Cultivating Friendships

 This past weekend I was in Cinque Terre, the 5 cliffside towns located on the Italian Riviera in the Liguria region. Although each town is very picturesque, they are all unique in their own way. My Airbnb did not have Wi-Fi, which allowed me to truly disconnect and appreciate the moment. Instead of blogging about my getaway, I wanted to focus on one thing I am extraordinarily grateful for; the friendships I have cultivated while here.

 For example, meeting Manuel and Charlie this past weekend. It’s common to find yourself relaxing and then conversation strikes with the people near you. They were in Vernazza preparing a vacation rental, but it also happened to be Manuel’s 40th birthday and he invited me to his party he was having that evening with his closest friends. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I always trust my intuition and knew I wouldn’t be in danger, but rather particularly out of place with a group of best friends that didn’t speak any English.

I took the train to La Spezia and arrived at his apartment and introduced myself to the group in my broken Italian. One noticeable moment was the 3 other women and how embracing they were to me. In my experience, when a random female walks into a rather intimate gathering, I wouldn’t say most Americans are welcoming. Judgments get passed and a wall like Fort Knox is built. Well, not here in Italy. By the end of the evening, this tight-knit group of 7 people were now fast friends of mine.

 I’ve learned that the people we meet in our lifetime are not coincidences. Regardless of the length of time spent there is a lesson to take with you. Like Maya Angelou said, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” So, go out today and be kind to one another. We don’t know what people are going through behind closed doors and how you treat them can make all the difference in the world.  

On another note, It’s definitely Autumn here in Italy now where it went from 25 degrees Celsius to 15 in a matter of a day! Unfortunately, I fell victim to colpo d’aria. This mysterious illness is an absolute reality in Italy. Literally translated to “hit by the air” is what your grandmother warned you about when leaving the house with wet hair. I know I’m not the only one that now sneezes, and immediately thinks I have COVID! Yet, the stiffness in my neck and headache absolutely would be blamed on the fact that I was laying out on the beach and then unprepared for the major temperature drop.