By Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN
(CNN) — They drove almost everywhere when they lived in Miami, but since moving to the Italian city of Rimini with their two children and their dog, Gaston and Norma Galella have become keen cyclists.
The couple, who’ve been married since 2005, ditched their car early on and love cycling around their new hometown, riding to local beaches and the countryside of the surrounding Emilia-Romagna region. Despite its small size, they say Rimini has everything they need.
Their favorite attractions include the Fellini Museum, a former castle dedicated to Federico Fellini, the Rimini-born film director of 1960 classic “La Dolce Vita.” They also love exploring the trails at Parco XXV Aprile, a local park connected to a 2,000-year-old Roman bridge.
The sweet life
While still new to Italy, the Galellas, who both relocated to the US from Argentina as youngsters, say life in the European country suits them, and they’ve never felt out of place.
“It was more like coming back home for us,” says Norma, noting that both of Gaston’s grandfathers emigrated from Italy to Argentina many years ago. “Which is kind of weird because we lived in the United States so long. But we never truly felt American.”
Although their family is thriving in Rimini today, the city known for its sandy beaches and landmarks like the Arco D’Augusto — the oldest surviving Roman triumphal arch — wasn’t even on their radar before their move.
“We hadn’t even heard of that city before…” says Norma. “And for us, it was a blessing in disguise, because we love it here. We can’t imagine being anywhere else at this point.”
So why did they leave Miami two years ago? Despite living a “great” life running a successful renovation company together, the couple felt something was missing and decided the city wasn’t the right environment to raise their two children.
A visit to Gaston’s family in Italy changed everything. They “basically fell in love with the place,” they say, and began planning a future relocation.
“The culture is very similar to Argentina’s and always felt like home to us,” says Gaston.
Both admit that they’d been “blindfolded” by the promise of life in the United States, shaped by the experiences of their parents, who “really did live the American Dream.”
Yet they also recognized the cost.
“For us as entrepreneurs at that point, we realized, we do have the ‘American dream,’” says Norma. “But there’s a cost for it … the lifestyle. The stress. All those things came at a price.”
They wanted their children to have “a real childhood” free from the pressures and anxieties of the American school system. Leaving while their kids were young meant they wouldn’t be “too attached to friends,” easing the transition.
“They were really excited about it,” says Norma. “And the transition has been super easy for them.”
Italian dream
“We just took the chance,” says Gaston. The fact that he could obtain Italian citizenship by descent helped to seal the deal for them. “All the pieces fell in place. And it was like, ‘It’s meant to be.’”
Initially, the couple considered moving to the ancient city of Florence but couldn’t find a suitable home. A relative suggested Rimini and within a week they secured a rental in its historic center.
Saying goodbye to their Miami life involved finding tenants, packing belongings, and paying for plane tickets that cost over $10,000, plus an additional $3,000 to ship some of their possessions.
Their largest expense was their accommodation, which required a year’s rent in advance plus a security deposit.
In June 2024, the Galellas, along with their two children, aged seven and nine at the time, and Australian Shepherd dog Teddy, flew into Rome, rented a van and stayed in