“Trying is always enough.” ~Patricia Briggs Dear Universe, Leaving Italy was sad, but knowing I was heading to London—a home away from home—made me excited. The thing I was looking forward to most on this last leg of the trip was sharing the experience with my friend, who had never been to London. It would be up to me to …
Arrivederci, Almalfi
arrivederci: until we see each other again “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” ~Anita Desai Dear Universe, There are certain places in the world you will never forget no matter how much time passes or how far you go. For me, the Almalfi Coast is one of these places. Beautiful doesn’t even begin to cover it. …
Roman Holiday
“Intention is one of the most powerful forces there is. What you mean when you do a thing will always determine the outcome.” ~Brenna Yobvanoff Dear Universe, When planning our trip to Italy, my friend and I knew that Rome would be a must-see stop. A city filled with history, beauty, religion, culture and food, I couldn’t wait to …
Buon Giorno
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt Dear Universe, For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to travel to Italy. I often joke that I must have been Italian in a past life with my proclivity …
Island Exploration
“Come without a map. Explore… and draw your own map.” ~Stephen King Dear Universe, On Sunday I had the chance to do a little island exploring. Into the car I went with two fellow writers, each of us bringing cameras and an open mind. As we drove through the windy roads we took in the beautiful Vineyard landscapes—lush green fields, …
Near or Far: Go, See and Do
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ~Terry Pratchett Dear Universe, It’s been a couple of busy weeks. It …
Acorns, Apples and Us
Dear Universe, We’ve all heard it before. It’s all about enjoying the journey, not worrying about the destination. Easier said than done. In life it’s natural to worry about the destination, rather than enjoy every moment along the way. It’s natural to stress over decisions, problems and what’s to come. How can we enjoy the journey when we’re not sure …
Arrival Part Two
“There are seasons when to be still demands immeasurably higher strength than to act.” ~Margaret Bottome Dear Universe, When I arrived in London over a month ago, I had a strange moment. As I was going through customs, the gentleman had a few questions for me. This was to be expected of course. He asked the usual like why was …