When I visited my cousins in Italy last month I learned an interesting fact that–I believe–speaks highly of their culture. There are few, if any, professional organizers in their country. In fact, there is not really even a translation for the term.
I have many cousins there and each time another cousin asked me what I do for work, it took some time to explain the concept. It’s a very foreign (pun intended) idea for them as the need is not present. They live in smaller spaces and they simply have less stuff.
This is not to say there is not hoarding in Italy. I’m sure it exists there as it does in every culture…true hoarding is not a stuff problem but a spiritual problem. But, from what I can tell, there is not an “excess” problem there as there is here in America.
It is partly due to our American penchant for excess that I have a job…it’s partly this excess which has inspired an entire professional organizing industry to grow up over the last 30 years.
Still Italy was a freeing place to be…generally free of “stuff overload.” Though I’m not sure what I’m going to do for work if I ever move there! Professional food writer???? 
