About the founders

Meet Joe & Rhonda – Your Hosts with Heart, Humor, and Hiking Boots

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Together for nearly 40 years and married since 1988, Joe and Rhonda are the kind of couple who turn life's detours into adventures. From raising two creative sons to renovating a historic Italian villa (mostly with Joe’s own two hands), they’ve built a life full of purpose, play, and passion.
 

They moved to Europe in 2001 with Rhonda’s career in a Fortune 50 company and quickly made it home. Over the past two decades, they’ve lived in Germany (5 years), Italy (15 years), and since 2021, Switzerland. Both Joe and Rhonda hold dual citizenship—American and Italian—and bring a global perspective to everything they do. 

Their sons took to European life in their own unique ways:
Avalon graduated from university in Germany, but decided his brilliant sense of humor deserved a more appreciative audience—so he headed back to Portland, Oregon, where he’s now a Digital Art Director.
Zaven stayed closer, graduating from university in Milan and now lending his artistic talent to Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants as a storyboard artist, splitting his time between Milan and Berlin.

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Joe has been an international school educator for over two decades, shaping young minds in Germany, Italy, and now Switzerland. He holds a doctorate in Transformational Leadership and was the driving force behind most of the Villa’s renovations—except, of course, the bits that physically required a second human.

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Rhonda has spent over 30 years in the corporate world and still loves what she does—developing the next generation of top talent and leadership at a global scale. When she’s not in a zoom meeting or on a plane or on a mountain trail, you’ll find her dreaming up the next retreat, adventure, or workshop.

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Together, they’re a powerhouse of warmth and wisdom—with a deep love for animals. Rhonda’s so devoted she’s plant-based; Joe remains a cheerful carnivore. Their rescue crew includes three quirky cats (Babaloo, Figalily, and Fribble) and Lula, a sweet Golden Lab saved from an overbreeding situation who now lives her best life lounging in the Italian sun or running along Lake Luzern promenade.

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When not busy with their day jobs or always improving the Villa, Joe and Rhonda can be found trekking the Alps, seeking new views, good cheese (for Joe), and moments of awe.

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They split their time between Switzerland and Italy—but their hearts are always at the Villa, welcoming kindred spirits like you.