What is an Italianista?
An Italianista is someone who doesn’t just visit Italy — they fall in love with it.
With the food, the language, the landscape, the history, and the feeling that life somehow makes more sense there.
That’s what happened to me.
Ciao, I’m Justine
I’m an Italy travel blogger, Italian language teacher, and lifelong Italianista who believes Italy isn’t just a destination — it’s the place where life makes sense.
Through Ciao Italianista, I share travel guides, food traditions, language learning, and ancestry discoveries to help others experience Italy beyond the typical tourist path.
What You’ll Find Here
On Ciao Italianista I share:
• Italy travel guides with a focus on Northern Italy and Lombardy
• Italian food traditions and recipes
• Italian language learning resources
• Italian ancestry and roots travel inspiration
I travel to Italy every year, teach Italian to adult learners, and am currently researching my own family roots in the Bergamo region.
How I Became an Italianista
The first time I went to Italy, I was hooked.
Growing up in the Midwest, I often felt disconnected from the place around me. The landscape felt flat and gray for much of the year, and our family didn’t have deep roots there — my father had moved to Madison for a university job.
As a teenager, I remember feeling like something essential was missing. I couldn’t quite name it at the time, but I longed for a place where history and culture felt more deeply woven into everyday life.
Then I arrived in Italy, and suddenly everything made sense.
History wasn’t something you read about in a textbook — it was built into the streets, the churches, the villages, and the traditions people carried with them every day. Life felt deeper, richer, and more connected.
I dove all the way in. I majored in Italian, completed a master’s degree, and started a PhD program at UC Berkeley with a four-year fellowship.
It should have been the dream.
But somewhere along the way, I realized academia wasn’t the life I wanted. After my first year, I left the program — walking away from the scholarship and the path I had spent years preparing for.
For years after that, Italian was both my greatest passion and my greatest frustration. Sometimes Italian was the bane of my existence. I loved it deeply, but it was hard to build a life around something as niche as “Italian.”
Life eventually pulled me in different directions. I became a teacher, had two daughters, and continued weaving Italian into my life whenever I could — guiding tours, translating, teaching at an Italian school for several years, and returning to Italy whenever possible.
During the pandemic, I began researching my Italian ancestry and started this blog as a way to reconnect with the passion that had shaped my life.
What began as a small project quickly turned into something bigger.
Today I travel to Italy every year, teach Italian to adult learners, cook Italian food at home, research my family roots in Lombardy, and share everything I learn here on Ciao Italianista.
In a way, I finally found my way back to the life I thought I had lost — the life that first made sense to me the moment I stepped onto Italian soil.
Here’s how this helps you.
Why I Created Ciao Italianista
Ciao Italianista is where I share everything I’ve learned about experiencing Italy beyond the obvious.
Here you’ll find travel guides to places I know and love (especially in Northern Italy), authentic Italian recipes and food traditions, resources for learning the Italian language, and inspiration for discovering your own Italian roots.
My hope is that this site helps you experience Italy the way I did the first time I stepped onto those streets — when life suddenly made sense.
Of course, I’m not the only Italianista in this story. Italy has become part of our family life too.
Meet the Trio
In the summer of 2022, my daughters, Taja (on my left) and Milan (on my right), joined the Ciao Italianista team. We’ve since explored Italy and Barcelona together, including our Italian Roots Trip to trace our ancestry and taste our heritage.
Milan is our photographer and visual storyteller, specializing in food and candid moments from our journeys.
Taja is the planner and culinary strategist, studying Experience Industry Management at Cal Poly. She’s all about immersive travel and next-level meals.
Fun Facts About Us and How We Get in With the Locals
- Justine listens to TED Talks in Italian to stay fluent. Her favorite one so far is “Morte e rinascita della cucina italiana” (Death and Rebirth of Italian Cuisine) by Daniele De Michele.
- Ask about when our driver on the Amalfi Coast called a friend… who called a friend… who called the bouncer. One text to Francesco, and boom—“Justine!” Front of the line.
- Justine searched on and off for her great-grandparent’s origins in Italy for 40 years and finally solved the mystery! Spoiler alert: her great-grandmother is from Schilpario and her great-grandfather is from Bergamo.
- Our family lived in Costa Rica and Baja as expats for three years when Taja and Milan were little.
- We have a group chat called “trio”.
- Taja sends me Italian Instagram cooking reels all day long. Milan sends me photos of our dog.
- We have a dog named Carmen but we call her “her little majesty” most of the time. She’s a Jack Chi (Jack Russell Terrier/Chiahuaha mix).
Looking for Italian Trip Planning Community?
Northern Italy Travel Tips is a community for people passionate about planning a memorable trip to explore Northern Italy. Whether you’re planning a trip to Northern Italy, or simply curious about Northern Italy culture, this group is here to connect, inspire, and guide you on your journey. Share your stories, ask questions, and learn how to explore Northern Italy.
Curious what comes next?
I’m still warming up the espresso machine, but if you’re into Italian food, ancestry travel, and everyday dolce vita adventures—join the list before it’s a thing. You’ll be the first to know when the stories, tips, and recipes start rolling in.