About me
My name is Anne Schmitz and from the heart of Rome I bring a little piece of my Italy to you through my blogs and articles. Italy, the country that stimulates each of my five senses intensively, every day again and again.
Growing up in a big and warm family in a small village in the most southern part of the Netherlands I’ve always had a restless soul and the urge to discover ‘what’s out there’. No surprise that at the age of 18 I decided to move to Amsterdam for my business studies. Amsterdam! The ‘big’ capital with all its dangers and temptations… Right? In fact, Amsterdam was already a compromise I made with my parents because what I really wanted was to move abroad. Southwards to be more specific. As a girl who loved the sun I dreamt of warmer places where the language sounds so much more melodic and where the rhythm of the music only feels like a second nature to me. Plus, moving to Amsterdam caused a slightly unexpected cultural shock, because mamma mia – why was everyone always so in a hurry, and did I really have to schedule a dinner with friends at least a week in advance?! However, very quickly I adapted to the fast pace of the capital and I’ve spent five amazing years here.
But eventually, your heart will start to speak up louder and louder and I wholeheartedly believe that when something is meant to be for you, the opportunity will present itself one day. And when it does, there’s only one right thing to do: to jump on it! Four years ago I was over the moon when discovering I was selected to study at the Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome for a year. It exceeded all my expectations and no need to say I was devastated when I had to board that plane taking me back to the Netherlands when the college year had end.
Back in the Netherlands life continued and I started my career at a bank. During those three years of my banking career I’ve lived in several places in the Netherlands and abroad which were amazing experiences, however, I could not really settle down anywhere and my restless soul was back. The one to blame this time was this little Italian-speaking voice in my head starting to direct me southwards again.
In the summer of 2019 I took the big decision to quit my full-time job and to book a ticket to Naples, the city which had fascinated me for years already. I lived here for two months and what a ride it was! Unpredictable and loud but with endless beauty and kindness. Naples gave me the final push I needed to follow my heart and to move back to Italy. To the city where I came home already 4 years ago and where I navigate myself through the labyrinth of little allies and breath-taking squares without even having to pay attention: Rome.
But wait, a former banker turned into a blogger? Yes! Also in this case the heart knows better than the mind and the best thing about your inner creativity is that eventually, it always finds its way out. Even after years! As a child I was always busy making up stories – I wrote them down in a little notebook or turned them into scripts for theatre plays me and my brother, sister and cousins would perform to our family. Because entertaining people was something I’ve always loved to do. When I received my first photo camera for my seventh birthday I started taking photos of everything around me. I’ve been carrying a photo camera with me ever since to capture memories for which words alone are not enough. Later at high school, French and English were my favourite subjects and right there, my passion for foreign languages was born. However, when choosing my studies in the spring of 2009 the crisis had impacted the labour market heavily and making a ‘safer choice’ to study business administration only seemed logic. A choice I’ve never regretted as I’m super thankful for all the knowledge I gained and the amazing friends I got to meet through my studies and later at the bank. Insights and people who have continuously been inspiring me and taught me countless life lessons.
The most precious thing in life to me is that every day when you wake up you get a new chance in deciding to follow your heart. It’s never too late. Through my weekly blogposts I’m going to give you insights into my daily reality in Italy in which I avoid all stereotypes and clichés. Next to that, I also hope to be able to inspire you every now and then to check with yourself if you’re still pursuing your dreams. And perhaps I’ll even infect you with the incredibly inspiring and incomparable talent of the Italians to make a joy out of every single day, no matter the sometimes challenging circumstances.
Un abbraccio forte,
Anne
P.S. Want to get a daily portion of my la dolce vita? Follow me on Instagram! (@annecheama)
