When the UK decided to leave the EU in 2016, I immediately started to think about my future and whether or not I wanted to live there anymore. I arrived in 1998 on an ancestry visa, and after 5 years I obtained my UK passport and citizenship. I loved the fact that I was part of Europe and that I could live and work there and then all of a sudden that was taken away from me. I had no idea at the time what the next move was going to be for me, but I just knew in my heart that I longed to still be a part of Europe. Holding onto this thought, I then started to make plans for my great escape.

It would take me just as long as the UK did to leave the EU, but I got there in the end. I wasn’t about to throw a dart at a picture of Europe and then move to the country where it landed; no, this required some more thought and planning. Through my work in London, I made loads of Italian friends, and I spent a great deal of time in Italy. In many ways the country reminded me of my home country, Australia—the food, the weather, the land, and, of course, the sea. I spoke to my friends in Italy, who reassured me that I could make a great life for myself there and that they would help me as much as they could. My mind was made up; I was moving to Italy.

Once the word had spread that I was leaving London to start a new life in Italy, many friends started sending news clippings and articles about the 1 euro house scheme in Italy. It all seemed too good to be true, but I kept thinking that perhaps this might be a way to create a life for myself in Italy. I think my subconscious must have been dialled in to every piece of information about the scheme because I seemed to be coming across story after story about the towns in Italy that were selling these abandoned houses. I still had no idea what I was going to do in Italy, and I remember at the time that I just kept trusting that everything would be ok.

I would visualise myself there creating a life for myself, and I know that the stars must have aligned at the right time because I was contacted by a production crew who had a series commissioned that was all about the 1 euro houses. The series would follow 6 people from the UK who buy a 1 euro house to renovate in the remote town of Mussomeli, situated in the heart of Sicily. I was open for a chat and curious to actually see what the houses were like, so I booked a flight to Sicily to meet the agents who were working with the production crew and selling the houses.

The estate agents were kind and accommodating, and I did my best to hide my disappointment as I entered the first five houses, each one in complete ruin, some just a pile of rubble and one a home to a messy rabble of pigeons. The houses were crumbling, and so was my dream of building a life for myself in Italy. This is what I was thinking as we rounded the corner onto a new street with ten more houses for sale. I was surprised to find that the last two houses were not complete wrecks and were actually quite habitable. My spirits lifted, but I kept wondering, what’s here for me?

I’ve lived in London for over two decades. Could I live in a town that feels so empty? I returned to London and politely declined the offer to be a contributor on the TV series. It was back to the drawing board and sitting with the sense of the unknown. How could I get to Italy? At times it was like a juggling act; there were days when panic set in and others when I made it ok that I did not have a plan and trusted that everything would fall into place. I remember one day when I was running around Hyde Park, I had a moment of pure clarity. I am often able to solve problems and think creatively when I am running. Suddenly the thought came to me.

I’ve spent years volunteering for community initiatives, connecting people through food and social projects. I worked as Jamie Oliver’s culture manager, I’ve mentored young people, and I’ve traveled to Italy for the past 10 years, volunteering for various charities there. Community is the driving force behind my work. Surely this is what I should be doing in Mussomeli? What could I do to breathe life back into this town? The next day I contacted the production team and pitched them an idea to turn a 1 euro house into a community space that has social value for the people of the town. I signed the contract and started filming the day after I left London in October 2019. My dream had come true, and I was on my way to start a new chapter in Italy.

In February 2020, I was thrilled to finally be on my way to Sicily to start a new life in my €1 house. Sadly, my plans were halted by the pandemic. Like so many people around the world, I found myself grounded and stuck in London. I kept telling myself that everything would be fine, that Covid would be defeated, and I would soon be in Sicily. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple. In my next installment, I’ll share what happened during that time, how I made the most of being in London, and the story of my €1 house.