Why Italians Abroad Consider Going Back

Not a plan, not a timeline. Just the quiet calculation every Italian abroad eventually runs. A few of us, in our own words.

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I left Italy in 2003 for a job in Ireland. Eventually I met a Canadian woman, we got married, and moved to Canada. I’ve been here ever since.

A few years ago, after my divorce, I had the choice of going back to Italy, or staying. I stayed. And I’m glad I did, because it allowed me to meet my fiancée, Alicia.

But I seriously considered going back.

Almost every Italian abroad runs this calculation at some point in their lives. Usually a few times. It’s a calculation you run in your head. Usually alone. Often in winter. Sometimes after something specific has shifted the ground under you.