Feeling at Home While Living and Working Remotely

**How to Build a Sense of Belonging Far from Home **

There’s a sweet paradox that defines our modern era: we can live anywhere, yet often feel as if we belong nowhere. For those of us who travel light—laptops packed, passports stamped, always chasing the next sunrise—the freedom is intoxicating. But sometimes, in the quiet in-between moments, it comes with a whisper of homesickness for a place we haven’t yet found.

Belonging isn’t about owning real estate or speaking the local language fluently. It’s the simple, soul-deep sensation of being seen, understood, and accepted. It’s when your morning caffè at a local bar comes with a smile and a “buongiorno” from someone who remembers your name. It’s being invited to a village festival, or staying up late talking with housemates who turned into something like family over shared pasta and stories.

That’s where places like Dolce Vita Coliving shine—a lovingly restored medieval village turned into an intentional community for remote workers and slow-living seekers, nestled in the hills of Umbria’s green heart. It’s not just a place to stay—it’s a place to be. To connect. To root yourself in something real.

Rooting Yourself: From Strangers to Story-Sharers

In Vallo di Nera, where Dolce Vita Coliving is located, time seems to ripple differently. The cobblestones speak of centuries, the air carries olive and lavender scents, and the people greet you not as a tourist, but a guest. It’s these small, quiet rituals that begin to rebuild the lost art of belonging.

Here’s how you can start cultivating that feeling—wherever you go:

• Join shared rituals. At Dolce Vita, days often begin with communal breakfasts in the village square or spontaneous aperitivo hours as the sun dips over the hills. These become gentle anchors—a time to pause, to connect, to listen.

• Get curious about local life. Walk with intention. Learn a few Italian phrases. Join locals for a sagra, one of the many food festivals in the region—it turns a place on the map into a memory in your heart.

• Offer your presence. Sometimes, the greatest gift we can give a place is to _notice_—to really see the people, the scars, the beauty. You don’t need grand gestures to belong. Sitting under a fig tree chatting with your neighbor does just fine.

• Live a little slower. Belonging needs time to ripen. It’s found less in schedules and more in stillness. A long walk through Valnerina’s rolling hills. A lazy Sunday lunch turned into a four-hour conversation. Allow these moments in.

Shared Spaces, Shared Stories

At Dolce Vita Coliving, shared kitchens become storytelling rooms, coworking spaces evolve into brainstorming cafes, and that spontaneous dinner with fellow creatives and travelers? It may just be the start of your next collaboration—or friendship for life.

The layout of the village itself encourages this. Cozy stone homes, walkable courtyards, and ancient fountains—it’s not a hostel or a hotel but a woven tapestry of living history where every corner beckons conversation and connection.

Whether you’re spending a month or a season here, you’ll find yourself falling into rhythms you didn’t know you needed. Working in the morning with a view of misty hills. Hiking in the afternoon. Evenings trying local wines and regional dishes like strangozzi pasta or lentils from nearby Castelluccio.

At the end of the day, home is not a place—it’s a feeling. It’s the warmth of shared laughter echoing off stone walls. It’s offering, and receiving, kindness without keeping score. And it's that unmistakable sweetness you feel when you're part of something greater than yourself.

That’s what we create at Dolce Vita Coliving—a new kind of home that transcends location. That travels with you, inside the bonds you’ve made and the life you’re building.

Ready to belong somewhere extraordinary?

Come find your place in our village. Book your stay today at dolcevitacoliving.com/book.