Benvenuti! I’m Luke, an American living in Italy since 2019, after leaving California.
I never intended to be a widow at 47. When I lost my husband, Darin, to cancer in 2018, I dismantled most of the life we had built together and started over in Italy: first Rome, then Turin, a pandemic detour through Southwest France, back to Rome, and now the Italian Riviera.
I created The Spaghetti Diaries as a living documentary of that journey: my recovery from grief, and my reinvention into a life that could grow even bigger than the one I left behind, a life that is thriving again. Along the way, it’s become a place to share what life in Italy is really like: the beauty, the bureaucracy, the food, the neighbors, the travels, and the lessons I never expected to learn.
Holding your new life in your hand, and imagining what’s possible.
If you’re new here, these are the best places to start.
Living in Italy
The practical side of building a life in Italy as an American immigrant, along with plenty of everyday adventures.
- Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the Italian Driver’s License
- Seeing a Doctor in Italy for the First Time
- The People in the Neighborhood
- In Italian Language School It’s Pomodoro Not Tomato
See all Living in Italy stories →
Travel in Italy
Stories and tips from my favorite corners of Italy.
- Sicily Travel Tips: Finding a Sicilian State of Mind
- A Different View of Venezia
- Summer on the Italian Riviera
See all Travel in Italy stories →
Travel Beyond Italy
Adventures beyond Italy’s borders, from rural France to Scandinavia.
- Oh, the Places I’ll Go: Southwest France
- One Person’s Sunset Is Another Person’s Sunrise
- Hygge to FOMO: Copenhagen and Stockholm
See all Travel Beyond Italy stories →
Life Lessons
Reflections on change, resilience, love, loss and starting over.
How I Became an American Living in Italy
Want the whole story from the beginning? Start with I Am Here…, my first days after moving to Italy, and read more about me here.
Follow Along
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