Meet Monia from Italy

She was born in Emilia-Romagna, a region in northern Italy, in the city of Bologna. Bologna is famously known for its rich culinary history. Monia told Betsy that it is home to Bolognese University, one of the oldest operating universities in the Western world, dating back to 1088! She met her husband 25 years ago when he was stationed at an American base in Italy. At the time, she was unaware that the United States had American bases in Italy. The couple courted, eventually married, and began what she calls their “military life” together. They have lived not only in Italy, but in California, Texas, New Mexico, Germany, along with many other places. Within a time frame of 17 years, they lived in 13 different places! The couple has two children together; a daughter named Rachel, and his son named, Jonah. At one point in their journey, the family lived in upstate New York. Being a long-term military wife is not for the faint-of-heart. Monia spent a large portion of time raising the children alone. She said, however, that travel was a blessing. It afforded the family priceless opportunities such as: exploring natural attractions, visiting international museums, and seeing historic places. This provided deep, rich, educational experiences that a traditional classroom could not. They have seen many different diverse societies and cultures throughout the world. Not only have they raised worldly children, they also speak multiple languages. The one thing Monia wants to tell the world is, “Don’t wait to start living your dreams. So often we say, “we’ll do that tomorrow” or “we’ll be able to do that next year”. Years later, you’ll be looking at your life, trying to pick up your goals where you left them when you were young. it will take you a lot more to start rebuilding years later than it will for you to slowly build starting now. Break your goals down into smaller parts. Set manageable timelines that are realistic. Work every day, even just a little bit towards that goal. Believe in yourself and one day you will achieve big things!” Thank you so much for visiting!