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.

Good Curls Day

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!.