Learning to Live in Sicily. From our Florida Kitchen to our Sicilian Mercato we are starting a new chapter of Olive Sunshine.
A year and a half ago, our lives — and our table — changed in ways I never could have imagined.
Olive Sunshine began in our Florida kitchen with a simple idea: explore the Mediterranean lifestyle through food. I’m Sunny, and this is my sweetheart Mark, my husband and favorite taste-tester. Together, we shared recipes, tips, and resources inspired by the Mediterranean Diet way of eating and living. What started as a love for olive oil, fresh food, and lingering meals slowly grew into something deeper — a longing to live the lifestyle we were writing about.
And then, we did something life changing.
We packed up our lives and moved to Sicily. Many of our loyal readers already know this happened — but what you may not know is how much time it took to truly arrive. After the excitement of the move and we realized while it feels like vacation, it isn’t, we entered a season of learning how to simply be here. Learning how to really LIVE in Sicily. Slowing down and finding our rhythm in a place where daily life looks nothing like it did in our Florida kitchen in the United States.
That’s also why you haven’t heard much from Olive Sunshine. I had to learn to live in Sicily to be able to blog about it.
Learning How to Live in Sicily
Living in Italy has transformed how we cook, eat, and move through our days. The Mediterranean lifestyle is no longer something we try to recreate — it’s what surrounds us. From shopping at local markets to cooking with what’s in season, from slower mornings to longer meals, this experience has reshaped not only our kitchen, but our perspective.
That’s why Olive Sunshine is starting a new chapter.
Learning to live in Sicily means letting go of conveniences we didn’t even realize we depended on. We are shopping and cooking differently. Spending our days differently. We do not go to giant supermarkets stocked with everything imaginable. Instead, preparing meals often means visiting several markets and shops to find what’s fresh, what’s in season, and what’s available that day. Cooking takes longer. Planning looks different. Some days, the ingredient you want simply isn’t there and you have learn to adapt.
We don’t have a car, so daily life happens on foot. Errands are now the destination. Simple tasks take more time, but they also come with conversations, familiar faces, and moments of connection that never existed when life moved faster. Socializing is no longer something we “fit in” rather it is the point of our day. Meals are no longer rushed, and food is no longer just fuel. It’s an opportunity to gather around the table and enjoy with others.
Returning to Olive Sunshine with a New Perspective
The transition from Florida to Sicily was beautiful, but it was also humbling. During this season of adjustment, blogging took a back seat as we focused on learning how to live this life, not just photograph it. Now, with a year and a half behind us, something has shifted. I am happy to say, Sicily no longer feels like a destination. It feels like home. Now that I feel at home, the desire to share our journey embracing the Mediterranean lifestyle again, with more clarity, more intention, and more experience than we had in our kitchen in Florida.
Olive Sunshine is still about the Mediterranean lifestyle, but now it’s told from the inside. It will continue to explore what it means to live this way of life, not as a trend, but as a way of being. Slower days. Better food. Deeper connection. Life shaped around the table, and beyond it.
The Next Chapter of Olive Sunshine
In this next chapter, I’ll be sharing more than recipes — though those will always remain at the heart of Olive Sunshine. The food you’ll find here will continue to reflect the principles of the Mediterranean Diet as researched by Ancel Keys: simple, seasonal, and rooted in long-term health. Even in Sicily, healthy eating is not automatic. It requires intention, balance, and daily choices. It is about choosing the fresh fruits and vegetables, and quality grains over the daily gelatos and arancini; although, once in awhile we indulge. The lessons of the Mediterranean Diet feel even more meaningful now that we live where this way of eating was first observed.
Alongside recipes inspired by Sicilian seasons and everyday Italian life, I’ll begin sharing more of the practical side of our journey. I will share tips about what it actually takes to move to Italy. From the visa we chose, to understanding residency, and navigating the path toward citizenship, I’ll share what we’ve learned honestly, thoughtfully, and one step at a time. It certainly is not for everyone, but we are so grateful to be in Sicily.
Whether you’re here for the recipes, curious about life in Italy, or quietly dreaming of a new chapter, we hope you follow Olive Sunshine to Sicily.
