For years, mornings meant a packed subway car, a commute that ate up time before the workday even began, and a to-do list that never quite cleared. While most people are chasing the ‘American dream’, a young couple from the US swapped their high-flying life for a quiet life in Italy’s countryside. Now their mornings mean walking their five-year-old to preschool through a town three hours from Rome, past neighbours who stop mid-errand just to talk.
Goodbye, America
Cassandra Tresl and her husband, Alex Ninman, were born and raised in the United States. He worked as a butcher at Whole Foods. She worked in operations at a tech start-up. But in 2019, despite living the ‘best life’, they decided to leave New York City. Today, they live in a small town in Italy’s Abruzzo region, a place most tourists have never heard of, raising a daughter who was born during a stay with her grandfather in the Czech Republic in 2020.“We found a different way of life, and I can’t imagine moving back to the US in the coming years,” Tresl, who is also a writer, penned on CNBC Make It.
They moved when success meant nothing
What is success? Is it the job, the pay cheque, the expensive postcodes, or the high-profile parties you get invited to? “Like many Americans, my husband and I grew up surrounded by the idea that success meant constantly upgrading: larger homes, newer cars, bigger achievements, and busier schedules. Over time, we started questioning whether any of those things were actually making us happier,” Tresl said.They weren’t chasing a fantasy of expat life. They wanted their mornings to be unrushed, to feel that their time really belonged to them, and to have a closer connection to the people around them.
They bought a $13,000 home in Italy’s countryside
Buying a home in a small town meant they could pay for it outright. The couple spent $13,100 on a two-storey, two-bedroom house, just under 1,076 square feet, with a third bedroom in the basement and an attic above. The renovations cost them $17,100 more.The cost of living is low compared to New York City. “Food, childcare, and other expenses are more affordable here. The lower cost of living gave us breathing room and allowed us to focus less on earning more and more. I kept my tech job and worked remotely at first. But once we settled in, I felt free to let it go. I make less now doing marketing for an Italian travel company and creating content, but the trade-off has been worth it,” Tresl said.One of the best parts about moving to the countryside is that her schedule now gives her quality time with her daughter. She walks her five-year-old daughter to preschool in the morning, picks her up in the afternoon, and is more present. Tresl also adds that they have the time and freedom to travel, explore new corners of Italy, and pursue things they were always passionate about.
Neighbours who don’t knock
In this quiet town in Italy, people don’t keep the same distance from each other as in the US. Neighbours talk in the street. Friends stop by unannounced, sometimes just because they haven’t seen you in a few days. “Our decision to settle here was more than financial. We were drawn to the sense of community. We wanted to become part of a place and contribute to it, rather than looking for a temporary adventure or an expat bubble,” she said.In the summer months, this sense of connection is even more evident. “When school is out, life shifts into the piazza and the streets. After dinner, families gather outside while children run from one end of town to the other, playing games together. Local festivals fill the calendar, and August often feels like one long community celebration,” she added.In this small town, it is normal for toddlers, school-age children, and teenagers to hang out in the piazza even at 11 p.m. or midnight. Their daughter will start primary school in September. The pre-schooler speaks English, Czech, and Italian. She is also starting to pick up the local dialect. “For my husband and me, Italy will always be a country we chose, and Italian a foreign language we have to work at. For our daughter, it’s simply home,” Tresl said.For the couple, life isn’t perfect in Italy. They do miss their family and friends back in the US. But this is the place where they truly feel they belong.