Inspiring Women Summer 2019

Genoa, Italy: Cruising Round the World
ANN DeSIMONI
American International Women’s Club of
Genoa, Italy
From: Chicago, IL
Lives: Genoa, Italy
I was born in Chicago and I lived in three other states
on the east coast while growing up. I moved back to
a Chicago suburb to finish high school and complete
nursing school.
After graduating from nursing school I moved to
Chicago’s south side and worked an intense 2 years
at Cook County Hospital female gynecology city
prison facilities and psychiatric unit and, to calm my
nerves on the weekends, I worked at Children’s
Memorial, now known as Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Immediately after graduation I had this inner necessity
to serve and assist. So as you can tell, in these two
years I worked and worked.
To experience a different side of nursing I moved to
Atlanta, Georgia to help a friend open his private practice. On my first vacation I took a cruise
with this friend and his family to the Caribbean and that is where I met my future husband, deck
officer on “The Love Boat” and, from that day forward, my passion for travel and overall cruising
began. Eleven months later I moved to Italy to start a new life beginning with a new work
experience at an international hospital in Genoa. Because I did not speak a single word of
Italian, the tales of many funny language stories came into being.
As a young mom, it seemed
only natural to get involved
at my children’s school, their
sports activities and events,
and at our church. I was the
only nurse (and still am) in our
small village. So everyone got
to know me as a lot of inhome
care is routine in Italy.
At the hospital where I
worked, I introduced the first
Christmas party and grab
bag gift exchange. Then it
was one party after another.
The Italians loved it.
I have been involved with
FAWCO for many years and
had many positions, both in
my local club and in FAWCO.
Porto Antico of Genoa
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