On Goldenrod Street is a lively young family, renting their very first place in Southside Village as they search for their forever home. They just landed in July of last year. The journey that brought them here is just the latest in a series of cross-country, even cross-Atlantic moves!

 

Natalie and Umberto Torrielli met in Connecticut and have been together since 2006. Time flies when you are having fun, and it did just that. They bought a home together in 2009, and were married by 2013. Following a Kenyan Safari and Diani Beach honeymoon, the couple soon moved to San Francisco and later to London for Umberto's job. They traveled across Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East for both work and pleasure over the next several years, and expanded their family with a son and a daughter before moving back to the states in 2020. A handful of cold Connecticut winters encouraged them to chase the sun and make Sarasota, once a winter getaway, a place to call home.

 

“Adventurous, ambitious and funny”, they describe their family. "You can’t always take life so seriously. It’s good to have dreams but even better to laugh while trying to achieve them,” says Natalie.

 

Both Natalie and Umberto have ethnic roots from afar. Natalie's family immigrated from Romania in 1980, and Umberto’s from Italy back in the 1970s. Natalie was born and raised in Connecticut. Umberto was born in New York City, but also spent a large part of his childhood back in Italy and France before returning here for college. Each of their upbringings instilled in them strong family values and has enriched life in so many ways. “We believe in the nuclear family bond, honesty, hard work, and the pursuit of happiness,” Natalie explains. One important goal is for their children to grow up making vivid memories of each parent’s side of the family. They celebrate both Romanian Orthodox and Catholic Easter and feel very fortunate to have 2 celebrations. Both parents are, quite impressively, multilingual. Natalie speaks fluent Romanian, Vlachika, Italian, and English. Umberto speaks Italian, French, Spanish and English. They hope that one day even their children will be fluent in these respective languages. 

 

Natalie holds bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her professional experience incluses case management in a detox facility and account management in marketing and advertising. She found her true passion in medical communications in 2011. She still works as a freelancer in the industry, allowing for more time with her kids. She loves tennis, spinning, and volunteering at Southside Elementary.

Umberto holds a bachelor’s degree in digital media, as well as an MBA. He has worked with several successful tech startups, as well as larger cooperations in advertising and marketing technology. He is Co-Founder of an international data consulting and technology business headquartered in London. He loves playing sports and fishing in his free time. He is now mainly focused on racquet sports, including tennis and padel. He also enjoys occasional games of soccer and flag football.

 

Giovanni is 9 years old. He spent 2 years in London attending Montessori nursery and exploring Europe. He understands and speaks conversational Italian and Vlachika. “He’s active, funny, kind and has a thirst for knowledge”, Natalie said. “He loves soccer, tennis, chess, video games and skiing”. He also collects Pokemon cards and loves reading. A big fan of Harry Potter books, he is looking forward to a trip to Universal this year. He’s very creative, often writing his own books and coding video games. 

 

Valentina is 6. Like her brother, she spends summers in Italy, attending camp and learning Italian. She is a smart, caring kid with a great sense of humor and a big imagination. She goes above and beyond in all that she does, whether that means gymnastics, tennis, video games, or skiing. Her favorite book series is "Heartwood Hotel”. She learned to whistle at just 4 years old and has since perfected her talent and often whistles tunes. Quite the entertainer, she often comes up with her own songs, dance moves, and other creative ways to play. She has also started writing her own books, which she hopes to publish one day.

 

The Torriellis love outdoor activities like hanging out at the pool and beach, and taking out boats to watch the dolphins and manatees. They’re exploring all that Florida has to offer, but still seem to always find time for their next travel excursion. Skiing in the Alps and lounging under the Sardinian sun have been a couple of recent favorites. They enjoy doing everything as a family... except for shopping! Nobody wants to shop with Natalie anymore, so for now she has to check out the spots downtown on her own. They are big sports fans who root for Juventus (an Italian soccer team) and the New York Giants, for better or worse. 

 

They are proud to be a new part of this lovely community full of great, caring people, and look forward to finding more ways to contribute. The proximity to the Village, Siesta Key, St Armand’s, Downtown, and even the airport is is perfect for them- it all feels within reach.

 

Brush up on your languages and give a warm welcome to the Torrielli family when you spot them. We are so excited to have them and hope they end up right here in the neighborhood!