This week I’d like to introduce you to another member of the italyMONDO! family. Christine Cantera has a marvelous way with words, and she has been adding her inspiring touch to the italyMONDO! website since early 2009. (Check out the all–new Our Services page and see for yourself!) In her writing Christine shows a sincere passion for what italyMONDO! does for its clients, a passion that comes from growing up in an Italian-American home and her own adventures discovering her family’s Italian heritage.

Continue to visit our blog in the coming weeks as we begin to introduce other members of the italyMONDO! family and learn more about what inspired their love of Italy, their backgrounds, their talents, and what makes each one a unique addition to our family. But without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce Christine—whose love of travel and the Italian way of life are an inspiration for all.

One cannot earn a name like “The Internet’s Leading Enabler of Travel Addition” without being a passionate traveler and writer. Meet Christine Cantera, a freelance writer and author of the popular travel blog Miss Expatria, where she has been tempting readers with luscious travel tales from Rome and the South of France since 2002. She often delves into the philosophy of travel and focuses on inspiring people to pack their bags and “follow their dreams to the arrivals gate at their favorite destination.”

Christine knows something about following dreams, the challenges of making them happen and just how nice the view truly is from the other side. Italy was calling, and in 1999—while working at an ad agency in New York—she visited Rome and fell in love suddenly and completely with the Eternal City. But this was no small case of wanderlust. Christine felt at home the moment she arrived in Italy, and knew it was where she belonged. With epic doses of gumption she set out to make it happen, at first by taking her job remotely and eventually making the jump into freelance writing. While Venice holds a magical place in her heart, “Rome is home” for Christine, and is where you’ll find her a healthy portion of each year.

Growing up in an Italian–American family on the Jersey Shore, Christine was raised on family stories. She has especially fond memories of her great–grandmother’s tales of “The Old Country,” and like many Italian-American families, life often centered on good food, family meals and monumental Sunday dinners. As a young girl she was instilled with the appreciation and value of her Italian heritage. Therefore it came as no surprise to her family when she broke the news of her plans to move to Rome, and they encouraged her to travel, experience life in Italy and to explore her family roots.

Seeing how passionate Peter is about his work has been a real inspiration. And remembering my own adventures has helped me to explain to others just how life-changing the italyMONDO! experience really is. I’m so proud to be a part of the team.”

– Christine Cantera

Christine brings a passion to her writing for italyMONDO! that comes from having discovered her own family’s story among the dusty registry books of the town of Città Sant’Angelo, located on the coast of the enchanting Abruzzo region. She arrived in her family’s hometown, framed by mountains on one side and sweeping views of the Adriatic Sea on the other, with only a few details about her great–grandfather’s family. There at the comune (town hall), with the help of a friendly man, her family story came to life as they dug through the old books uncovering one Cantera after another. She later returned to Città Sant’Angelo with her cousin, and it was then she realized just how important this connection to her family’s past was for her. Meeting people in town who knew members of her family, she felt an immediate bond and loved watching how their interactions with her changed. She felt the bond that connects all Italians and Italian Americans, and quickly understood that comes from our shared past. The questions are always the same—“Where is your family from?” or “What is your story?”—and as tales are recounted there is an instant bond, a similar history, and an understanding that only comes from a shared way of looking at the past.

While writing the new Our Services page, Christine was reminded of how powerful her own experiences in Città Sant’Angelo had been for her. Discovering where her family came from put everything in perspective. Christine knows firsthand how life changing this experience can be, and this shines through in all her writing for italyMONDO!.

As you may have noticed, a lot of new things have been happening here at italyMONDO!. From an all–new theme for the Our Services page to compliment our unique menu of services to the redesign of the About Us and Contact Us pages, there’s an air of change at italyMONDO!—and this is just the beginning! As our company continues to grow and prosper, it seemed only natural that we add a blog to our homepage. However, I envisioned something more than just a standard “service” blog to boost search results. I envisioned a single online publication that would bring together some of the top Italian writers from the blogosphere so they could write about what they love most—Italy.

Over the next few Saturdays, I will be introducing our new team of enthusiastic and talented writers for The italyMONDO! Blog. Coming from all over the world—from Nebraska and Upstate New York to Rome, the South of France and beyond—the common bond uniting these writers is a deep passion for sharing their knowledge, experiences and love of the Italian and Italian–American culture, as well as Italy’s regional cuisine, wonderful wines, travel destinations and lively traditions.

So it’s with great pleasure that I get to introduce to you each new member of the italyMONDO! family. Read on to learn about what inspired their love of Italy, their backgrounds, talents, and what makes each one a great addition to our family.

Laura Thayer is a travel writer, art historian and photographer who calls southern Italy’s Amalfi Coast home. Born in Nebraska, Laura has studied Liberal Arts and Art History and has a deep love of art and architecture. While working on a Masters of Arts in Art History, Laura visited the Amalfi Coast on a family vacation and knew immediately that life would never be the same again. The warm southern Italian charm, friendly people, and, of course, those jaw–dropping views stole her heart at once. She finished her Masters specializing in southern Italian architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries, even writing her thesis on the façade of Amalfi’s Duomo that had captivated her so.

After graduating (and countless trips back and forth!), Laura made the leap overseas and settled on the Amalfi Coast. She now focuses on freelance travel writing, learning the rhythm and romance of the Italian language, and discovering all she can about Italian foods and the regional cooking of the Amalfi Coast and Campania. When not writing or experimenting in the kitchen, Laura is out walking the narrow streets and climbing the ancient stone steps between the towns and villages of the Amalfi Coast. With a curious nature—and camera and notebook in tow—she loves exploring the twists and turns of the Amalfi Coast one step at a time.

Completely smitten with the beauty of the Amalfi Coast, Laura shares her passion for her adopted home through her blog Ciao Amalfi!, where she writes about the area’s history, architecture, stunning landscapes and the adventures of daily life in Italy.

I am really passionate about what italyMONDO! does. I see how much it means to people to come here and to uncover their roots and reconnect with family, and I am deeply moved by that.

– Laura Thayer

Laura loves the little pleasures (and sometimes challenges!) of daily life in Italy, and knows that she’ll never tire of learning about and exploring Italy. Her experiences in Italy turned her life upside down, both deepening and strengthening her passions. Knowing from personal experience that a single trip to Italy can change your life forever, Laura is proud to be a part of the italyMONDO! family—where she can share her enthusiasm and love of Italy to inspire others to follow their dreams to Italy, uncover their Italian heritage, and let the wonders of Italy speak to them and change their lives forever.