 D'Avino met his future wife, Helena Elfing of Finland in 1947, and in 1948, after an extended tour hitchhiking together across Italy, he followed her to India where she had accepted the position of tutor to the son of the newly posted French Ambassador to India.D'Avino had hoped to continue his art studies in India under the GI Bill, but was unable to find a suitable school.His time in India proved to be extremely educational, nonetheless.