Interesting People Interview - Cherrye Moore

When I think of people doing interesting things, I am always first drawn to those whose destiny has led them far away from home, and how they have made the most of the situation at hand. One of those people is Cherrye Moore, trip planner, freelance writer, innkeeper, wife and resident of beautiful Catanzaro, Calabria. Cherrye has built her life here in Italy and we had the chance to chat about it via internet recently. She is one busy lady, wearing many hats as so many of us do when we build our new lives far away from “home”.

I read recently on My Melange that you first came to Europe by way of gainful employment at Euro Disney in Paris! How did that come about and how did you make it from there to innkeeper in Calabria?

Ahhh ... Disneyland Paris. *sigh* Yes, my first expat experience was in France as a cast member at Disneyland Paris. I had been working at Walt Disney World in Orlando and heard about an opportunity to transfer with the company as part of an international Work Exchange Program. I applied-along with hundreds of my fellow employees-and was awarded one of the 22 spots in the program. Fate it was, I say, because just a week or so into my new job, I started seeing this tall, dark stranger everywhere I went.

Eventually, I met this man and we initiated a friendship that lasted long after we'd both returned to our home countries. After a couple of years emailing and writing letters-yes, with pen and paper-he visited me in Texas and we decided to try our hand at a long-distance relationship. I moved to Calabria to join him in 2006, we got married in 2007 and around that time we opened our bed and breakfast together

OMG Love at Disneyland! So you and your husband decided to settle in Italy instead of in the United States... what made you come to that decision? How has the adjustment to life in Italy changed you personally, and has living in Italy changed your view of the world?

We decided to start out in Italy because we thought it would be easier. It is kinda funny looking back on that now, after years of waiting on my Permesso, but that was our thinking at the time. I also wanted to more agressively explore freelancing and living here in Italy gave me that chance. It is hard to say how much Italy has changed me, though. I have been here almost four years, but in that time, I also got married and well, am four years older, so I think it is the combination of things that has changed me.

My husband is very calm and easy going and luckily that has rubbed off on me. I also feel like I'm becoming the person I wanted to be-I'm taking more chances professionally, such as starting my travel consulting business, I've reached some of my travel writing goals and I feel confident and secure in who I am. I can also drink wine every day at lunch and then return to work, so I thank Italy for that. :-)

Did you write before coming to Italy, or has Italy given you the inspiration to pursue writing as part of your career?

One of the first things I remember doing as a child was writing. I used to write plays for my cousins and me-there are 28 of us!-and then I'd direct the play and yes, I'm ashamed to say, play a starring role. My dad owned a newspaper and he and my mom were both fabulous writers, so I grew up with a strong appreciation for the written word.

It wasn't until I lived in Paris that I began dreaming of travel writing and it wasn't until I moved to Italy that I was able to pursue it.

Tell us a little about your life in Catanzaro, about having an inn and about the service you're offering for prospective travelers.

Catanzaro is an interesting place to be an expat. We are the capital of Calabria, so you don't have that small village-type atmosphere, yet it is still small by many standards. We live closer to Catanzaro Lido than the historical center and I've found it to the prefect place to stay if you want to really explore Calabria.

The majority of our guests are Italians who are traveling to Catanzaro for work and about 80% of them are loyal guests who come every week or every other week for their jobs. Occasionally, we'll have a big group in for a wedding-like we did this weekend, and then sometimes we get English-speaking travelers who are either traveling through Catanzaro or are in Calabria researching their heritage. Those are fun.

Last year I began officially offering travel consulting services for visitors heading to southern Italy. While I would never encourage someone to stay in Catanzaro if it wasn't in the best interest of their trip, our B&B guests are eligible for 30% savings on a custom itinerary.

On a side note, it's happened over and over that my husband or I will tell prospective guests they'd be better off staying in another city that is closer to the village they want to research, for example, yet they book with us anyway. I think they appreciate the honesty and understand that we really want them to have the best possible experience in Calabria, even if that doesn't mean staying in our B&B.

Why don't you tell us what kind of services you offer exactly? I am sure they would be of interest to people searching for a deeper, less touristed view of Italy.

I currently have three different services I offer for people traveling to southern Italy. The most comprehensive option is a custom itinerary, where I work with the travelers to decide on the best locations for their trip, the ideal route to follow to maximize time and to select hotels, restaurants, day trips, guides and transfers. I then book all of their reservations for them, confirm them before they arrive and am available 24/7 throughout their trip. In the end, they are given a personalized travel itinerary for each day of their vacation.

The second option is a custom consult. It is similar to the custom itinerary in that I help them choose destinations and make recommendations on the route, hotels, restaurants, day trips and excursions, however, they book their reservations and are responsible for confirming the details. These travelers receive a PDF package with ideas, links and contact information so they can finalize their vacation.

The third option is really fun and affordable, making it a nice option for anyone heading to southern Italy. Essentially, these travelers design their own itinerary, plan their own route and research their own hotels, day trips and excursions. Before their trip, they send me a copy of the itinerary and I review it and offer insider tips that will make their trip easier and more enjoyable.

I've been getting requests lately for travelers who are interested in a quick consult or some light trip coaching, so I might add this service in the near future.

You can find Cherrye at her B&B website and her blog, My Bella Vita.