we have to adjust to a new language and culture, which we anticipated, but many challenges lay ahead, like establishing residency, earning an Italian driver's license, paying taxes, dealing with natural disasters, purchasing vehicles, and much more. "Retired in Sicily" details our first two years of living abroad.