About Me – The Limonata Lounge

Rome, 2010, right after I ate a shit-load of cheese

Hello Italy Lovers!

I’m Giovanna, an Italian-American living in Italy. My mom and dad are both from Napoli. I was born and raised in New York, but every summer we would go to Italy, to a small town in the province of Naples called Monte di Procida where we had a house. Papa was from there and my mother was from the nearby island of Ischia, so we would always spend time there, too.

I had lots of siblings and cousins back in the States, but they were very much older than me and most of them were starting to get married and have children by the time I was born. But in Italy, there were so many cousins my age and there my solitude and feeling out of place abated. I loved it here so much. Of hanging out by the sea, playing barefoot with my cousins in the garden under the lemon tress, of long evenings on the terrace. I loved the church bells, the sounds of the scooters zooming by, Neapolitan mothers in the surrounding houses shouting at their children, and of Paolino singing and selling produce through the microphone while passing the streets in his blue ape bursting with fruit and vegetables.

Ever since I could remember, I’ve always wanted to live in Italy. I tried in many ways to move here over the years and it hasn’t been easy. During times of immigration fiascoes, heartache, loneliness, and uncertainty, I’ve kept myself going by reminding myself that I had made it this far and wouldn’t let self-doubt turn me back. (You can read more about my moving abroad story here.)

I’m finally here for good. As of December 2017, me and my Venetian partner Marituccio made the big move from London to Naples and we’re now living on the island of Ischia, where my mom is from. It’s been a long process, but every second was worth it and I’m so glad I’m living in a place where I want to be and know I don’t have to leave. You can read more about my experiences of moving back to Italy in my interview with Italy Magazine.

I started the Limonata Lounge blog in 2014 while I was still living in London. It began as a way to feel closer to Italy and document the life that I was trying to create. In a way it’s still about that, but I also like to share with you all the things that I love about Italy and its history as well as help you discover the island of Ischia through the eyes of a local.

I love writing, cooking, traveling, and making things and I hope that this site inspires you to follow that gut feeling and come to Italy. Thank you for stopping by!

x Giovanna

PS If you want to contact me, you can send me a message here or sign up to my newsletter.