As a student at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, Kristin Maekawa took Italian to fulfill her foreign language requirement. She went twice to Italy through the study-abroad program, taught an adult education class and fell in love with the country.

That would be a harbinger of things to come.

After she graduated three years ago, without any job offers or place to stay, Maekawa got on a plane and left the only place she had ever lived for Florence, Italy.

"I was so anxious to get out of Hawai'i, I didn't think things through," said Maekawa, 25, who grew up in Wai'alae Nui Valley. "I just couldn't wait to leave."

At first she intended to teach English in Florence, but quickly realized there were a lot of Americans there for that same reason. It took her six months to find a job, working in a boutique that sells cashmere sweaters.

Then Valter Claudi walked into her life — or at least past the shop.

For months, Maekawa only saw him striding by. He would look in and smile, but that's it.

Then people who worked in the area told Maekawa about a man with light green eyes who was interested in her. Even her boss knew the rumor. But Maekawa didn't know who they were talking about.

One night in April 2004, as she was closing up the shop, Maekawa saw the man walk by again. This time she looked at his eyes. Light green.

"A-ha!" Maekawa said to herself. "Mystery solved!"

Eventually Claudi, a 35-year-old woodworker from Florence, got up the courage to ask her out for coffee.

From that date, the two saw each other every day. By August, Claudi had visited her family in Hawai'i. By September, they were living together in a two-bedroom apartment in Florence.

"Things went pretty fast for us," Maekawa said. "I don't think we expected it to go that fast, but everything just felt right."

Maekawa never expected to find a husband in Florence; in fact, she didn't expect to be there for so long.

But meeting Claudi changed her plans a bit.

"He is the best," Maekawa said. "He's very genuine and can put anyone at ease. We share the same values, but at the same time, he's my opposite. I'm the fiery, emotional one who gets worked up easily, and he's the level-headed one who keeps me grounded."

And for Claudi, Maekawa was an unexpected surprise, too.

"She's small on the outside, but big as the Pacific Ocean inside," Claudi said. "She's my battery. I didn't know what life was about before I met her. She's a big gift from God and I hope I'm able to be worthy of her for the rest of my life."

It didn't take very long for Claudi to know he was going to marry Maekawa.

Last February, Maekawa awoke to find him at her bedside. Ring in hand, he quietly proposed. She, of course, agreed.

"It really wasn't romantic," Maekawa said, laughing. "He didn't get down on his knees or anything. It wasn't a fairy tale."

Since Maekawa isn't Catholic, they couldn't have their legal ceremony done in the church. So they were legally wed on May 19 at the Plazzo Vecchio, and had their church ceremony on July 3 at St. James Church in Florence. About 40 of Claudi's relatives and Maekawa's parents and cousins attended.

Then on July 29, the couple held another ceremony, this time at the Hale Koa Hotel among about 200 guests. Claudi's immediate family flew here to take part. (Claudi's parents had only left Italy once — to Spain for their honeymoon — before flying to Hawai'i.)

Though they come from different countries and cultures, they find that those differences haven't caused any problems with their relationship. If anything, they've made it unique.

"I keep thinking there should be obstacles. I'm an American, he's Italian," Maekawa said. "But honestly, there really are none."

The only conflict they have right now is deciding where to live.

Maekawa is thousands of miles away from her family. But if they move to Hawai'i, Claudi will be just as far away from his.

Right now he's in the process of getting a U.S. immigration visa. They hope to move back to Hawai'i this year.

But for now, they go to work together on the back of his motorcycle every day, take naps together on their siestas, and drive through the countryside on Sundays.

La vita E bella. (Life is good.)

"The best parts of being married are always having someone around," Maekawa said, "waking up to your spouse every morning and being able to spend time together doing absolutely nothing."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.