Clara Hogan and Brian Hogan Stewart, from California, have told how they decided to move the family to Bologna in Italy and say it is a “relief” not to face the worry of security at schools
An American family has told of daily “relief” at no longer having to worry about their kids’ safety at school after taking a major step to move abroad.
Clara Hogan, her husband Brian Hogan Stewart, and their two daughters relocated to Bologna, Italy, in August 2024. They had always dreamed of living abroad but made the move when rising political tensions and living costs in California, became unbearable. Brian had been accepted into a prestigious MBA programme in Italy and when the opportunity arose, the family saw it as a chance to start fresh.
They sold their house, let go of most of their belongings and took the leap to a new life on the other side of the world. Now, Clara and Brian, both aged 36, feel a massive sense of relief each morning as they send their six-year-old off to primary school and their three-year-old to kindergarten.
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Clara, a content strategist from Iowa, said: “I feel this massive wave of relief come over me when she goes to primary school. But a big feeling of grief also follows because I can’t help but think about my friends in the States.
“Friends who tell me they study their children’s faces every morning and say a prayer. No one should have to feel that way about their children’s safety in schools.” Moving abroad had been on Clara and Brian’s minds for a while, especially as they faced financial difficulties in San Pablo, in the East Bay of California.
The high costs of daycare and food, combined with the prospect of Donald Trump running for president again, pushed them to make a change. Clara said: “We really loved living in San Pablo and starting our family there. We’d lived there for eight years but always struggled financially, especially after having kids.
“And we had a bit of a sneaking suspicion that Trump would win again, which was a scary possibility. We had been lucky enough to travel to Italy before and we loved the country and its culture. So, when the opportunity came up for Brian to apply for this master’s program, it felt like the perfect fit.”
Brian applied for an MBA in Food and Wine in Bologna in early 2024 and got accepted in March. So the couple sold their house, cars and most of their belongings and relocated. Clara admitted the transition was quick and overwhelming, especially in the first few months.
She said: “I remember the first couple months in Italy having a cry quite often, because it all feels overwhelming. We didn’t really know the language or anyone there in Bologna. But within those couple months, our community here grew. I feel like I have grown more of a community here in nine months than we ever had back in the Bay Area.”
As the family settled into their new life in Italy, Clara started noticing the stark differences in how schools operate. When she enrolled her daughter in school, it hit her just how much she’d feared for her child’s safety back home.
She said: “I noticed I wasn’t thinking the things I used to think when looking at prospective schools in the States. I wasn’t checking to see how secure the doors were or how many glass windows there were. I remember looking at a school for my daughter in California and noticing her classroom was close to the entrance, which worried me.
“But I didn’t think any of that here. Safety in that sense wasn’t even mentioned in the meeting with the teacher, because they just don’t need to worry about it.”
The family also benefited financially from the move, despite moving from a dual-income household to a single-income household. They’re saving £1,281 a month on rent, £3,015 a month on daycare and the weekly shop costs have been cut in half.
Clara said: “It’s been amazing to be able to relax about finances. We moved to a smaller space but still spending just $2000 a month down from our US mortgage. We don’t pay any daycare costs anymore as both my daughters are in the public school system here. Cost of food has gone down as well with a weekly shop reduced from about $350 to $175 and it would be a lot cheaper if we didn’t shop in the centre of Bologna.
“We also no longer have or use our cars as everything is so walkable here so the monthly costs have plummeted from $1400 to zero.” Although Clara and Brian are unsure if they’ll return to the US, they’re finding a level of peace in Italy that they never had in the States.
She said: “It’s still difficult being away from family, so there are things we definitely miss. As an ex-pat, you’re always longing for your home comforts, like I for sure miss good Mexican food!
“But seeing Trump get re-elected and everything that has happened since does not make it easy. Also, we were able to visit my family in Iowa this summer, so we are still able to see them occasionally. And it can’t be understated how much I value knowing my daughter is safe at school.”
Cost difference breakdowns
- US mortgage (3 bed/2bath): $3700 vs Italy rent (2 bed/1 bath): $2000
- US weekly food shop: $300-400 vs Italy weekly food shop: $150-200
- US daycare costs: $4000 a month vs Italy public school costs: $0 (Last year, they didn’t qualify for public school system as they hadn’t lived there long enough, so they paid $600 for both of their kids to go to private nursery)
- US car insurance/payments/gas: $1400 vs no car in Italy (everything walkable): $0