How has it already been 4 months since I was traveling the countryside of Italy? As I return to daily life, I’m grateful for the little time I did have there to gain a newfound perspective on life. In my opinion, perspective is something that our society lacks desperately and because of this, I’d like to share five things my Italian heritage taught me while traveling the beautiful regions of Tuscany.
+ Community still exists
Community is what sets the quaint town of Siena apart from the bigger cities such as Rome and Florence. Within the borders of Siena, there are 12 districts and whichever district you are born into is the community you claim for life. As my tour guide (who was born & raised in Siena) and I roamed the streets of Siena, she explained that her district was celebrating the birth of a young girl, which could be identified by a pink ribbon placed on the Italian flag waving in the wind outside of the church within her district. This is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation within each community. Whether they’re celebrating the birth of a child or mourning the passing of a neighbor, the residents always know what’s happening within their own community.
This got me thinking… community is something that’s been missing from my life for a long while now. Of course, I have my family and friends. However, it’s rare to come across neighborly communities that know each other well, let alone a community that supports one another through life’s twists and turns. So, I made myself a promise to take the extra step to get to know the residents in my neighborhood … and not just play with their adorable pups.
+ Creativity isn’t dead
While I’ve always had an appreciation for business strategy, creativity has been my passion for many years. Like many people who enter the workforce, I’ve witnessed the creativity drain from my body. It’s nobody’s fault… it’s simply something that occurs when you put energy into other projects (that pay for your mortgage), but for years I’ve resented this reasoning. I was frustrated, but positive that there was a way to reignite my creative spark without draining energy from my work, and I was right.
Perhaps all I needed was a little travel to reignite that spark, but I could feel the blood rushing through my veins as I began to write along the train ride from Como to Siena… and I’m not talking about blogging. I mean, true, raw, creative writing, like the projects I produced in high school and college. I’m determined to keep that spark lit, and who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to share that creativity with you.
+ Fresh is always best
The majority of us know that the United States has a big problem surrounding a lack of fresh foods and an overload of preservatives. I’m sure you’ll hear this from anyone traveling through Italy, but I have to say it anyways… the food is so fresh. I ate pizza and pasta on a regular basis, something I rarely do at home due to Crohn’s disease, but between the quality of their ingredients and their healthier lifestyle choices (such as commuting via foot traffic) I still lost 2 lbs. in 10 days.
I’m already pretty freakishly healthy (unless it involves chocolate), but experiencing this quality of food inspired me to take my health habits an extra step further. Yes, I still incorporate a large portion of fruits and veggies into my diet, but I’m making weekly visits to the local farmer’s markets to bring home high quality farm-to-table food. Any Bay Area readers? If so, let me know where your favorite farmer’s markets are at!
+ Take time to live your life
Americans are always in a rush. We wake up, get an early AM workout in, punch the clock, eat lunch if we’re lucky, and punch out after 8+ hours of work. Many of us go home exhausted and surf Netflix or Hulu for the remainder of the night before starting this vicious cycle all over again. Well, there’s more to life than work and binging on food and TV shows.
Don’t get me wrong… watching The Bachelor on Hulu is still my guilty pleasure, but instead of sitting after nearly 8 hours of desk work, I’m making plans after work. Sometimes it’s as simple as going for a walk after dinner with my love, getting down with some creative writing, utilizing the hot tub, or meeting up with friends in town to catch up. However small it may be, I want to make my time count… I want to live a life of beauty and balance.
+ Roots are important
The biggest lesson I’ve learned throughout all of this? Roots are still important. Our roots tell the stories of generations that came before us. Honestly, I think we still have a lot to learn from our ancestors. In my case, the Italians are still living life to the fullest and that’s the most valuable lesson I’ve brought home with me from my travels.
