«Home is a place of the heart, more than a physical place». This profound reflection of Elisa Ronzonia forty-year-old originally from Figino Serenza, can well begin the story of her story, which also involves her husband Cristian Biotto.
Brain drain from Canturino and Marianese: the first stop of Elisa and Cristian
«We, as a couple, have left Italy for over 15 years now. Cristian left first, at the end of 2007, to move to London and obtain a doctorate at Imperial College, after graduating in Aerospace Engineering, at the Polytechnic of Milan – specifies Elisa – I, however, arrived in London in June 2009, after graduated in History of Art and Archeology in Milan. Shortly before, in May, we got married in Figino Serenza. At the time of Cristian’s departure for London, we had already been a couple for about 3 years and therefore lived in a long-distance relationship for some time. Then the wedding and my move brought us together once and for all.”
For both of them, since they were young, abroad has represented that dream capable of opening up horizons. «The opportunity of Cristian’s doctorate in London was the positive signal that fueled our desire to leave Italy – says Elisa – I was passionate about foreign languages, already since high school, and I dreamed of trying my hand, concretely, in a ‘other language. Furthermore, I was very curious about life outside the provincial dimension, where I was born and raised. Boundaries have never been too narrow for me, but thanks to some holidays abroad, I understood how the world was much larger.”
England is a wonderful stage in Elisa and Cristian’s journey, not the point of arrival. «We stayed in London until the end of 2014 – highlights Elisa – in that period of time, Cristian obtained his doctorate and found work in a consultancy company, dealing with aerodynamics and fluid dynamics in tunnels. I launched myself into the world of museums, through volunteers and small projects. Among the happiest notes of that period were the births of our first two daughters: Agnese and Agata. Among other things, after Agnese’s birth, I found employment in a travel agency that rents villas in Italy. Even though it was a job outside my sector, I remember with great joy those 2 years in which I worked closely with my Italy. In 2014, however, Agata was born and just as the birth was approaching, Cristian got in touch with a former colleague who, in the meantime, had moved to Australia. From there our lives changed again.”
Since January 2015 in Australia
Yes, because a new state was ready to welcome the now extended family. «At the time, although we didn’t have any major problems in London, we felt not completely satisfied from a social and emotional point of view – Elisa underlines – we were no longer sure of being able to raise a young family in the southern suburbs of London. Then came this other courageous choice: in January 2015 we moved to Melbourne, Australia, and we are still here.” A new adventure began for them in Australia, continuing, however, the interests already cultivated in London. «Cristian always deals with engineering consultancy and is involved in large tunnel projects here and in New Zealand – says Elisa – I, on the other hand, work as curator of the collection of the Jewish Museum of Australia, a small non-profit community museum which collects and tells the story of Jewish migration and integration into Australia. In the past I also worked in the Italian Historical Society, which instead preserves the history of Italian migration.” As regards the composition of the family, in 2019, another splendid news arrived: the birth of the third daughter, namely Adelaide. «Our Aussie Baby – reveals Elisa – the first Australian citizen of the family. The rest of us took citizenship in 2020. It is a great satisfaction to have obtained it. We believe it is important to be able to benefit from dual citizenship forever.”
“Here is a multi-ethnic and inclusive society”
On the topic of differences compared to Italy, Elisa highlights, in particular, some highly topical aspects: «I start from the premise that Australia is enormous and consequently is very diversified, even in behaviour. An answer inevitably includes a part of subjectivity. Basically, the way we experience Australia, I can say that here I experience every day what it means to commit to a multi-ethnic, more inclusive, informed and tolerant society. The mentality is really different. I find interactions between people to be kinder and more respectful. Furthermore, I notice a lot of attention towards mental health issues, a very serious problem with frightening statistics. There’s still a long way to go, but at least in Australia it’s not a taboo or shameful topic. Every day we are really encouraged to take care of our emotional well-being. This also reflects on flexibility and understanding in the professional field. My dream is that one day we can have a climate of this kind in Italy too, for a better relationship between work and personal life.”
As regards the couple’s future life choices, the prediction, to date, is quite clear: «The intention is to continue our life in Melbourne, where we are now well integrated, but the call of home is always strong and we we return whenever we can – says Elisa – in Italy we have our dear families and many friends who support us tirelessly. A piece of heart has always been there and will remain there no matter what. Obviously the journey to hug them again is very long, even expensive, but returning is a blessing and always worth it. We didn’t leave Italy because we weren’t happy, we left to chase the dream of discovering something more”
The link with Italy
The objective, however, is to maintain a connection with Italy, also for the daughters. «Returning to Brianza regularly is also a responsibility towards our daughters – highlights Elisa – Their blood is Italian and it is an asset to know where their parents come from, without neglecting the intention of maintaining a close relationship with grandparents and uncles. This is a gift that perhaps they will only understand well when they grow up. I hope coming to Italy can offer the opportunity to preserve those wonderful traits that distinguish us, without feeling guilty about being Australian. In any case, however, Agnese, Agata and Adelaide are also daughters of the world and are building their own identity, which perhaps we cannot even fully understand. Over the years, however, we have understood that we feel at home where we are loved and share meaningful experiences. I feel at home in Italy, in London, in Melbourne. I don’t think I have a broken heart, I imagine it more as a heart so full that it needs branch offices.”
“Experiences abroad put you to the test”
In the end, space for a message, which can be addressed to many young Italians: «I absolutely recommend having experiences abroad, whether they are more or less long, temporary or permanent. They test you. My suggestion, however, is to always start with an outlined project and with your head on your shoulders – underlines Elisa – living abroad is demanding, there are economic and bureaucratic obstacles, but also linguistic, cultural and social barriers. We often encounter periods of loneliness and nostalgia. You need to start with a clear goal in mind. It is right to remain open to the opportunities that each day can offer, but at the same time it is important to have solid and reliable points of reference, so as not to be discouraged in difficult moments. Cristian and I have faced many trials in our 15 years abroad, but thanks to our values, our love and our sacrifices, we can say that we are still here and that we are, sincerely, happy. We wouldn’t change a thing about what happened.”
Filiberto Caruso
