Jen on the Run

10/09/2026

AD | Are you an American living abroad? You can still vote in the November midterm elections!

Moving abroad comes with its fair share of surprises (I know from firsthand experience 😅), but losing your right to vote isn’t one of them.

If you’re a U.S. citizen living or traveling abroad, you can register and request an absentee ballot using the last U.S. address where you lived… even if you no longer live there 🤯

The online form takes about five minutes. When your ballot arrives, follow your state’s instructions to complete and return it.

Don’t wait! Request your ballot today at abroad.vote or tap the link in my bio.

09/09/2026

honestly… traveling with my dog from the U.S. to Italy was an absolute nightmare and I will do everything possible to not repeat it again 🥲

but it was so, so worth it

Casper had flown before, but never for eight hours. I booked us a direct flight from Chicago to Rome, talked to his vet about his anxiety, and convinced myself I was prepared. haha 🥲

I barely slept on that flight and then landed in Rome during a train strike.

would I do it again? 100% yes. Would I do things differently? Ah, yes.

so I took everything I learned about this process and turned it into a mini guide covering:

🐾 The microchip and rabies requirements
🐾 The EU health certificate and USDA endorsement
🐾 The easy-to-miss 10-day deadline
🐾 How much I paid
🐾 Choosing a flight and reserving your dog’s spot
🐾 Preparing your dog for a long flight
🐾 What to expect when you arrive in Italy
🐾 What you need to return to the U.S.

🐶 Comment CASPER and I’ll send the guide to your DMs!

Save this post if you’re planning a move to Italy with your dog or planning a trip to Italy with your dog

03/09/2026

august recap: the sweetest of months. per sempre❤️‍🔥

the month I celebrated one year as an Italian citizen. I felt the salt and sand in my hair. I was weightless in the sea.

I nearly melted from the heat and humidity.

I saw friends and family I love. witnessed my first solar eclipse in full totality. I wondered about the moon. I whispered secrets in three languages.

I admired movement and music with the wind on my skin. felt the familiar pangs of absence and grief and silence and the fragility what it means to share time and presence, to let go of the outcome, and sit in the space of unknown.

september, i hope you’re more still, but no less full.

🤍

03/09/2026

I was recently featured on Live and Invest Overseas to talk about my journey from dreaming about life abroad to actually living it here in Florence. 🇮🇹

We chatted about citizenship, freelancing, moving to Italy, and some of the very real ups and downs of building a life in another country.

You can watch the conversation here:

The idea of living overseas had long appealed to Jen. She first too...

28/08/2026

how to bring your dog to Italy (from someone who did it) ⬇️

a quick note: casper is small enough to fly in-cabin with me, which made this whole process a lot more manageable. if you have a bigger dog, the process looks different, and it might be worth looking into pet travel companies that specialize in that.

this carousel covers the paperwork side: the microchip, the rabies vaccine, and the EU health certificate, plus the parts that made me pretty anxious along the way. part 2 is coming soon, on what our travel day itself actually looked like.

heads up - requirements can change and every country’s rules are a little different, so always confirm the latest details with a USDA-accredited vet and your airline before you go.

follow Jen | Florence, Slow Travel & Freelancing for part 2 🐾