Queensland woman Krysti-Glory Gallo and her husband Ricardo Parata ticked all the boxes they were told would lead to a secure future in Australia.
They purchased property young; each worked diligently at their jobs and “did everything” they could set themselves up for life.
But, as the cost of living continued to increase, the Gold Coast couple felt like it simply wasn’t enough.
Now, they’re part of a growing cohort of Australians who have decided to do something about it.
Together with their children — aged 11 and 7 — the family have decided to pack up their lives and start over in the charming Italian town of Lucca, Tuscany.
Ahead of the move scheduled for February, KG said she’s never looking back.
“We married young. We bought houses. We bought businesses. We sold businesses. We renovated properties. We raise two children, and we work full time,” KG told Yahoo News Australia.
“But we never succeeded as we’d hoped; we never felt like we got where we wanted.
“So we sat down and thought, ‘Why isn’t this working?'”
KG, who works in interior design and styling, and Ricardo, who works in education, said they reached a point where the rising cost of everyday life forced them to rethink it all.
“We’re sick of taking a deep breath every time a bill comes in, or checking the bank account every time we need to go to a doctor,” KG said,
“The tax brackets for my husband are just absolutely through the roof.
KG, her husband Ricardo, and their two children in Rome.
The family have travelled to Italy previously. Now it’s about to become their permanent home. (Supplied)
“We can’t outrun it, and we tried.
“We tried for the last four or five years to change our budget here, get rid of all the streaming services. We changed soccer clubs for my son, and we live very humbly.
“We’re not driving flashy cars.”
So, instead of “stripping life back to the carcass”, the family decided “to pivot”.
The biggest drawcard was the difference in what their money could buy.
In Australia, they bought a townhouse on the Gold Coast for $525,000 in 2023, which they renovated, and they estimate it is now worth close to $1 million.
“We laugh because we wouldn’t pay that now. It’s beautiful, but we wouldn’t,” KG said.
Meanwhile it Italy, they have offered around €190,000 (about $300,000 AUD) for a fully renovated three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.
They said the property already has major upgrades including new plumbing, electrical, heating, windows and insulation — features they said can be expensive to add in older Italian homes.
They said the move would allow them to be debt-free and have a financial buffer after selling their Australian property.
Ricardo’s Italian heritage meant he was able to secure citizenship relatively easily, opening the door for the family to move.
Their children have since gained dual citizenship, while KG has obtained residency through marriage and will be eligible to apply for Italian citizenship after three years.
It’s a pathway not available to everyone, and that fact is certainly not lost on KG.
She said that although the prospect of starting again on the other side of the world is daunting, it’s invigorating and has given her a sense of lightness she didn’t have before.
“For the first time in my life, I am genuinely not worried about what my job prospects look like,” KG said.
“It’s not even a scary feeling anymore. I feel lighter knowing that I can breathe, and I can just settle with the boys.”
The mum of two has battled her health in the past and has been through two near-death experiences.
That also formed part of the decision to make a change.
“I have lost so much in my life; those experiences change you,” she said.
“The reality is that here in Australia we all just smile and wave and pretend we’re all good, but we are — almost all of us — just trying to stay afloat.
“I think that’s absolutely bulls**t.
“When we wrote down our pros and cons, the biggest fear was reaching 40 — which is only four years away — and regretting that we never took the chance and gave it a shot.”
“That scared both of us more than anything else.”
Now, the couple are looking forward to a new chapter in Italy.
#yahoo
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