‘We like to live in the moment’: Steve Smith’s wife on their new life in NYC

Dani Willis says she and husband Steve Smith are stronger than ever following their move to New York City as she prepares to watch the former Test captain take to the field on Boxing Day.

Dani Willis, wife of Australian cricket star Steve Smith, opens up on the couple’s move to New York City. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Australian cricket’s former first lady Dani Willis has opened up about starting a new life in New York away from the public spotlight.

Willis and husband, batting superstar and former captain Steve Smith, bought an apartment there two years ago and have created a second home base in the US away from Sydney.

“Steve and I have always loved New York and we first looked at buying a place over there in 2017,” Willis said.

“And then we weren’t in any hurry, we just wanted to buy the right place.

“It’s just the energy drew us to New York and then you have the added benefits of just being able to go about life.

Steve Smith and Dani Willis like to ‘live in the moment’. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“Australia is always home. When you touch down or come back you’ve had a whole life here, so Australia is always inherently home but New York is just our base now.”

Smith proposed to Willis, a lawyer, interior designer and pilates instructor, in the Big Apple and they wed in 2018 in New South Wales.

“It’s such an incredible atmosphere in New York, it’s the melting pot of so many different people all crammed into this tiny little island all crammed on top of one another,” Willis said.

“After you’ve been there for a while you get immune to the craziness of it and nothing really shocks you anymore.”

Willis said she couldn’t be more proud of Smith’s return to form in Brisbane. Picture: Brendan Beckett

After arriving in Melbourne ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Willis said she couldn’t be more proud of how Smith had returned to form with a century in Brisbane.

“I think you saw the determination on his face when he celebrated his 100,” she said.

“That shows you he still very much has a passion for playing for Australia and scoring hundreds. He’s always lived and breathed it.”

She added they never looked too far ahead.

“We always like to live in the moment and I think that’s really important because we’ve been doing this for a very long time now,” Willis said.

“You deal with the here and now or whatever the next tour is that you have coming up. You try not to look too far into the future, you try to take it day by day and tour by tour.

“If you’re worrying about some tour that is in six months’ time, how can you be fully present and give your best now? We’ve always just tried to do things in the moment.”

Willis, 33, said the couple have seven properties in their portfolio but have managed to spend much of this year together in New York.

She says they are stronger than ever as a couple after 13 years together, despite the odd rumour there may be trouble in paradise.

“You get used to it and immune somewhat because you read so many things,” she said.

“Our life has always been travelling so it doesn’t really faze us whether it’s a quiet year or busy year, you plan accordingly and that’s always been the thing with cricket.

“We’re creatures of habit so we go to the same places and since 2013 Christmas time is always Melbourne.”