Debra Coltune moves from Las Vegas to Sardinia for healthier life

Debra Coltune left the stroboscopic lights of Las Vegas and relocated to the island of San Pietro in the small town of Carloforte, Sardinia, home to about 5,000 residents. She sought a calmer environment and safer schools for her two children, aged 10 and 14, and announced her plans on social media on 12 March 2024.

The move has been portrayed abroad as an example of the "slow life" of southern Italy. In reality, Coltune now lives in a villa costing €2,500 per month, far above the €800‑month budget she initially aimed for, and works as an event organiser for the annual tuna festival and as a consultant for local restaurateurs. She has encountered difficulties with Italian bureaucracy, saying, “I choose calm, but I have problems with the bureaucracy.” She described the contrast, “Las Vegas was a trip of stroboscopic lights, endless energy, and a frenetic pace. Sardinia is serene.”