Oh, hey. It's us.

Hello friends and passers-by, and welcome to our blog.

If you do not already know, Lou and I are moving to Florence, Italy in August and staying for around six months to a year. This blog will chronicle our process while moving to Florence, Italy. This process will include, but will not be limited to, acquiring Italian visas, acquiring an apartment in Florence, packing up our house, packing our bags, buying new underwear, our pre-departure travels around the U.S., and our concerns about a life in Europe. After all of that is over with, we will keep you updated on our status in Italy, and give you insight into our daily (probably more like, "weekly") operations.

If you feel that this blog will divulge too much information or be too personal, then move along. There is nothing for you here. If you feel that this blog will not be personal enough, or will leave you wanting more, then use a phone and call us. If that is still not enough, then visit my "professional" blog at joshlafayette.com, and see if that helps.

Here's a taste of what's to come:

About a month ago, we sent Lou's passport off to be updated with her married name, "Laura Anne Williams LaFayette." That's a mouthful, we know. We recently received her updated passport in the mail. Now, we are in an ongoing dialog (via phone and email) with one Mr. David M. Gratta, a representative to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Relations, and he is helping us acquire our "elective residence visas." This type of visa allows one to stay in Italy for more than three months and less than a year, and that's perfect for us. We are also in an ongoing email dialogue with a rental agency that is helping us find an apartment.

Thanks for reading, and if you've decided to become a subscriber, or a frequent visitor, let us know in the comments!