(CNN) — After decades of building businesses, designing buildings and traveling, Edward Krueger Connors Jr. reached an unexpected conclusion in his early 80s: staying put no longer made sense.
“I was bored of America,” Connors tells CNN Travel.
In January 2026, just weeks before his 81st birthday, the Vietnam War hero, architect and former gym owner relocated alone to southern Italy, leasing an apartment in Lecce, a baroque city in the Puglia region that he now calls his “perfect Goldilocks city.”
Connors’ decision was driven by a growing sense of restlessness. Retirement didn’t suit him, and he says the pace and direction of life in the United States no longer felt right. After selling his home in Venice Beach, he set out on a two-month journey through Europe, searching for a place that matched the way he wanted to live now.
The move also revived a long-deferred dream.
Back on September 13, 2001, Connors had been scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Rome to buy a 12th-century medieval castle near Orvieto — a classic Italian hill town in the Umbria region — complete with 10 acres of vineyards. Like all international flights that week, his was canceled following the September 11 attacks.
Having served in the military, Connors believed the United States was at war and decided it was no time to leave. He invoked the force majeure clause in his contract and terminated the purchase agreement. He has since returned to Orvieto several times and says he would have completed the deal had he made that trip.
“September 11, 2001, changed my life,” says Connors, who grew up in Nebraska. “That was a life-changing event for me. I’ve always admired Italy’s beauty and lifestyle, so once again I’m exploring the dream I had 25 years ago of living in Italy.”
This time, the dream looks different.
Not afraid to die
Connors, who has never married and has no children, says he no longer wants the responsibility of owning a large property or making long-term commitments. Instead, he opted for a six-month lease near Lecce’s historic center, choosing flexibility over permanence.
He says the prospect of death does not scare him. He stays active, walks at least 10,000 steps a day and closely monitors his health.
“I’ve had a full life and am not worried about dying alone,” he says. “I had triple bypass open heart surgery in 2008 and was ready to die then, so I feel like I have a second life now. I have not spent time in the hospital since then. My father had the same surgery at the same age and lived until he was 96, so I have genetics going for me, which is huge.”
After a busy career, slowing down proved difficult. In 1980, Connors opened the first franchised Gold’s Gym in the United States, eventually helping grow the brand to 704 locations worldwide before exiting in 2004. He also worked as an architect, designing dozens of buildings and landmark structures in California.
But by age 80, he says boredom had set in, compounded by discomfort with changes he saw around him.
“I realize I was part of the ‘franchise world,’ but the ugliness of suburban America with all the food franchises is something that depresses me and I wanted to leave behind for a while.”
Lecce was not an obvious choice. Connors chose the city without visiting first, acting on the suggestion of a friend. After leaving the United States, he spent two months traveling through Europe, considering options in the Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom and Portugal — the destination that was initially top of his list.
“Though Lisbon had been my first choice, the hilly landscape and the lack of public transportation throughout Portugal, unlike the Italian train service, made me feel I would be ‘trapped’ in one city and unable to explore the rest of Europe easily,” he says.
Climate was also a deciding factor.
“I worry about falling at my age, and snow and ice are my enemies. Only three areas in the world have weather like L.A., and one of them is the Mediterranean coast.”
Taking a chance
Southern Italy ultimately checked the most boxes. Lecce’s flat landscape, rail connections and proximity to Brindisi airport appealed to him, as did the weather.
“Much of the vegetation is similar to Southern California, so the area seemed even more familiar,” he says.
He now rents a furnished one-bedroom apartment with a balcony for $1,100 a month, including utilities and Wi-Fi. A former neighbor from California — now an American expat and real estate broker in Lecce — helped him find it.
Connors says a comparable apartment in Los Angeles would cost $3,000 a month, $4,500 in San Francisco and $3,500 in New York City.
Lecce, often called the “Florence of the South,” suits his daily rhythm. He spends his mornings writing and his afternoons walking, reflecting and exploring.
Those writing hours are devoted to projects drawn from his life experiences. He’s previously published a memoir, “The Three Muscleteers,” in which he reflects on his recipe for success.
“I write that life is half about fate — luck — and half what you do with it, execution,” he says.
He eats out several times a week and says arriving early at restaurants — before Italians typically dine — has helped him meet other Americans.
‘I live for the moment’
He describes the city as neither too big nor too small, a contrast to recent visits to London, Lisbon, Rome and Paris, which confirmed for him that large cities no longer appeal.
“I get bored easily, and at my age, I can’t see committing to living somewhere for a long time unless I were to buy something in Lecce with friends. I’ve had a dozen homes in my lifetime and know they can be a lot of work, not something I want to be bothered with at age 80.”
If he were to buy property, Connors says he would take his time and research carefully.
“And this is Italy, where, according to one of the Italians I spoke with … ‘everything is broken, and it’s impossible to get anything fixed!’”
Owning another home, he says, no longer holds much appeal.
“I’ve had nice homes, nice furniture, nice cars. All that stuff has lost interest for me. I’ve been there, done that. When people ask, ‘Ed, where do you live?’ I point to my suitcase and briefcase. I guess I’m like a millennial, I live for the moment, for experiences.”
Connors has traveled to Europe nearly every year for the past 62 years, beginning with a one-month trip at age 18. While based in Lecce, he plans to visit parts of Europe he has not yet seen or wants to return to, including Naples, western Italy, Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands.
“Taking a trip to Marrakesh, Malta or Athens from Italy also interests me. A Mediterranean cruise is one of the few things on my bucket list I haven’t done.”
For now, he says, Lecce is home — but only for as long as it feels right.
“Unless I buy something in Lecce with one of my friends, I don’t think I will live here forever, but who knows, just taking it a day at a time.”
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