When I was 24 years old, I spontaneously decided to move to Italy from my hometown of New York City. I was tired of life in the city and wanted to slow down and experience something different.

I was studying to be an opera singer and even had a big break when I was invited to sing as a soloist at a concert for one of the then-leading tenors of the Metropolitan Opera. I was also working as a private chef with a catering business. But I had no time for meaningful relationships and felt like something was missing. I knew I wasn't happy and didn't want to do what I was doing anymore; I wanted to find a new way to live.