Meet Kacie Rose Burns, the Florence-based TikTok star

Interview with Kacie Rose Burns, the Florence-based content material creator with virtually 1,000,000 followers on TikTok.

by Elizabeth Djinis

Kacie Rose Burns 29, could not fairly have imagined how a lot her solo journey to Italy and France from the US would change her life. It will introduce her not simply to her future associate however unwittingly set in movement a completely totally different profession.

The Florence-based content material creator now has virtually 1,000,000 followers on TikTok, the place she posts commonly about life in Italy, the tradition shocks of being an American residing right here and, amongst different topics, find out how to eat your means across the nation—and the globe. She has a bona fide following now, however it began by likelihood. Burns and her boyfriend, Dario Nencetti, had been making the transfer to Florence from New York in January 2021 after virtually a yr within the pandemic.

Greater than a passive TikTok person, Burns used the of-the-moment audio—a rendition of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Data On”—to edit a spotlight montage of her and Dario’s time collectively. She posted it and thought nothing of it. However when she turned her cellphone on after the almost eight hour flight, she was shocked to see that the video had gone viral. Thus, a profession was born.

Burns now runs a preferred TikTok and Instagram, organizes group bundle journeys round Italy and has written quite a few e-books on find out how to journey Italy as an in-the-know vacationer. She frames her work partly as serving to folks not repeat the errors she’s already made, as a result of she’s been there.

She is aware of what it is wish to attempt to purchase a birthday card on the pharmacy (notice: pharmacies in Italy should not like pharmacies within the US) or put on a sundress when everybody else is carrying a down coat. She’s attuned to the intricacies of Italian day by day life, however she nonetheless approaches them as an outsider. It is this affable curiosity that has seemingly attracted so a lot of her followers and saved them engaged.

We sat down nearly with Burns to speak about how she obtained to the place she is as we speak, what she’s discovered about Italy and what she’s discovered about herself alongside the way in which.

Wished in Rome: Speak to me about how your following first began. What do you suppose it was about that first video that resonated with folks?

Kacie Rose Burns: Dario and I had been long-distance for a yr after which he was in New York for a yr—then the pandemic hit. And so then we determined to maneuver to Italy. I made a video compilation [on TikTok] of our relationship purely to indicate him, ‘Look, I made a enjoyable video,’ and I set it to that track, confirmed him as we had been taking off, uploaded it after which shut my cellphone off for seven hours. I reopened my cellphone once we obtained to Italy and the video had gone viral. At that time, Italy nonetheless had necessary quarantine, and so we had been caught inside for 2 weeks. On the time, I used to be studying all this new stuff and pondering that I’d as nicely make some movies about it.

…If I am being completely sincere, I believe the timing of all of it was a giant issue. We had been in the course of Covid-19 and other people had been caught inside. It was one thing constructive that perhaps distracted folks from what was truly taking place outdoors and allowed folks to journey by way of their telephones.

WIR: When did you resolve that creating content material was one thing you needed to do as a profession and never simply as a pastime?

KRB: Actually, it was such an accident. I used to be educating English on-line, and that is what I used to be planning on doing. We moved right here on a six-month trial foundation—I used to be a dancer in New York and my business was shut down due to Covid and Dario’s visa was up. Covid type of induced me to comprehend that perhaps I did not need to be doing what I used to be doing anymore.

The change got here when these six months began getting nearer and we realized that we weren’t going to return. I did not actually know what I needed it to show into—I did not know what it may very well be. I used to be truthfully simply type of rolling with it. By no means in my wildest desires did I believe I’d be main group excursions, have my enterprise, have written e-books and be flirting with the concept of writing an precise ebook.

WIR: What had been among the preliminary challenges whenever you first moved to Italy?

KRB: There are ups and downs to residing right here. It is an attractive place to reside—the surroundings and the meals and the persons are stunning. However there are some fairly exhausting elements about residing overseas. The homesickness was fairly brutal. Issues like going to the grocery retailer for the primary time—I did not know that you just had been presupposed to scan and weigh your fruit. The cashier checked out me and I panicked. I did not perceive what he was saying. I needed to get out of line.

After our necessary quarantine, it was Dario’s birthday and I needed to go to the pharmacy throughout the road and get a birthday card—I assumed I would get some family cleaner as nicely and decide up some munchies. I went to the pharmacy and, clearly, there was nothing [like that] there. After I requested the pharmacist the place the playing cards had been, she checked out me and mentioned, ‘This can be a pharmacy.’

On a deeper stage, one of many hardest issues to beat is the sensation of shedding your independence. I used to be all the time very impartial—I moved to New York at 17 and prided myself on that fairly a bit. It was exhausting to go from that to not having a selection however to depend upon different folks to get you by for at the least the primary couple of months. I could not communicate the language. I did not know find out how to fill out a doc. And there is this bizarre guilt that you have to be feeling grateful 100% of the time since you’re so fortunate to reside right here. So many individuals need to be in your sneakers, so that you should not be unhappy. You’re feeling responsible for feeling that means, however that is not sustainable or true or useful.

WIR: Do you are feeling like having an Italian associate has made it simpler or tougher to combine? And the way?

KRB: There’s one other set of challenges. It’s totally a lot that. I really feel responsible having to continually ask him for assist or to return with me someplace as a result of I do not know find out how to speak about a medical concern or sure paperwork. I’ve made up a story in my thoughts that I’m annoying him—it goes again to that feeling of shedding your independence. With that comes a lack of id and questioning who you’re with out your associate.

WIR: How has your view of Italy modified because you moved right here?

KRB: It will definitely hits you that you just begin to perceive the difficulties of residing right here and that issues aren’t so shiny and nice. I am nonetheless utterly amazed by this nation. However whenever you’re residing right here and whenever you’re touring right here, they’re two very various things. Whenever you’re residing right here, you need to begin filling out paperwork and going to the physician and determining the well being system—the little issues that you do not have to fret about whenever you’re touring. It is also about integrating your self right into a tradition that is utterly totally different than the one which . You virtually really feel such as you’re 5 years previous once more and relearning find out how to do life.

Whenever you develop up in a rustic, you type of adapt to the not-so-great issues about it. At that time, you’ve got had time to simply accept them. Now you are doing the identical factor once more as an grownup in a brand new nation. I really like this nation, however I’ve come to know the elements that I do not like, that aren’t my favourite, just like the paperwork or that it is not as mental-health-forward as I used to be used to in New York. I believe the tradition of slowing down that occurs right here is extremely stunning, however it’s not what I am used to. Generally all I need is the hustle and bustle—let’s get it going.

WIR: What recommendation do you’ve gotten for People who need to transfer to Italy?

KRB: Maintain an open thoughts. Be open to studying and be open to adapting in all issues, good and unhealthy, and you will be okay. It is not all the time simple, however it’s 100% price it.

Prisoner of conscience

by F. Guzzardi

Alexei Navalny

Mohammad Fahadal-Qahtani

Sarah Hegazi

Julian Assange

Rubén González

Italy Report 2022/23

In December, parliament approved the introduction of a new offence that punishes trespassing aimed at organizing a musical or other entertainment gathering deemed dangerous for public health and safety. Organizers of such gatherings could face up to six years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to EUR 10,000. There was concern that the new legislation could infringe on freedom of assembly and expression.

Prisoner of conscience

Alexei Navalny is a Russian activist, lawyer, and politician who has become a prominent figure in the fight against corruption in Russia. Born in 1976 in Butyn, a small town south of Moscow, Navalny was raised in an educated family – his mother worked as a pharmacist and his father as a businessman.

Navalny graduated from the Russian State Law Academy in 1998 and went on to work as a lawyer for several years before turning to activism. He first gained national attention in 2008 when he started a blog that exposed corruption in Russian business and politics.

Navalny is best known for his work as the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which investigates and exposes corruption and abuses of power in the Russian government. The foundation has released numerous reports and videos that have exposed the wealth and corruption of top-level officials and businessmen in Russia, including the country’s prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev.

Navalny’s political beliefs can be described as liberal and pro-democracy, and he has been a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin and the United Russia party. He has also been a leading advocate for free and fair elections in Russia and has organized protests and demonstrations against the government.

Alexei Navalny

In an interview with Foreign Policy, Navalny stated his belief that “the main problem in Russia is that the government doesn’t have any legitimacy.” He went on to say, “The only way forward is to establish a democratic, law-governed state with free and fair elections.”

Navalny’s work has earned him both support and criticism within Russia and from the international community. In 2013, he ran for mayor of Moscow, winning 27% of the vote in the election. However, he was barred from running in the 2018 presidential election due to a previous fraud conviction that he insists was politically motivated.

Navalny’s work has earned him both support and criticism within Russia and from the international community. In 2013, he ran for mayor of Moscow, winning 27% of the vote in the election. However, he was barred from running in the 2018 presidential election due to a previous fraud conviction that he insists was politically motivated.

In recent years, Navalny has faced increasing legal troubles, including multiple arrests and convictions for various charges, including embezzlement and organizing unauthorized rallies. He has also been subjected to physical attacks, including a 2017 incident in which he was attacked with a chemical agent that caused temporary blindness.

In August 2020, Navalny fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and was later determined to have been poisoned with a nerve agent called Novichok. He was flown to Germany for treatment and has since recovered. Navalny has accused the Russian government, specifically Putin, of being responsible for the poisoning.

Navalny’s legal troubles and the alleged poisoning have only strengthened his resolve to continue his activism. In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, he stated, “I’m not going to be quiet; I will continue my work.”

Navalny’s work has been widely recognized and supported by the international community. Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russian officials

President Putin: Free Alexei Navalny

and entities accused of involvement in his poisoning.

In October 2020, the EU imposed sanctions on six Russian officials, including the head of Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, for their role in the poisoning.

Navalny’s fight against corruption and for democratic reform in Russia is significant in a country known for its suppression of dissent and lack of free speech. His work has inspired a new generation of activists and led to increased public awareness of corruption and abuse of power in the Russian government. As Navalny has stated, “change is possible… we must continue to fight for freedom, human rights, and democratic values in Russia and around the world.”

Next page

Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition figure and anti-corruption activist, was unlawfully detained and has been imprisoned for 11 years and 6 months. He is still in prison and suffers continual ill-treatment, including constant surveillance and psychological pressure. He must be freed immediately and unconditionally.

In August 2020 while on a trip to Tomsk (South Siberia), Aleksei Navalny was poisoned by a prohibited military grade Novichok nerve agent . Later the same month he was evacuated to Germany for treatment, unconscious and in a critical condition.

Navalny returned to Russia on 17 January 2021 and was immediately taken into custody. A court in Moscow ruled to imprison Aleksei Navalny for 2 years and 6 months for “violating the terms of a suspended sentence” by failing to report to his probation officer while receiving life-saving treatment in Germany.

The Russian authorities didn’t stop there and continued their unlawful prosecution of Aleksei Navalny. In February 2022 he was charged with fraud and in March 2022 sentenced to a nine-year prison term in a strict regime penal colony.

In May 2022 Aleksei Navalny faced new politically motivated charges. He was accused of founding an extremist community. If found guilty, Navalny’s detention could be increased by up to 10 years.

Aleksei Navalny was ill-treated while in detention including sleep deprivation, denial of adequate health care and psychological pressure. In June 2022, he was transferred to the strict regime penal colony, where he said he was kept in a “prison within prison” and forced to work while sitting on a low stool, which risked exacerbating his health problems.

Sign the petition now and urge President Vladimir Putin to use his authority to end the harassment and persecution of Aleksei Navalny and all other critics of the government.