About

I'm Kat, a teacher, a traveler, and the person behind Wavehappy.

For most of my adult life, home has moved often. My husband's career meant our address was usually determined by someone else's path. While that life brought many adventures, it also quietly planted a question in me. What would it look like to build something that felt truly our own?

That question eventually led us to Sicily.

In 2024, we bought a small apartment in Ortigia, the historic island at the heart of Siracusa. We named it Lula Mare. I renovated the apartment entirely from afar, choosing every tile, light fixture, and paint color from thousands of miles away, trusting a vision I could only partially see.

It will open as a vacation rental in 2026.

Not long after, something even bigger appeared. Sixteen acres of olive trees outside the town of Noto. The orchard sits on a quiet hillside with sea views and a clear line of sight to Mount Etna. When we first stood there, surrounded by trees that had been growing long before us, it felt impossible and inevitable at the same time.

Wavehappy began as a way to document the renovation. I started sharing small moments on TikTok. Tiles being chosen, walls being opened, the slow transformation of an old Sicilian apartment.

What surprised me was that people connected with something deeper.

Not just the renovation, but the feeling of watching someone slowly build a life that looks more like the one she imagined.

Today, Wavehappy is a place where I share Sicily through that lens. The homes, the landscapes, and the details most people walk past. The light on stone buildings. The rhythm of daily life. The quiet beauty of places that reveal themselves slowly.

This site gathers all of that in one place. The stories, the guides, the behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections from a life that is still very much under construction.