07/15/2026
( From Michael )
As we get ready for our 20th anniversary celebration tomorrow, I know our villa is going to be full of people... a lot of them... but right now, it's just us, and I find myself thinking back on these 20 years.
It was wild running into Ian and Noelene the other day. Who, you may ask? Well, there are a few people I credit with planting the seeds that became CDV. Ian, Noelene, Ami, Jac, Hilary and Jessica. Ian and Noelene are an Australian couple who bought an apartment in Soriano way back when. They rented it out to fellow Aussies, and it got us thinking... why not buy a few apartments ourselves? So we did. Then one day Ami and Jac called. They wanted to rent one. And Ami asked if they could do cooking classes there. I said yes right away, having no idea why anyone would want a cooking class in Italy! But I hung up the phone and told Paola someone wanted cooking classes... and she called Carla. More and more people asked for it, and one day I thought, why not put it all together? A week. Apartment, cooking classes, excursions. The excursions would just be visiting friends. Hilary and Jessica were the first. Wow. What a ride.
I was so sorry to learn Ian and Noelene couldn't be here for the party, they're heading home. And how amazing would it be to have Ami and Jac, Hilary and Jessica here too!
That got me thinking back on these 20 years. It has not all been smooth, not by any stretch. From time to time there's a guest we wanted to vote off the island, and not everyone who's been part of our team really grasped what this is all about. Many of you have seen faces here that aren't part of the team anymore... some just circumstances of life, some for other reasons. So many of our guests have added so much to our life stories. So much of their hearts have become part of ours, and so many have become dear friends. But we've also lost some. You know, when you open your heart to that many people, they become part of your heart. And with the number of people we've had the blessing to be with, some will pass away. That's always a deeply sad moment for us. That part doesn't get easier.
If I look back 20 years, it was all me and Paola. It was never supposed to become a company. It was a hobby. Something on the side. And as it grew, there was a point where it became overwhelming, all-consuming. It affected our relationship with each other, and Paola and I had to step back for a while and focus on ourselves. But when we came back... we came back new. And we structured things so it wasn't so squarely on our shoulders anymore.
We let in partners... and even that wasn't as smooth a ride as we'd hoped. But today, getting ready for the 20 year bash, we have two amazing partners in CDV.
Daniele, who's been a friend... a little brother... and honestly? The backbone of CDV since that period when Paola and I had to step back. There's no way we'd be where we are without him. It only makes sense that he's an equal partner in CDV now.
Marta... Well, Daniele and Paola bring the "grounding" to CDV, the serious part, and I was the "is Michael insane?" part. Marta balances that out by being about as crazy as I am! Seriously though, she started out as a "vendor," but honestly, she was part of this family from day one. So when we folded our companies together last year, everything just made sense and fell into place.
Sitting here thinking about the four of us as a management team... it's like it was made in heaven. Each of us is strong exactly where the others aren't.
And then there's the people who run parts of the company with us. Maggie, who was an intern what feels like 10 minutes ago, has become part of leadership here... trying to imagine CDV without Maggie? Impossible. Most of you know her from the emails, but she's in charge of so much over here it would blow your mind. Chiara... again, beyond amazing. She's in Ops with Daniele, so not much crossover with me, but she's another Daniele. The improvements she's been making lately have absolutely blown my mind. I mean, wow! Sam... the only person in the world who's ever been able to hold my attention talking about accounting. Mislav, who handles all of our content, has grown so much in recent years it blows my mind. And Carla, Katia, Inês, Teresa, Claudia, Alessandro, Clementina, Rosaria, Marika, Camilla, Nadia... and... and... and... Could we have a better team? A better family?
An extra special shoutout to Carla. My sister-in-law... well, may as well take off the "in-law" part after all these years! She did that first cooking class in Soriano, and is still doing them... but beyond that SO MUCH MORE!!! And this huge party, well.. she is the workhorse behind it!!!!
There are so many people I haven't mentioned. I could sit here and write 100 pages on everyone. All amazing.
And sure, there are some names you don't hear about anymore. Again, if only I could write about everyone. But also... sometimes family members grow apart.
If I look at who we are right now, this moment in time... I can't think of a single thing I'd change.
Tomorrow you'll start seeing photos and videos as we celebrate this amazing time together.
A gigantic thank you to EVERYONE!!!
