Texan Angie Smith has bonded with her neighbors in a tiny village in Tuscany Courtesy of Angie Smith

Texan Angie Smith worried she might be treated like an outsider when she moved to a Tuscan village.

She broke the ice by throwing a party for her new neighbors soon after buying her property.

The single mom was warmly welcomed and, she said, is now treated like a "daughter" in the community.

This interview is based on a conversation with Angie Smith , 52, founder of real estate consultancy Olive and Pine and a women's retreat in Tuscany. It has been edited for length and clarity.

It was hard to contain my nerves in November 2023 after I closed on a property in a tiny village in Tuscany , escaping my hectic tech job in Fort Worth.

I wanted a fresh start because I felt burned out, unhappy, and unhealthy.…