Easter in Italy

We all know that the Italians rarely fuck around. Food, fashion, going to the doctor with abandon (a story for another time). There is also very little messing around with holidays. Especially Christmas and Easter. And I fricking LOVE this. I love how they go all in.

Rebrand in Rome

Italians ask me all the time where I’m from. “Di dove sei?” An innocent sounding question with an answer long enough to get complicated. I can easily tell them where I was born and where I grew up. Then I can tell them that I lived for the most part in Seattle for 12 years. And then I could probably mention Portland after that. But when they ask me this question, what they mean is where do I call home in the U.S.? That’s what they want to know. To which I don’t have an answer.

4:00 AM Anxiety? Try This.

I had my own bout of anxiety yesterday morning, at 4:14 am. I think the wind woke me and then my brain used the chance to run amok while I tried to desperately bury my face in the pillow in an attempt to block out the dizzying to-do list running rampant in my head. The list racked up all the things I had to cram in this week. Ugh. I laid there and then saw 5 am.

Adapt to the Chapter

My schedule is way off here in Italy. Usually I’m a morning person and in bed by ten. But with so many clients in the U.S. and coordinating an event in New Zealand, I’ve seen 11 pm come and I’m still on the phone. Dying to get in bed, but with a to-do list still stacked in front of me. Meh, it’s ok.

Rather than fight against it, I decided to adapt to this latest chapter. Sure I like to get up early and work, but not isn’t the time to do it. Instead I cut myself some slack in the morning understand that I will working when normally I’m sleeping.

Amsterdam — 16 Years Later

I haven’t been to Amsterdam since my former husband Zak and I took our two month trip in 2002. I recognize the train station, the tram tracks coursing through the street, and of course the canals. I see the throngs of tourists as I weave in and out, heading to the hotel. It’s so damn interesting to revisit a place after years and iterations of yourself.