Expat Stories: Coral Sisk of the Curious Appetite in Florence

Coral doesn't know it (though I guess she will after reading this blog post), but she’s one of the people that inspired me to create Doing Italy years ago.

In the past few months, I went from reading her content from afar, to getting to know her on a more personal level. And she really is awesome. I love her energy and her passion, and that she’s not afraid to tell you exactly what’s on her mind.

Now, let’s dive into her story…

WHY DID YOU MOVE TO ITALY? AND WHEN?

I feel like I've been living between the US and Italy since 2006 as that is when I started my university path in Italian Studies, I studied abroad on a few occasions between then and 2009, then made the leap to Florence in 2012

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? HOW DID YOU END UP THERE?

I was doing a food and wine pairing certification course post-uni in 2011-2012 and there was an opportunity to do a semester at a culinary school in Florence. I wanted to move to Turin after my course finished but Florence roped me in.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING? AND HOW DID YOU END UP IN THAT INDUSTRY?

I design and lead culinary tours (eating & drinking through Florence, around Tuscany and Bologna) which parlayed from my food blog. I also freelance write about food/drink for sites like Eater and CN Traveler. I've always been obsessed with food since a child and always worked in food in some capacity. I started a food blog after graduating University, through the food blogging community in Seattle (where I'm from kinda) I was offered a job to give food tours for Show Me Seattle and that's when I discovered my calling- I loved being able to share local food with visitors. So when I moved to Florence, I continued blogging while cold calling food tour agencies looking for work (which I eventually landed).

Those working experiences were a blessing I’ll always be grateful for- not only was I able to do the work I loved but they gave me the confidence to branch out and design culinary drink experiences based on what I learned to love about Florence's food scene and culture through my blog. I became a certified sommelier in Florence as well so a lot of my tours/tastings and writing is centered around beverages.

HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED/PIVOTED YOUR BUSINESS DUE TO COVID?

I've pivoted online for tours/culinary classes open to the public, virtual team building events and revived a gourmet box service (curated baskets of Italian foods). I'd like to keep this as part of my company's core services, especially the food boxes since again, I love being able to share what I love about Italian cuisine with palates abroad.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS TO EAT, GO OUT, AND EXPLORE AROUND WHERE YOU LIVE

Some top spots in Florence are Cibreo, Club Culinario da Osvaldo and Le Volpi e l'Uva, I actually prefer Sant'Ambrogio to eat and drink in as this is the quarter I also live closest to. I think the Oltrarno is overrated truth be told. Love it and the artisans/artists who reside here of course!

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN BEFORE COMING TO ITALY?

Hmmmm! Well that if you really want to make it, you need to work for yourself and carve out your own path. I was never happy working for other companies but it's also my personality as I prefer to work on my terms, pen my own creativity and hold myself accountable. How backwards most of the Italian mentality is towards women and POC. How hard it is to be different in a place like Italy which is- minus Milan, Rome and some bits of Florence- very provincial still. How hard it is to find fresh salads or vegetable sides not made from frozen spinach or potatoes at trattorias.

ANY ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO SOMEBODY WANTING TO MOVE TO ITALY?

Get informed about all the red tape for whatever you do, ask yourself why you want to move to Italy, realize if you are coming from a liberal part of the US- Italy is decades behind in myriad social issues, bureaucracy will never make sense, you'll probably need a nap after any conversation with your commercialista (and make sure you find one before you do anything not related to working for another company) be prepared to lower many expectations in efficiency and daily life, like anything in life but especially due to a language/cultural barrier- you cannot make any handshake agreements or trust anyone on their word- you need to get everything in writing and also think of every possible problem/solution and never assume someone will do a complete job unless you are explicit from the beginning.

Right now, you can sign up for the FREE WORKSHOP I’m hosting entitled “How to Move to Italy” (lol - right to the point!). I’ll share info on mistakes many expats make and some of the best suggestions to get you ready to move.

Sunday, November 1st. 2020 - at 11:00 am EST

Click the link below to register. But note, seats are limited!

(You’ll know how zoom works by now. Only so many people can get in…)

Have you moved to Italy and you’d like to share your experience? Sound off in the comments below! Or perhaps you have a question about My Real Story of Moving to Italy. Either way, I’d love to hear from you and read your comments.