Happy Birthday, Instantly Italy!

Instantly Italy is turning three these days and I almost can’t believe it. 

When I launched this website, back in February 2015, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Launching the website was already a dream come true for me, so I was happy with it and didn’t think much about the future. I am not a planner and I prefer to take things as they come, so I had no big plans at the time.

I started thinking about Instantly Italy back in 2008, after finishing my Master’s in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language but the idea was quite vague. I knew I wanted to teach Italian and I knew I wanted to do it online because I wanted to reach people all over the world but probably it was too early for me to really think of Instantly Italy as a concrete idea.

As you may already know – I probably wrote about it in a post years ago – I went back to school after the company I worked for went bankrupt and I lost my job. Such a thing forced me to reconsider my whole work life and take a pause to think of what I really wanted to do with my life.

While I was doing my research, I came across the Master’s I mentioned above: it was the last available day for signing up and I remember running to the nearest post office to send a fax for the registration (it was only 10 years ago but it seems like ages ago, I know).

And now I can say that this decision changed my life, at least a little.

After attending the Master’s, I realized that I was qualified to teach Italian and that I was really passionate about it, which is something I didn’t know before. However, I knew I wanted to do it in a different way since the traditional classroom style was not for me. But I still didn’t know exactly how. Doing it online seemed too difficult for me back then, so I put the dream aside and went looking for something more traditional.

But the idea kept popping up, every now and then. Probably, it just needed some more time and more ripening – and the Internet becoming an even more accessible place. The only thing I know is that one day, all of a sudden, it was all finally clear in my mind. I don’t know exactly when it was, probably somewhere in 2014, but Instantly Italy was born then: a website where I could help people enjoy Italy at its best.

I didn’t want to just teach Italian, Instantly Italy was meant to be something more – or something different: a place where you can find the tools you need to enjoy my country in the best and most fulfilling way. Italy as so much to offer, there is so much to discover under its well-known surface and my mission is to help you discover it.

This is why I created Be Italian For A Month, first, as a way to help people know more about Italian culture and lifestyle. But then I thought of those who want to visit Italy and do it in a different way, feeling more a local than a tourist, and this is why I created Italy Your Own Way. a customized travel guide for independent travelers. And finally, the key to the heart of every Italian: speaking the language with Chiacchieriamo, which gives you the opportunity of practicing your skills without moving from home.

Launching the website was really a dream come true but the real reward came after that. 

I severely lack self-confidence so I was already happy with what I did but I didn’t think that people would actually like it – if you see what I mean.  I didn’t know what to expect but the actual thing of people buying what I did probably didn’t cross my mind. However, it happened!

People started buying my products and I will never forget the feeling I had when the first Paypal payment came in. I was so proud and happy and thankful and a lot of other things together. As a matter of fact, three years have gone and I still feel the exact same happiness when someone decides to buy something from me.

But it is time to stop talking about me and say something about you, guys. 

The first and most important thing I have to say is “grazie mille“. Thank you from the bottom of my heart because if launching Instantly Italy was my dream come true, your support helped me keep the dream alive and do what I like to do every day of the week. This might sound cheesy but it really means the world to me.

I want to thank those of you who have bought one of my services but also those of you who keep reading my blog, sending me emails, asking questions and sharing with me their love for Italy. I really have to say that the love you show for my country is something that blows my mind and makes me feel really proud. And I have to admit that it made me see Italy in a completely different way as well.

I want to thank you with words but I also want to do it in a more concrete way. That’s why I decided to celebrate and have fun with you guys. Instantly Italy is turning three so we will have three days of celebrations. The fun begins tomorrow and you know what? It’s me who celebrates but it is actually you who get the presents! Isn’t it awesome? 🙂

If you want to join the party, the only thing you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter. The fun begins tomorrow!

Please note: By joining the newsletter, you will also get Be Italian For a Weekend, a three-day crash course on Italian culture.