Chat with Massimo and Maria of the “Mia Sicilia” YouTube Channel

How Massimo and Maria Embraced Their Italian Heritage and La Dolce Vita Through Their YouTube Adventure

Massimo and Maria, creators of the “Mia Sicilia” YouTube channel, have an incredible story of love, heritage, and the pursuit of a simple, fulfilling life. Originally from South Africa, their journey took them through England and Italy, ultimately leading them to settle in Sicily. In this interview, they share their experiences, the pull of their Italian heritage, and the beauty of life in Sicily. Their story is one of reconnection with their roots and the dream of living ‘la dolce vita’ or ‘dolce far niente’—the sweet life of doing nothing.

Enjoy this month’s ‘Chat with an Expat’ and watch the full version on our YouTube channel. May it inspire you to find your own version of ‘la dolce vita’!

(1:45) Where are you both originally from?

Massimo:  I was originally born in Johannesburg, South Africa. My parents immigrated to South Africa many years ago before myself and my siblings were born.

Maria: I’m basically from an English mom and an Italian dad who then immigrated to Johannesburg, South Africa. I wasn’t born there, but I went there when I was five. When I was 19 I came back to Europe.

Let’s talk about your Italian heritage and that “pull” to Italy?

Maria: I once mentioned in my videos that my dad really struggled with it. My mom never struggled with that because as I said, she was English.  I used to wonder why my dad struggled with not being in Italy and really missing Italy. He would listen to Italian songs and watch Italian classic movies. 

When I moved here and then returned to England I understood what he felt.  I think that it’s because we feel part of a big family.  We understand each other and have this culture. We love food, dress well. It’s these parts (like food, family, and fashion) that distinguish us as being Italian. 

Was your dad originally from Sicily?

Maria: Yes, my dad was originally from Sicily, but he never had the opportunity to actually live in Sicily.  He lived in Rome, then moved to South Africa and then to England. So he always had this dream and longing of coming back to Sicily which he never fulfilled.That was a strong pull from my side and from hearing his stories, I wanted to come back.

Massimo: I think I can start from whenever I can remember. I have two older brothers and a younger sister. We all spoke Italian at home. 

The community where we lived is Orange Grove. It is a big and strong Italian community. So, we used to have to go for Catechism, volunteer at the Italian Club in Johannesburg. We would have weekly get-togethers. Everything we ate was Italian.

Coming back to Italy was like returning home and back where we belong.

[Note: Orange Grove was informally and fondly known as Little Italy during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.]

Did you meet in Johannesburg?

Maria: We went to the same primary school together. When I was 14 and Massimo was 16, he tried to kiss me, but I was like “no, I’m not having it!”

Then, we met up again when we were in our late 30s early 40s. You know, it was just meant to be.

Where did you meet again, in England?

Maria: No, in Rome where Massimo was living and I was in Sicily. We were both living there with our ex-partners.

Massimo: We both got separated from our partners about the same time. We reconnected, fell madly in love and now enjoy a beautiful life together. 

Why did you then move back to England?

Maria: After we separated we needed a little bit of a neutral territory. I have family in England, so I decided to move and Massimo came afterwards. We settled in England for nine years. 

As much as we loved England and the people, there was something missing. I had a family villa here and one day I asked Massimo, “what are we doing in England?”

Massimo: We’ve been here since 2018 and have never looked back. We packed the car and a little trailer and drove down [to Sicily].

(9:00) What did you do professionally when you lived in England?

Massimo: I was a chef and still am.

Maria: I was working in a shop. Just very plain jobs you know.

(9:40) What is your residence or citizenship status in Italy?

Maria: We’ve always had dual citizenship since living in South Africa. Our parents registered us, but when we moved to Italy our South African passports and drivers’ licenses were canceled. 

We’ve never really had issues with that because we’ve always been Italian citizens, making the move a lot easier. 

Where do you do professionally in Sicily?

Maria: I teach English as a foreign language in a little local school here (just four minutes away from here) and I love it. I’ve done it for a few years and it’s great because I only teach in the late afternoon and evening. It’s fantastic to have mornings free. 

Massimo: I’ve been a chef since we first got to Sicily. I work in the evenings which gives us more time to do work on our land and the house that we’ve done everything by ourselves.

(11:40) What language do you speak – the Sicilian dialect or proper Italian?

Maria: I know the dialect, but Massimo is still learning the dialect because it’s not easy.

It takes a long time to understand.

Massimo: I think my Italian is more pure than the Sicilians.  I try sometimes to speak in the Sicilian dialect and they laugh at me. It’s good and part of learning. 

(13:00) Let’s talk about reverse migration. Why do you think so many people are moving back to their ancestral home?

Maria: It’s the rat race. I think people are so stressed with work and life in general. The food isn’t the same as it used to be and I think everyone just wants to go back to basics. They want the simple life. 

It’s funny because your grandparents would probably think, “what’s going on? Why would you want to go back?”

People want ‘la dolce vita’ or ‘dolce far niente’ and after Covid, they realized that life isn’t all work.

Massimo: I would say in our case, it’s all that. I think the best advice is to take a step back and think about what you need.

Maria: It’s a scary step obviously especially when you have all the securities, but if you’re unhappy that’s something you need to change. 

We said let’s just make a change and we don’t regret it at all.

(16:15) What would you say to Italians who might think that it’s easy for you because you lived in a country with lots of opportunity that they feel is not available in Italy?

Massimo: I wouldn’t say anything is easy. Obviously we needed to think it over and not just jump into the deep end.

Maria: We were lucky that we spoke the language.

Massimo: I think it’s a big problem if you don’t speak Italian.

Maria: Sicilians are just so welcoming and they really make you feel comfortable and really want to help. It’s a big family connection. 

(18:00) Do the people in your community understand why you were living here? 

Maria: No, but I always say to them “go away for 10 or 20 years and then come back and talk to us. You’ll be crying and understand why you want to come back.”

Massimo: Coming from England everything is totally different. The food you eat here is local and seasonal. As a chef, I notice the difference in the products. Definitely, the quality of life is better here. 

Maria: It’s the little things that make a lot of difference in your life.

Massimo, do you feel that eating healthily is so much more accessible and affordable in Sicily?

Massimo: 150% yes! I’ve noticed the difference in prices of products and in general, everything costs less.

Maria: You will have an abundance of whatever’s in season and so it costs less.

Massimo: Sicily is very famous for its oranges and lemons. We have both lemon and orange groves in front of us. You notice the difference.

I’ve worked with a lot of people in agriculture and they’ve showed me the difference

in local vegetables. Also the sea is not very far, so the seafood is different. In England, you get frozen fish from Europe. Here we have fisheries. I can go shopping there, bring it to the restaurant and start cooking. The difference is a hundred fold. 

Maria: In the middle of Siracusa you can see a road full of orange and lemon trees. People can just walk down and pick them. It’s wonderful!

(22:12) Let’s talk about your YouTube channel, “Mia Sicilia”. When did you begin?

Maria:  We started about seven or eight months ago.

We produce a video once a week. We love it. Our videos are our actual life . It’s spontaneous and if we happen to go somewhere, we’ll film it documenting everyday life. 

What equipment do you use?

[Note: Maria and Massimo shoot videos with an iPhone, but also have a drone, a couple of microphones and a gimbal.]

Maria: It’s not like we have expensive equipment and we don’t need it. To me, putting together the beginning and end is key. We have this little romanticism of us being here. I just love even the simplest things like a balcony or door, or the washing blowing in the wind. 

Massimo: I get to see the beauty of the land through the drone. It’s made a big difference.

(25:31) Is Mount Etna’s eruption just a normal occurrence in the daily lives of Sicilians?

Maria: Yes, it’s a very normal thing. We live about an hour away from Catania and get a lot of volcanic ash. I have to sweep up and clean the ash out of our pool, and rewash the sun dried tomatoes that were laid out. 

Although it’s a pain, they say that it’s a good thing though. Mount Etna is just letting out its steam.

Massimo: It’s been doing that for years, so not dangerous, but spectacular.

(29:00) What is your definition of an expat?

Maria: I don’t like the term because it means that you’re out of your own country. We don’t feel like we are out of our country, but have returned and call it ‘repatriate’. We’re coming back to our roots. 

Massimo: We needed to come back to our origins. 

[Note: Massimo’s family is originally from Rome and he still has family there.]

(31:00) When in Italy, do you miss anything about England or South Africa?

Massimo: I don’t know if I miss it so much, but I often think about my years growing up and my friends in South Africa. Before cell phones, there was this freedom. 

South Africa is a very beautiful country: vast and natural.

Maria: England has a lot of greenery unlike Sicily because it’s so hot. I miss the countryside and greenery.

(32:34) What are your goals for the channel?

Massimo: Grow, grow, grow! I believe that we’re on the right path because we get lots of feedback.

Maria: We’re having fun and enjoying it. I love editing. So as long as we continue having fun, we’ll carry on. If we can earn a bit of money from it too that would be great. 

Massimo: It gives us an opportunity to travel to different places and talk and socialize with people. 

(33:50) What are some of the common questions or comments that you receive? 

Massimo: The work situation, or a lot about food. One gentleman asked us about what it’s like getting medicine and medical treatment. 

(35:20) What’s your advice to someone who wants to move to Italy?

Maria: Well I would say do it! Life is short and we only have one.

Massimo: You need to plan ahead. Some people are more precise than others. With the internet you can always plan ahead. Look into other channels like ours. 

Maria: But it doesn’t always work out even if you do plan. The best parts are walking down the street and looking at beautiful ancient buildings or listening to people talk while enjoying a cappuccino.

We just looked at each other and asked, “what are we waiting for?” And, at the end of the day, this is the life and everything is perfect!

It was a pleasure chatting with Massimo and Maria of Mia Sicilia. Their story is a powerful reminder that following your dreams and living an authentic life, whether in your country of origin or a new one like Italy, is not only possible but deeply rewarding. Their journey from Johannesburg to Sicily exemplifies the beauty of pursuing one’s passion and the joy of reconnecting with your roots. If you’re considering a move or simply seeking inspiration, their experiences offer valuable insights into the transformative power of embracing your true desires. Don’t hesitate to take that leap—sometimes, the most fulfilling life is the one you create for yourself.

• Watch and Subscribe to “Mia Sicilia” on Youtube @miasicilia
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Note from the Editor: We are grateful to our readers from South Africa and have long been intrigued by the Italian diaspora in the region. It was a pleasure to hear Massimo and Maria’s story and learn about their familial ties to Johannesburg.

If you’re interested in exploring more about the Italian diaspora in South Africa, we recommend checking out this insightful reference.

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