A Tifosa's Guide to Italy

[Canadian_Tifosa]

Hi everyone! I just joined this site a week ago. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a lifelong tifosa who moved to Italy earlier this year in order to experience life in the land of Ferrari!

It may seem a little crazy to some, especially to those who don't have an intense passion for something, but this is a journey that I have been planning my entire life. My love for Ferrari started out harmlessly enough. I grew up in Montreal listening to tales of Gilles Villeneuve and watching the excitement in the city as the Formula 1 circus rolled into town every year. Rapidly my minor fascination developed into a full blown obsession and when I was a teen, I devised a plan to make it to Maranello one day. Of course I grew up and fell into that familiar rut that many people get themselves into; getting up, putting on a suit and going into the office. Every day I sat behind my computer squishing my boss's head from afar in between my index finger and thumb and slowly losing my sanity. I was doing what everyone expected of me and what the people in my life had convinced me was the only real option for my future. I was fairly successful for someone my age; I had my own place, a decent salary and a wardrobe full of beautiful clothing but I was miserable.

Last year I made the New Years resolution to do everything that my heart desired. At the top of my list was attending the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix. It is an event that I have been to many times and yet this time was particularly emotional for me. The moment I saw the team I felt tears well up in my eyes, it was like an emotion that I had suppressed for so long finally came up to the surface and exploded out of me. When the weekend was over I was desperately unhappy, I had taken a photo of myself outside the Ferrari garage and placed that photo on my desk at work. I literally could not get through a day without looking at it and almost crying, I felt torn.

Throughout my life I have always admired Enzo Ferrari and looked at his life for strength and inspiration. Oddly enough at that point I had never read "My Terrible Joys." It's not that I had never been curious about the book, it was more that I was afraid of what I would find written upon its pages. What if Enzo turned out to be a misogynistic ...or even worse, what if Enzo turned out to be boring?! Lol! Thankfully when I checked the book out of my local library (it may be a bible to us tifosi...but come on $300?!!!) it measured up to all of my expectations and more. Enzo answered every question that I had and even some questions that I was afraid to ask. I won’t tell you all of my questions, but the most important answer he gave me was the answer to what I should do next. He wrote about his wife wanting him to get a job with a local tram company, but he simply refused. He also wrote a very moving passage about when he was a boy questioning his future.

After that moment I was no longer torn, I quit my job, sold all of my furniture and sub-let my amazing apartment. I found a job near Maranello and off I went! At the time all of my friends told me that I had lost the plot when I gave up my material possessions and my job. The common response to “Guess what, I'm moving to Italy!" was "You're crazy!!!" lol! I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't been a little scared and the first few weeks here were terrifying but the truth is right now I am the happiest that I have ever been because I am following my heart! I have no idea where the future will take me, but I'm still young and there's plenty of time to find out.

Living here has given me a unique perspective on all things Ferrari and I will try to share some of my experiences with you as they happen! Also, if anyone has something that they would like me to write about (Ferrari related) in Italy, chances are I have already done it or am planning to do it, so just ask!

[Sianellen]

Wow I really admire you for chasing your dream and having the will to achieve it. I wish I was more able to do that.

[Tifoso]

Great story. Thankls for sharing

[Liscia]

A very nice introduction. I wish you the best of luck and look
forward to seeing you post often.

[epiclyaddicted]

Wow, that's amazing, and a truly inspirational story.

Best of luck to you for life in Italy!

[KVF1]

Well done, did (do) you speek Italian?? This is my plan too...my forever passion is dragging me over there more and more. I grew up in Hungary and last 5 years spending in Sydney and cannot think anything else just to move there.

[Nova]

Cool story..chase it!