An Interview with Jodi Michelle Cutler in Tuscany

This month sees the thirteenth in our series of interviews with Expats in Italy, taking us to Tuscany to meet Jodi Michelle Cutler who is an American Mom in Tuscany. Jodi hails from Baltimore, Maryland and now lives in Grosseto with her two children, Sofia and Jordan. Jordan is hearing impaired and wears a cochlear implant.

Jodi is the joint author of RALLY CAPS:- “A humorous, fun-filled baseball and camp story. Ten year old Jordan is injured in an unfortunate and frightening accident while trying out for the Little League Travel team. Recovery is difficult. At summer camp he struggles to conquer his anxiety and fear in order to return to his beloved game of baseball. He forms a friendship with a deaf Italian boy, Luca, who wears a cochlear implant. Luca’s compelling positive nothing is impossible attitude, along with the inspiration he draws from his idol, Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., gives Jordan the courage to return to baseball with a passion. Find out what happens as “Rally Caps” are raised in the bottom of the final inning in the biggest game of Jordan’s life. Boys and girls alike will enjoy this touching story of persevering through difficult times.”

The Questions and Answers:

How long have you been living in Italy?

I have been living in Tuscany for 14 years.

Who came up with the idea of living in Italy?

I met Luca on an exchange program in high school with 10 days remaining in the trip. We fell in love. After travelling back and forth and writing snail mail love letters, we got married and packed up our newborn son for a new life Tuscan-Style. I did not want to stay in the same place forever, so the idea of moving to a new culture and country with quality food and wine worked for me! Three months after we moved, our son was diagnosed with a profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss…in Italian. I did not speak Italian, and that was one of the most frustrating moments of my life.

How are you getting on with the Italian language?

Learning of my child’s disability was both frustrating and extremely difficult. I was told that I should NOT speak English to him and to only speak Italian. We learned Italian together with the help of his speech therapist. I love the Italian language, its subtleties, its ability to catch a sensation thanks to a suffix change. Oftentimes I would find it difficult to explain myself in English during my trips home as there would be the perfect Italian word for what I wanted to say, while the English word was non-existent. After ten years, I learned to appreciate the formal use of the Italian language – I stopped saying “Ciao” to everyone I met and began saying “Buon Giorno” and “Arriverderla”. I now speak before Italian medical congresses about our journey to advocate for parental support and the cochlear implant, but when my Italian comes out all wrong, I flash the American smile, and they forgive me.

Do you miss your home and family?

We have been fortunate to have been able to return to spend summers with my family at least once a year. Thanks to Facebook and Skype, communication and enabling my family to somewhat share in their grandchildren’s life has improved, but yes I miss my family and friends.

Did you buy, or are you renting the place where you live?

We bought the home where we live and I’m really proud to have a small square of a yard!

What do you think about the Italians?

When I first came to Tuscany, I found Italians to be extremely unfriendly. The first Halloween I dressed my son as a Smurf and proudly strolled him around even though Italians still did not celebrate Halloween. No one smiled. Once I learned to smile first and shoot a “Buongiorno!” I was always rewarded with a smile and a reply. I would rather not generalize about Italians, because people, experiences, dialect and culture ranges from region to region. I believe that if you give an Italian an idea, any idea, they will develop it more creatively, more effectively and with greater pride than anyone else in the world…only it will take so long to finish the project that it will become outdated.

5 Good aspects of living in Italy?

Homemade Tira Mi Su
My children play outside with their friends in the summer until midnight.
Trenitalia will take you anywhere in the country for reasonable prices.
I live twelve minutes from the closest beach with the most amazing coffee granita with fresh whipped cream.
The National Healthcare System has paid for ALL of my son’s medical expenses: hearing aids, speech therapy, medical visits, pharmaceuticals and cochlear implant with upgrades.

5 Bad aspects of living in Italy?

You can’t just mail a letter directly from the mailbox, you have to go to the post office. For some reason my bills tend to have to be paid the first week of every month, which is when the retired people receive their retirement checks and the lines are horrifying………..
Everyone MUST have lunch at 1 pm. and dinner at 8 pm. on the dot.
I had to re-take Driver’s Ed. In Italy an international Driver’s License has a validity of one year, after which you must pay 1000 euro to take a course before taking your driving test. So, despite the fact that I had been driving a total of 9 years, including one year in Italy legally, I had to do it all over again.
Religion is taught in school and my children are not Catholic.
The country closes from 1 pm. to 4 pm. daily.

5 Top tips for our readers about living in Italy?

Get rid of your sweats and hit the Italian shops.
Pick a different destination every month and visit a new place, take advantage of the Italian Train System.
Go directly to a Gelateria and order a Nutella Milkshake. When homesick, repeat.
Watch Italian television with subtitles in Italian, this will help you learn the language quicker.
Get involved in the culture – join a gym, a sport, get out of the house and be active.

Thanks a lot Jodi for your time and answers.