A Cuban emigrant known on social media as Day (@dayporitalia) became a trending topic this week after posting a video on TikTok in which she responds to those who ask her what she does all day living in a village with only 50 inhabitants in the Italian Alps.
The clip, lasting less than a minute, amassed over 111,700 views, 13,900 "likes," and more than a thousand comments in just a few days, sparking a broad debate about rural life versus urban pace.
Day, whose full name is Dayami Rivera Menocal, dismantles from the very first second the idea that living in such a small place equates to a permanent vacation: "I live in a village of 50 people and no, I'm not bored; I don't spend the whole day sleeping. Many people think this is what being on vacation is like: mountains, silence, clean air. But it's not."
Far from the rest that many imagine, the Cuban describes a day filled with tasks: picking fruit from the trees, making compotes, caring for animals, working in the garden, planting vegetables, and walking to get to almost any place.
"The difference is that here the day doesn't rush by, I don't have a thousand distractions, I don't need a shopping mall to feel like I've accomplished something," he explains in the video.
What stands out most about her life in that alpine corner is the unhurried pace and direct contact with nature. "Sometimes the plan is to eat something that came from the earth, drink water from the spring, and end the day tired but at peace," she describes.
Day acknowledges that this lifestyle isn't for everyone, but she champions it as a form of wellbeing that she values: "I don't know if this is for everyone. For me, living with less noise is also a luxury."
The town where he resides experiences a striking seasonal variation: during the low season, it has barely 50 inhabitants, but in the high season, it can reach up to 2,000 people.
The creator has been documenting her experience as a Cuban emigrant in Italy through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where she blends reflections on migration, identity, and the contrast between rural tranquility and the isolation that often accompanies that lifestyle.
Her story is not unique. A Cuban immigrant managed to buy a house for one euro in Italy as part of the repopulation programs for depopulated municipalities that the Italian government has been promoting for years.
Other Cuban women have shared their experiences about the challenges and rewards of life in that country, from the difficulties of adapting to the aspects they value most about their new reality.
Day closed the video with a direct question to his followers that sums up the debate he sparked: "Could you live a week in a town like this?"
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