My Locals I Love – now you can love them tooI once read this quote “Relationships are the essence of life. It sounds simple but in fact, it’s quite profound when you realize that what has largely shaped the person you are and the person you will become is due to the relationships you’ve formed.” Truer words have yet to be spoken and this is why I started this series in the first place.

Locals I love is a weekly interview with 10 or so questions, published every week, with someone who I personally know who has now made Florence, Italy their home (and now out of Florence as well). Doesn’t matter how long, or why they are here, but rather is just an opportunity to get to know a real person who lives, works and breathes in this marvelous city (or country) I call home.

Everyone has a unique story and perspective to share about their life in Italy

• Week one – Trine West (Danish bar owner, political activist and has the reddest hair I have ever seen). 
• Week two – Amy Mancino (American, sarcastic, leopard print loving Bistecca Fiorentina amante who knows how to handle Italy’s red tape and make it look easy.
• Week three – Megan Deangelo (American from Boston, all-around awesome personal assistant/cooking goddess! She tells it how it is and I love her for it!)
• Week four – Katie O’ Brian (American from California, married to an Italiano and teaching English in Prato)
• Week five – Alessia Clusini ( Italian from Valtiberina, social media & fashion expert, lived in Australia and is passionate about changing Italy from within..)
• Week six – Kate Hash (American from Pennslyvania, here with her husband, puggle and newborn baby – this web consultant and blogger also happens to be a really close friend).
• Week seven – Gianna Shepherd (American from Boston, study abroad student come student travel guru!).
• Week eight – Jo Bertolino (Half American – Half Italian , wedding celebrant & translator in Tuscany)
• Week nine – Lisa Gucciarelli (Florentine – e-commerce entrepreneur for Buru Buru (think Etsy!) and a pretty cool gal!)
• Week ten – Kristina *yelp Grancaric (Half Italian – Half Canadian) yelp community manager who helps me discover awesome places around town!_
• Week eleven – Elena Farinelli (Florentine famous blogger of Ioamofirenze.it – she lets ME know about awesome events around town.)
• Week twelve – Yasmine Hassani (French, Bordeaux born and now Florence transplant, this French teacher lets us know what she thinks of Firenze).
• Week thirteen – Gina Baxter (Californian girl, tour guide – waitress – writer and just a really, cool gal! Plus she has a pretty awesome new pup).
• Week fourteen – Michelle Tarnopolsky ( Canadian blogger and great mom, Michelle works at Syracuse university, explores feminism on her blog and enjoys a glass or two of prosecco).
• Week fifteen – Krista Ricchi (California girl married to an Italian and now working in social media, see her story here!)
• Week sixteen – Michela Simoncini, (Italian girl from Rimini), Michela offers a refreshing take on what she really thinks about live in Florence, and she blogs!
• Week  seventeen- Emilia and Aidan ( Ex-Un Aid workers turned e-commerce guru’s of baby apparel! A couple you would be delighted to get to know. 
• Week eighteen – Ivo Riccio (Elba transplant turned Florentine resident, he works hard and plays hard and is one of the very few young Italians I have met that has an optimistic outlook on life in Italy).
• Week nineteen – Christine ‘Crissy’ Lasso, originally from Panama, a former Genova resident and now living and working at a start-up incubator in Florence.
• Week twenty – Elena Angelo, Florentine girl born and raised, studying pschology and now pursuing a career change in social media management. She also adores cats.
• Week twenty-one : Alexandra Lawrence, American tour guide, art historian, professoressa and guide of ‘So you think you know Florence’ tours in the city.
• Week twenty-two: Dario Trovato, Italian originally from the island of Sardinia, finds his way back to Florence and now makes video game apps. How cool!