Overcoming Fear and Self-Intimidation

There must be stages one goes through when making a massive life changing decision. For me, it's goes something like this:

Stage 1 - massive amounts of enthusiasm!

Stage 2 - research and investigation

Stage 3 - fear of the details

Stage 4 - come up with a different idea that's less scary!

That's kind of what has happened over the last, oh, almost eight months. We started out crazy with excitement at the idea of moving to Italy. I, the researcher in the family, began reading everything I could get my hands on hoping to learn all the fine details of such a move - obtaining a residency visa, learning the language, determining where to live, cost of living, on and on. The more I learned, the more I began to what if myself to death, and the more I began fear the whole idea. I made a concerted effort to "redirect" The Man toward safer, easier options. Of all those safer, easier options, none of them felt right. I was trying to sell us something we didn't want to buy. In the end, here we are right back at square one. Come hell or high water, our butts are going to Italy!

I didn't come back around to the idea entirely on my own. I had a bit of help along the way. I'd like to thank Salena at The Daily Rant (my first follower!), and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso for being at the right place at the right time with their words of encouragement and inspiration! Thank you, ladies! For documenting that the dream IS possible and we aren't the only crazy people, Bryan at 2 Italy, Valerie at 2 Baci in a Piñon Tree, and Susan at Americans in Umbria - Thanks for blazing the trail!

And, finally, I'd like to thank Mark Twain. He's been on my refrigerator for years. His words serve to inspire me more now than ever -

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore.

Dream.

Discover.

– Mark Twain