I sold my childhood home in Miami to buy an apartment in Sicily. We paid under $600,000 and did $98,000 in renovations.

Kat Moore and her husband bought an apartment in Sicily.

Courtesy of Kat Moore

• Kat Moore is a 38-year-old teacher living in San Clemente, California.
• Moore and her husband visited Sicily and decided to buy and renovate an apartment.
• Kat says the "adventure" has connected her to her mother, who moved from Cuba to start a new life.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kat Moore. It has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2022, my husband and I visited Sicily for the first time.