martedì, 26 giugno
I'm back! Yes after spending some time in the states and hosting some family for a few weeks I have decided to continue my blog. I heard from so many people that they enjoy my stories so......here we go with My Year of Firsts .....continued! This year I will continue to tell you about experiences that are "my first" but I will also blog about some travel and other things "Italian".
So you are probably wondering why I titled this one "15 Minutes of Fame". Everyone knows the saying and that somewhere and sometime in every one's life you either have a touch with fame or actually participate and become "famous" (how ever you want to define it) for a short period of time. Well I think I had my opportunity but continue reading to see how it ends. Will I be famous or not?
Late April I receive a Facebook Messenger message from a person I did not know. She tells me she is a casting director for HGTV's show "Mediterranean Life". They are looking for American expats that have relocated to specific European (Mediterranean) areas. She included a link and said if I was interested I should reach out. Well, to be honest my first thought was it was a hoax. No way was I going to click on that link and fall for this prank. But a few hours later I thought - "Wait, maybe this is real - I should probably investigate a bit". I did NOT click on the link but I did respond and said I would prefer to communicate via email and not on FB messenger. I also asked how she tracked me down. What happened next was a few days of email messages and phone calls.
Yes in fact she was who she said she was. I took the time before she sent me the first email to research the best I could. Sure enough "Mediterranean Life" is a new show for HGTV and she in fact was a casting director - at least that's what her LinkedIn Profile said so I was safe in assuming this was the real deal.
She sent me more information and I was able to research the new show. I gave her a little of my background and also sent her the Prologue of my blog - as that really gives a good background on how I ended up in Acquavella, Italy. Well that got her even more excited.
I was exactly the profile of who she was looking for. Oh, by the way she said she found me on an Expat website. Interestingly enough I am not on any Expat websites so how she found me will always remain a mystery - good research I guess.
So after many emails she said she wanted to talk to me. We arranged a date/time to talk live. She was from Poland but spoke very good English. She had been to Italy but never as far south as the region of Campania. She was now very enamoured with the area. As we talked on the phone she was very honest that the show really is real estate based - so they want someone who is looking for a home/apartment. Just like "House Hunters International" the person would be matched with a real estate agent and shown 3 options from which they must now pick. Therein lies the problem I had. I have a house already - as you all know. She asked if I was interested in moving - of which I promptly sent her a photo of my view and said - "Would you move if this was your view?" - she clearly understood. BUT she had a dilemma. She wanted to do a segment on me but she understood I was not interested in moving. And there was no pressure to not be truthful. She wanted to talk to the producers and see if she could convince them to do a story outside the main premise of the show. We both knew it was a long shot but she was willing to try and I had nothing to lose at this stage of the game.
She called me a few days later with the bad news - no go. They really wanted to do a real estate show and asked again if I would be willing to look for a new place to live. I would have to reveal the financial arrangement I have with my cousins for this house - that was a big NO GO. The arrangement I have with my cousins for this house is between them and me and I promised I would never discuss it with anyone at anytime. They have their reasons they want it kept quiet and really it is no ones business, so broadcasting it far and wide really was out of the question. So that was the final nail in the coffin so to speak. I also wasn't sure how the family would view this - great opportunity or very invasive experience. The last thing I want to do is cause issues for my cousins who have done nothing but support me in every way possible. I can just see American film crews crawling all over of the village - not a pretty sight.
She said she may stay in touch in case she can convince the producers to change their mind as she truly believes my story should be told. I'm not holding my breath. But for those of you that watch HGTV look for the new show. Not sure went it will air. In the meantime I will continue to consider publishing my story in book form as many have told me to do.
I'm traveling to Siena next week for the Palio. A very old (medieval) horse race around the main piazza. Watch for a blog post with pictures and hopefully some video.
Fino alla prossima volta!!
