Hello World!

My summer long trip in Italia has finally begun! Wow, so much work to get here and I am so happy to say that it is MORE than worth it! Last August Andrea brought me to Cinque Terre. From the moment I stepped foot in Cinque Terre last August I knew in my heart I would return.  And now here I am, 10 months later, so happy to be here.

Since I ended my trip last summer in Cinque Terre, it seemed fitting to start my trip here this summer. These five little towns provided the perfect beginning to the summer.  Returning to Cinque Terre 10 months later with the person I originally came with was like a deja vu of the heart. So many memories came rushing back from the previous summer.  As my mind tried to make sense of the heartache that has come between last summer and this summer, I contemplated how I arrived at this moment.  A place that is so full of happiness.

As we were sitting on a ledge overlooking the sea, my side my mind settled upon this thought, “The most precious moments in life come when we see the world with an open heart and an open mind. It is only when we approach life with openness that we are able to feel a semblance of the beauty in the world, the vastness of the planet we inhabit. When these precious moments of clarity are experienced with a person you love is when you begin to feel a sort of connectedness with the world surrounding you.  This is when you come alive.”

The fifth town in Cinque Terre, “The five towns”.

For me, this summer is a time to experience the unknown; To learn about a culture that is different from my own; To explore my mind and values. So, cheers to an openness that can lead me anywhere!