Little did I know when I met this quite man on a Sunday afternoon (pomeriggio) how diverse, fascinating & talented he was because his demeanor was reserved and shy. All I knew was that David was my friends’ cousin and he owned a bookstore (libreria).  My birthday came a few weeks after we met and my girlfriend gave me a great gift. She was taking me to see, “Mamma Mia” the play. Low & behold the Director was her cousin, the bookstore owner. Now I knew there was much more than a quiet, shy (timido) man in David because I have done live theater in the past and directing a play is no easy feat & he had a much more passionate personality!

It was a Sunday evening (sera) in March & off we went to Santa Croce to see “Mamma Mia”! I was so excited as this would be my 4th time seeing this play live! I had seen “Mamma Mia” previously in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento & NOW Santa Croce, Italy! All the actors (attori) performing that evening had full-time day jobs and act because it is their passion.

The play was in Italian but the songs in English. So for me, it was perfect (perfetto). I could follow the play & understand some of the dialogue and of course ALL of the songs!

Now, for the BIG surprise, not only was David the director but he was also acting in the play. At this point I knew I had to write about this experience and him.

I asked David a few questions and he was open & honest with me to the point that it was heartwarming & inspiring. Italians seem to have this way of being honest with their emotions and not having a problem sharing them.

David has been doing “Live Theater” since 1999 when he directed his 1st musical “Aggiungi un posto a tavola” which is a famous Italian musical.

I saw a trend here with musicals but was tickled to learn that his next (prossimo) production will be a Neil Simon play “The Odd Couple”. He wastes no time in between productions as “Mamma Mia” just ended and he will start script reading for “The Odd Couple” in July (Luglio) & it will be staged in December (Dicembre). Can you say … The Show MUST Go ON! … It does in Italy!

In order to keep up the pace of such a heavy production load a person MUST have incredible motivation (motivazione). When I asked David what motivated him. He responded by telling me that was a hard question. Yet his reply was so warm & dear that I believe, that it was only hard because he was looking inside himself and revealing that inner side. David shared with me that he always loved the theater (teatro), but he thought he was too shy to go on stage. However, when he was presented with the opportunity to stage a show with some friends (amici) he realized his dream could be his reality. He discovered that he was “home” when he was on stage & when the lights go on it dazzles him & gives him a feeling that nothing else can. When he said this, I could only think IF we could ALL have this feeling doing SOMETHING in LIFE, how much better would the world be?

If this wasn’t enough to take my breath (respiro) away of someone LIVING their SOMEDAY today, living in the present & capturing life, I don’t know what is? But he surprised me with MORE! His theater company is called  “Comagnia Noi per Voi” and they donate the money of the productions to “Noi per Voi” a parent’s association of children admitted into the oncology ward of Meyer’s Children’s Hospital in Florence, Italy. A true testament of when you give, you get back ten fold.

I couldn’t stop without asking about the bookstore and David shared with me that this was another dream come true for him. Whenhe was a child he always wanted to be a writer (scrittore) & that he loved reading so much that he filled his home with books. Now he is finally doing a job that he loves. He lives all day in the midst of books (libri). A childhood dream come true. His bookstore, Liberia Martin Eden, is also the only one in a radius of ten kilometers and is a great service to the people who live in the Lower Valdarno area of Fucecchio, Italy.

Life is enriched by every experience. If you have a childhood dream (sogno) go after it. TODAY is the day you could possibly achieve it. David is a great example of living childhood dreams! Live your dreams, as someday is TODAY!

Walking in Italy always inspires me. Maybe because when I walk I absorb all that is around me & plug your eyes for this one … I go into complete “mental masturbation”. Yes this is MY TERM for what I do when I go into my own mind (mente) & play with my thoughts about LIFE! Sounds naughty but I like it. What can I say?!?!

I have not written because I have been thinking maybe I should change my blog to be more of a “fact based” Italian blog about what happened in Rome (Roma) in ancient (antico) time, Tuscan events, etc. Like most things in life, I sat on this thought & just opened myself up & decided to let the answer (risposta) come to me. And it did loud & clear! In the last week, I have had several people email me & tell me face to face (faccia a faccia) that the blog & my writing is emotional & that reading the intimate side, exact quotes,” When you wrote kicking off his red converse tennis shoes, I was there with you. On the boat with you”.  “When you shared your 25 things, I wrote, 25 of my own but I could never share it”. I am realizing my writing is inspiring (ispirando) at least some to live more for TODAY!

My website is ALL about Italy & how this beautiful country and Europe inspires and allows you to have some personal slowness so that you can live in your own skin (pelle), see more & do more. There is an AMAZING life in each of us it just needs to be LIVED!

This morning before school LuccaBella & I were talking with Raymond on skype. We were talking about the importance of relationships (relazioni). TODAY, I know I can’t make everyone happy (felice) as I used to try to but I can be committed to making something better & looking at the world in a beautiful light. The beauty of Italy helps to make this easier for me and helps me not to get caught up in the wasteful use of time with anger, self-pity & negative feelings.

Perhaps, illness was the greatest gift ever given to me because now I don’t dwell on the past, hold grudges as LIFE is WAY TOO SHORT, I fight for LOVE & try to bask in it and soak up every moment available (disponibili), I am trying not to feel guilty for not making everyone happy 24/7 & Most of all if I’m a dork some days but happy living my Someday in Italy … So be it!

LIVE your EXTRA-EXTRORDINARY Life to its FULLEST. Take your CHANCES TODAY! Book your Flight, Hit send on that email, Say your sorry, LOVE Harder than you thought you could, who cares what you look like when you dance as long as you FEEL the music in your SOUL … DO it ALL!

Someday is TODAY & YOU affect someone (including YOU)!

Photo by: Francesca Volpi, taken in Livorno, Italia

This is dedicated to Karen Docter Crivelli & to the late Elizabeth Taylor because without the two of them & of course Italy this post would have never been written.

These 25 are about me & here to the people who emailed me & asked, I don't think they are too exciting but I hope you enjoy! This definitely hits #15!

1. I have moved 22 times in my life & I am sure I am not done yet.
2. I have worn the same perfume for Dolce & Gabana “original” for maybe 20 years. I call it my signature fragrance & I still get compliments on it today.
3. Everyday I fight pain & fear but someway I believe that love will prevail.
4. Every time I fly & say at least 3 “Hail Mary’s” at each take-off & landing.
5. My 1st kiss & was at sweet 16.
6. The greatest accomplishment in my life is being a Mom & it’s something I will never be perfect at.
7. I love drinking glass of wine while I take a bath … a guilty pleasure.
8. I dream of writing a book one day.
9. In grammar school I was in a recital playing the flute & I only pretended to play    & nobody even noticed.
10. If I rewrite this list at 80, I am sure some items will change BUT some will never, this I KNOW for sure!
11. Illness woke me up & made me see the world in Technicolor.
12. Deep intimacy is the greatest gift given to me.
13. My 1st dog was named Cane … That means “dog” in Italian.
14. My blog gave me connections to relationships that are gifts beyond words!
15. Being vulnerable is the hardest thing for me to be but the most rewarding when I FINALLY let myself.
16. I don’t do well alone.
17. Asking for help is almost impossible for me.
18. I watch my daughter sleep at night.
19. My favorite movie is “The Wizard of Oz” because we already have everything we need inside of us … we just have to find it.
20. Everyday, I dream of designing something or inventing something new.
21. I’m a terrible housekeeper but I try. However today I ask … WHY?
22. I like not having a typical life. I believe the typical life would kill me.
23. I laugh everyday at something but also because laughter is a healer!
24. I like drinking champagne out of the bottle!
25. I believe God & The Universe are HERE & NOW and available ALWAYS, you just have to be open to hear the message, whatever that message might be!

These 25 are about Italy, definitely ... fascinating!

1. In ancient Rome, when a man testified in court he would swear on his testicles.
2. The typewriter, eyeglasses & the ice cream cone are all Italian inventions. 3. Italy has more hotel rooms than any other nation in Europe.
4. Italy is slightly larger than Arizona.
5. The longest river in Italy is the Po.
6. The average Italian consumes half a pound of bread a day.
7. St. Francis of Assisi and Saint Caterina of Siena are the patron saints of Italy.
8. Italy has over 3,000 museums.
9. In Lucca, it’s illegal to feed the pigeons in the city center.
10. Lucca, law forbids the opening of kebab shops in the historic center.
11. In Eboli, lovers can be fined as much as €500 for having sex in their cars.
12. A man can be arrested if he’s wearing a skirt.
13. In Milan, a city law requires locals to constantly be smiling or risk being fined. (The exception is at funerals or in hospitals).
14. In Rome, groups of three people or more are not allowed to sing, drink, dance, or eat in the streets of the city, unless they want to face a €500 fine.
15. In Rome, it’s illegal to eat or drink anywhere outdoors in the historic center.
16. There are two independent states within Italy: the Republic of San Marino (62.1 square meters) and the Vatican City (108.7 acres).
17. Italy is currently the world’s seventh largest economy.
18. In northern Italy, last names tend to end in “i” (i.e. Giovannoni), while those from the south often end in “o.” The most common Italian surname is Russo.
19. Influenced by the French flag, the Italian flag has evolved over several hundred years. The flag is vertically divided into three equal sections of green, white, and red, representing hope, faith, and charity. Another interpretation: green represents the Italian landscape, white represents the snow-capped Alps, & red represents the bloodshed that brought independence to Italy.
20. The medium life expectancy for an Italian is 79.54 years.
21. The average persons consumption of pasta in Italy is 25 kg per year.
22. Some police in Lazio (Rome's province) drive a Lamborghini’s.
23. Opera is an Italian creation.
24. Enrico Fermi, inventor of the nuclear reactor, was an Italian.
25.The average Italian consumes 26 gallons of wine a year.

The last Italian mini fact, might be my favorite of all … ;), so it’s wine or grape juice, whatever your poison. Tip your glass, make a toast & Remember TODAY is your Someday & we all have 25 things or MORE that someone doesn’t know that maybe IF they did it could change how they look at you for the better & the kinder!

Live TODAY on purpose!

Someone (qualcuno) said to me, this blog is all about you but NO, this couldn’t be more wrong. IF you have read or seen ANY of the news this past week you will quickly see that TOMORROW is not guaranteed to ANY of us! In a split moment it could all be finished (finito)!

I have dreams, deep desires (profondi desideri) that run through my veins and when I breath I believe that Someday is TODAY and that is why I write about my move here to Italy and hopefully share a viewpoint of the world that maybe you have not looked at TODAY.

This week I complained about my car being booted because I drove (guido) in an area of my city that is restricted & when I came out of my appointment … Car BOOTED & a ticket! 69 euro later FREE again! However, 3/4 of my day I was in a frenzy. Calling & texting (sms) people who could help me. I don’t like to ask for help. I ended up crying (piangente) … DRAMA!

STOP … BIG Picture!!!
-  Am I safe? YES!
-  Do I have LOVE? And Do I LOVE back? YES!
-  Are their people who have touched me SO deeply, they are with me     Forever? YES!
-  Can I do ANYTHING, I put my Mind to? YES!
-  Am I a good friend? YES!
-  At the end of the day, is this what is important? YES!

Destiny or Fate you may say is interesting. What brings us all together or changes our lives each day.  God Bless Japan & Someday is TODAY! LOVE HARD EVERYDAY & my simple advice is stay away from “the boot” BUT not Italy!

A quick trip back to where I grew up was incredible & went by way too fast. Yes, you can say a trip back home but now my home is called Italy. For over a year (anno) I have lived in a land that is foreign to most but to me is now my norm. I embrace the differences and the challenges everyday. It might sound odd but when I walk the streets they embrace (abbraccio) me as if they are protecting me like a guardian (custode). The words I still don’t understand that I hear on the streets are like puzzles for me solve. As you read this you may think …
Is this some romantic fantasy she lives in? Let me tell you … NOT EVEN CLOSE!
Reality 101 is I am here alone with an 8-year-old daughter (figlia). I drag the trash (spazzatura) down & when I do & the cat (gatto) litterbag breaks; guess WHO is cleaning it up on the street? Yes, yours truly! When the other Mom at school is completely rude to me because she won’t work with my broken Italian & I am completely frustrated because I know I am saying what I need to say someway correctly BUT I do have an American accent & she refuses to work with me. I MUST be the bigger person because I am the one living in a different country.

So my goal TODAY is to see the world (mondo) a little differently & to see something NEW in my beloved (amato) Italy.

1. I’m going to play Tim McGraw’s song “Live Like You Were Dying” once a week because the message is GREAT & we forget it ALL the time!
2. I’m going to say “Yes” more often! Why NOT? Remember the movie with Jim Carrey, called Yes Man J!
3. I am going to complement more people in Italian. Using proper Italian grammar. This is MUCH more difficult than you think.
4. I am going to get a copy on the book that changed my life & re-read it! “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. I read this book & then bought 5 or 6 copies & handed them out & can’t believe I don’t have one here!
5. I’m going to go to The Sea & absorb the beauty of where I live. In this incredible, beautiful country I should be out soaking it up often! 

I hope these 5 ways of seeing TODAY differently helps you and perhaps you don’t have The Sea but you have an ocean or a lake or a river or a stream or maybe just a bathtub & sometimes that is all you need to live your tomorrow … TODAY!
Change always comes bearing gifts.  -  Price Pritchett

The other day an email I received said, “You are so courageous. I wish I could do what you are doing”! These words resonated in my mind & in my soul.
What is courage (coraggio)?
That day from morning to night & all the rest of that week all I could do was think about courage & funny (not the ha-ha kind) messages (messaggio) of courage came to me.
As I walk the same streets I walk everyday to take my daughter to school I challenge myself to find something new to discover. When you take the same path each day you fall into a routine there lies the challenge of finding new things. The other day my path crossed a man who had a bald head with numerous, hard to look at scars (cicatrici), my mind raced wondering What (cosa)? Why (perché)? How (come)? I smiled at him because I thought most people must not. He looked at me, but twice hesitated & then smiled back to me. I think this took courage on his part. Maybe facing each day takes courage on his part? Who knows (chi lo sa)?

This week I received three emails that were TOTAL surprises! Sometimes hitting that “send” button takes courage. You aren’t sure what the response will be. You can only wait & hope.

For me walking into a bar or restaurant by myself is completely terrifying & takes ALL the courage I can muster. This probably sounds strange (strano) because I moved across the world but moving across the world was much easier than walking into a restaurant because for me moving to Italy was a matter of survival. I needed to do that in order to live, to breath to be all I could be and to give all I thought I could to my family.

All the acceptance letters being received for universities right now bring a whole host of change for families and with change comes the need for courage because of the unknown. I’m not sure who needs more courage to face the changes the parents or the kids? This will be another unknown, letting go of the familiar to expand into a new life for both.

I had a conversation (conversazione) with a veteran who was in combat. His story riveting & I stated that he was so courageous. His reply was NO he was not & that he was trained & did what he had to do. He thought a person who is ill (malato) & fights a disease is courageous. However, when you talk with someone who is ill, they do not feel courageous. They also are just doing what they need to do to get well, to survive or as I like to say, live to experience their SOMEDAY!

Here are two quotes I like on courage.
Remember … Tomorrow is TODAY (Ricordami … Domani è OGGI)!

"Letting go isn’t the end of the world; it’s the beginning of a new life." – Unknown

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. - Raymond Lindquist

Everyone thinks of Florence (Firenze), Pisa, Siena and few other cities when they think of Tuscany but nestled on the Ligurian Sea in Tuscany’s central Italy is Livorno (Leghorn). Livorno’s port (porto) is the 3rd largest on the Western Coast of Italy & one of the most important. Livorno was heavily bombed in World War II and most of the city has been rebuilt however some buildings (edifici) are still in their shell shocked state. One special & a not to be missed area of Livorno is called “La Venezia Nuova” (The New Venice) that was laid out & designed by a Medici architect in the mid to late 1500’s named Bernardo Buontalenti. There are narrow canals, small turning throughways, homes, businesses and of course bridges (ponti). The New Venice Quarter TODAY still looks very similar and as it did centuries ago. Besides walking the streets boat tours through the canals are available. An important part of The Venice Quarter is a street known as Via Borra & it is one of the most charming streets in Livorno where you will find homes, shops & restaurants.
A favorite of mine is Mediterráneo Lounge-Bar & Ristorante.

What is so special about a place called Mediterràneo in Livorno? Well, a lot!
On a February (Febbraio) morning I sat down with the owner Andrea on his boat to learn more about the heart of Mediterràneo & I learned like me, an American & his city Livorno his life someway mirrored riches …  to rags … to riches. As he kicked off his red converse sneakers & ran his hands through his wavy sun bleached chestnut (castagno) colored hair the story he told was woven with a deep love for food, music, family and how his mother & brother who are his partners went from having a life of everything, to nothing, to building this fabulous establishment that the people of Livorno know, love & that has been going strong for the past 15 years. Andrea’s soulful passion (passione) for music keeps it hip & fresh and his mother who is from Calabria, Italy does all of the cooking. Andrea said it all, when he said being in The New Venezia Quarter was important (importante) because it was like being in the heart (cuore) of The Livorno people and that is where they knew they had to start their restaurant & where they have stayed. He also added that the experience and the people are the best part of what they do each day.

Livorno is 19km/12 miles South of Pisa & 95km/59 miles West of Florence so flights from any of these locations are convenient. Flights are easy & Plane Tickets too! If you need more information, don’t hesitate to ask as this little city & all the surrounding ones are loaded with hidden surprises just waiting to be discovered & shared with you!

See Livorno TODAY for more on Mediterràneo!
See Galleria for more photos of: La Venezia Nuova

When I arrived in Italy I didn’t know one street from another. Via Grande going towards the sea or away from the sea was all the same to me. It was February (Febbraio) the skies were gray (grigio) and NOTHING was in English. It was a daily game of Find Waldo but for survival.

Luckily, my friend Francesca gave us a tour of the buses.
The #1 going towards the sea goes to my house, she advised & the #1 going away from the sea goes to the station. The #1 you can catch in front of The Duomo but it will not bring you as close to my house as the 8. The 8n will bring you to my house the 8r will take you home but it will drop you off across the way not in front of The Duomo, on the side street. She printed schedules for us. Seems someway simple when you read this … yes?

Here is where PERSPECTIVE kicks in … ALL the buses LOOK alike yellowish in color & the bus drivers speak Italian AS THEY SHOULD in their country. Not knowing the stops, we missed them a couple of times but what a great tour of the city. Right? Again, perspective! Then one night, we decided to take the #8 bus (autobus) home. NOW, was it 8n or 8r? And HOW far down the street did we exactly have to go to catch it? Perspective in the dark of HOW far one has to walk is very interesting. As the #8 bus we needed started to pass us, in desperation LuccaBella waved her arms & started yelling. The kind bus driver stopped in the middle of the street & let us in. We weren’t close to a bus stop (fermata dell'autobus) but he took pity on us.

Just 3 days ago a bus passed me, in fact a #8 bus & I started to laugh out loud. Now I know where that bus is headed. However, when buses 2-3-4 …. 14 go pass me I have NO idea but because of my experiences even the simplest of buses missed & bus confusion it’s easier to embrace an uncertain future.

There are 4 things that come to mind about “perspective” that I have learned living my SOMEDAY … TODAY!

1. There are no guarantees & when you think you have it all figured out. Think again! The unexpected events help us create the magic & the moments in our lives.
2. You don’t need things. All the STUFF will never fill you up. It’s nice to have BUT the beauty of the sun setting on the sea, walking your child to school or a glass of vine with a friend are the greatest gifts of all.
3. People say I am so strong. I do not feel strong AT ALL but what I think they see is that I accept now maybe for the 1st time in my life that nothing will ever be perfect & that is OK. Life is a process & your perspective on the process of where you are in it changes as you do. So you embrace every moment!
4. Maybe the most important. Gratitude daily for what I had yesterday, today & hopefully tomorrow. My health, my body, my family & my friends both near & far.

Dare to turn life on its end, and you may find that topsy-turvy is a truer perspective than turvy-topsy.  ~Robert Brault

3 Things that happened today that made me realized … I have new things to learn here in Italia EVERYDAY …

You move along through life walking to school, the market & the bakery (panificio) and you get used to things and then one day, like today (oggi) and realize you have experienced nothing or you have so much to learn because I have been smacked in the face (faccia) with some new & different experiences!

1. I hopped on the back of a scooter today for my FIRST scooter ride!

       (not a motorcycle BUT a scooter)
2.   I had to hand my mobile phone to the barman to translate my sms         (Short Message Service - text message to ALL of us). Good thing
Angelo, the barman is my friend, didn’t mind and can read & speak English.

3.   I had delicious home cooked Livornese fish dinner with my neighbors. The gentle man who rides his bike & is always offering to help me sat & shared his work with me. Come to find out he is a WORLD renowned photographer. I was AWE struck at his amazing talent and his humbleness. They may seem small, wind in my hair (capelli), words from foreign to clear & a home cooked meal and humbleness but they each enriched my life! I have no idea (nessuna idea) what tomorrow holds so TODAY I am grateful (grato) for these gifts that have shined their light so bright.

Change is inevitable and “change” was my Theme  “WORD” for 2010  (Check out: My One-Word Theme for 2011: Now) & WOW did I ever have changes & I provoked, encouraged and got what I wanted! It was FANTASTIC! Now in 2011, I have a new theme word (tema di parola) that I am keeping close to my chest right now but I am working it!

In the meantime I received this post from a blogger I follow and it made me reflect on 2010 & all my changes. When I digested the break down of everything she had to say in “The shortcut to making big life decisions” I went back to words my Dad (mio babbo note, babbo is only used in The Tuscany area for dad), Amerigo has said to me for years: “When you lay with dogs, you get fleas”! Not the most pleasant of images (immagini) BUT it has always made me choose my associates and friends carefully. (Amerigo-ism’s, he has a million of them)!

I was talking with a friend of mine here in Italy about our 2011 theme words and the changes I have encountered this past year in his amazing country and how the people I have made friends with have been incredibly kind (gentile) to me. He teased me that everyone I have met here are so kind to me. The one thing that happens as an expat is you arrive in a city knowing nobody (nessuno) or perhaps a person or two. After that you don’t correlate a person from what school they attended because you don’t know the schools, family names (i nomi di famiglia) mean nothing to you, their work place is not important as you know none of them and you solely get to know people because of language barriers on their actions more than their words. The result is you start to build a network of diverse friends who are truly genuine & kind.

I wish you all a great WORD and no fleas for 2011;), January is almost over …