About | The Classy Cripple

Irreverent Courage:

I fucking did it!

I moved to Italy in the summer of 2022.

Because I am a badass.

And the tale begins:

The morning of my birth—haha, just kidding. I wouldn’t bore you with those details, except to say I am an exotic blend of mixed heritage: Syrian/Lebanese (my mother) and white-bread American with French Canadian roots (my father). That said, I’m a sixty-two year old ex-teacher (mathematics—no I’m not any sort of whiz), now writer and painter, living in Assisi, Italy. Permanently. Badass.

Side note: I have a condition called multiple sclerosis (commonly referred to as MS). Does it suck? Yes. Does it define me? No. Has it been a factor that has shaped and informed my life? Definitely.

Photo: Simone de Vries

So how and why did I make the final leap to Italy? Why did I make this life altering change? Well, you can read about it in my memoir-in-progress HERE.

But for now I’ll give you a snippet about my love relationship with Italy. A love that began twenty-one years ago with a small-town-flirtation-turned-boyfriend-turned-partner. Of course it was because of a man. (I’ve been a victim of sappy romance since puberty). Dizzy? Don’t be—wait for the gelato. And that romance, although ended, eventually got me and the current love of my life—my king, my everything, my thirteen-year old cat, Nusch— to Italy. My other beloved charge, Mademoiselle Gertrude, I chose to re-home with her best doggy friend and my dear human friends, who live on a few acres in Grass Valley, CA. She’s thriving and I’m heartbroken. The decision to not bring her with me was the single greatest sacrifice of this move. Thankfully, I’ve been, and will continue to be, in close contact with her caregivers.

So kitty and I moved from Grass Valley to Santa Maria degli Angeli, Assisi which is a small town in the flatlands below the old historic hilltop city of Assisi, cobblestones and all. Those flatlands, by the way, were once all forested, where St. Francis lived and preached. I moved to this city because I have a dear American friend who’s been living here for nearly thirty-five years.

My little house is on the ground.

NO STAIRS. Which allows me to get in and out, and about town, in an electric chair I purchased in the States. I use both a walker and the electric chair indoors.

Oh, and the sexy legs? I was a serious runner most of my adult life, until this disease progressed: two marathons (Big Sur, CA and Anchorage, AK), several half-marathons (one in Napa Valley, CA), and countless 10ks, in particular "Bay-to-Breakers," San Francisco.

P.S. Did I say MS sucks? It’s a cruel and unforgiving disease. But chin up: you’re either living or dying. I’m living.

P.P.S. Have fun while perusing the treasures and inspirations awaiting you on my website.

And miss me, The Classy Cripple!