My family planted the seeds for my lifelong love of words at an early age. My nan would play word games with me, inevitably throwing in French words to challenge me.
And we traveled. By my teen years, my parents had taken us to three continents. In each new country, my sisters and I eagerly learned useful words and phrases.
Looking back, it's clear that language was the passion destined to drive my future. While my early dream of writing novels proved challenging on first attempt, I pursued my love of traveling and discovering other cultures by moving to Italy to teach English as a foreign language.
Italy became home for twelve years. During that time, I mastered the language, learned authentic Italian cooking, and even won a national karate championship. I also took on the role I'm most proud of—being a mum.
I began translating for local agencies, initially cycling to pick up printed texts, completing translations on a word processor at my kitchen table, and cycling back for delivery. It was in one of these local translation agencies where I first heard the word "Internet."
As my language skills advanced, I began providing interpreting services. During a months-long interpreting assignment at a power plant, I met the man who would become my husband and who would bring me and my daughter to the United States.
In the mid-2000s, I committed to perfecting my translation skills by enrolling at City, University of London. In 2006, I earned the Chartered Institute of Linguists Diploma in Translation.
Throughout my career as a freelance Italian-to-English translator, I've translated over two million words across multiple formats and fields of expertise. I've provided extensive editing and proofreading services and completed numerous US>UK localization projects. I've become proficient in CAT tools, especially SDL Trados.
I regularly travel to Italy to refresh my language skills, most recently in October 2024.
The flexibility of freelance work has allowed me to nurture my other wordsmithing passion—writing fiction. Beyond numerous short stories and poems, I've published two award-winning and award-nominated historical fiction novels featuring Italian characters and settings.
While AI-driven changes in the translation industry can seem daunting, I've never backed away from challenges. I recognize we must explore and embrace new tools, which is why I'm broadening my knowledge and studying to become a certified MT editor.
Technology has evolved tremendously throughout my career. What remains constant is my curiosity and love for language. I look forward to employing new communication facilitation methods and creating many more translated works and original stories.
