A trip down memory lane...

Remembering Adventures in Italy--

My European home away from home, always.

The city of Florence is enchanting.

I remember walking across the Ponte Vecchio bridge, admiring all of the sparkling gold lying perfectly inside glass display cases. Sitting in the grass at the Boboli Gardens and stopping at the cafe on the corner for an early morning shot (of espresso). It took a few months to get used to the quick espresso shot as opposed to the large coffee I was used to; I wont lie, I missed savoring my morning cup every once in a while. I grew to love the taste of espresso, the habit of standing at the "bar," usually just simply watching people order, chug and simply stay. They may have been gulping down their morning energy boost,  but there is no such thing as rushing in Italy; savoring is present in every moment.

In my very first day of class, my Italian professor said, "the major difference between Americans and Italians is that Americans live to work, whereas we, well, we work to live..." I knew in that moment, those Italians were doing something right.

Three years ago I had the chance to call this beautiful city my home. I took a Meditteranean cooking class with a (very good looking) chef from Chianti. We made chickpea soup from scratch, fresh pasta and eggplant parmesan sliders. Our class took weekly trips to the market, learning about the various qualities of Mozzarella and discovered fruits I had never heard of. My travel writing class had us exploring our adventures from various different points of view; I remember sitting on the hilltops of Cortona with my journal, spending a ride to Rome hiding in the bathroom after realizing I had purchased the wrong train ticket. I became close enough with my Fashion & Film professor that one night my friends and I went to her house for dinner and to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's as an "assignment."We ended up winning a wine bottle design contest, sending my friend and I to an all-inclusive retreat weekend at an agriturismo in the heart of Tuscany. 

I visited the shops of Sam Gimignano, each offering free tastings of the simply crisp Vernaccia white wine. I explored the hills of Cortona, walked the hikes through Cinque Terre, exploring each city's unique flare. I had the best meal of my life in Rome in a man's kitchen; he sang and cooked right in front of us, and I still have no idea what I actually ate that night. 

Nearly seven months were spent in this undeniably enchanting country that I dream of everyday. I sometimes envision Italy as a snow globe. It is magical, yet simple; exhilarating when desired, yet calm without a heavy "shaking." Every day offers the potential to find something new, glistening down a sharp alleyway or busy piazza. Within the snow globe of this country, I see endless possibilities for romance, exploration, presence and passion along with pistachio gelato that never loses its flavor.

Italy, I'll find my way back to you soon. 

"The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

-Marcel Proust 

(posted in a San Francisco store window)

Dear San Francisco,

I’ve been drawn to you for years but until now, couldn’t say wholeheartedly that you are where I want to be. Looking good from the outside, you’ve seemed much “cooler” than Cleveland and I thought I’d feel better about myself just having you as my home. However, it’s not about which place is “cooler” or “better.” It’s about jumping off of stand-still ground and starting fresh.  #courage

This week flew by but not in the sense that I felt rushed. I walked for miles up tall hills and down steep steps. I took multiple buses from Pacific Heights to the Mission and Union Square to the Bluxome Street winery in the middle of SOMA. I went to a boat party across the Golden Gate Bridge and got a ride home in a cop car because there were no cabs, ubers or lyfts to be found. I met great people who welcomed me with open arms and I didn’t drop anyone’s keys down an elevator shaft like the first time I visited two years ago. Yes, this happened right before getting locked in the basement trying my best to find the keys that fell so quickly out of my hands upon arrival. I digress...

I had a list of “non-expectation” expectations; things I wanted to experience this week that were centered around my ability to stay present and enjoy the beauty of adventure and discovery rather than be frantic and anxious sticking to a plan for how things needed to be. I quickly found that this type of behavior doesn’t actually even work with you. I was told that people are either embraced by your vibrant lifestyle or spit out quickly. Thank you for embracing me.

Now I can reflect upon my "this is not an expectation list" list... 

• I can say that the biggest celebration of this week was my ability to stay present and go with the flow. I got lost, but not too often, and I definitely laughed at myself plenty. Note to self: sometimes sneakers triumph over Frye boots. #comfort
• I met new people and went out every night with someone different. #social
• I didn’t do as much yoga as I had hoped, but still practiced five days at four different studios, not including my home practice on Libby’s roof while watching the sunset. It wasn’t an “insane” amount of yoga, but it was perfect. #breathe
• I shadowed two psychology classes at California Institute of Integral Studies, which happens to be the only place I bought a Kombucha all week. The good news in I fit in with everyone else at the school carrying one. #curious 
• I did not order a green juice, although I was tempted more times than not. Green juice or not, I’m still forever a #yogafreak.
• I spent so much time walking outside; thank you for your amazing weather-- the fresh air and scenic views made me smile everyday. #healing
• I fell in love with a cafe on Fillmore called JANE. I went two days in a row and spent way too much money on multiple menu items and espresso because everything looked too good to decide between. I was even there for a casual afternoon coffee-cupping. #foodie
• I went to a winery right in the city with someone I met two days before; it was 4 PM, I tried five wines and it was fabulously out of character. #winesnob
• I did not go to Whole Foods. #win
• I sat barefoot in the grass at Delores Park, quite possibly the best people-watching scene I’ve ever experienced. #thesimplelife

I found ease amidst simplicity, and for that, I thank you. #gratitude

Love, 

Lauren

Simple in San Francisco

As I head to San Francisco for the next week, I am being “yogic” in "setting an intention" for this latest adventure. This intention is centered around ease and simplicity. As much as I love to travel I often find myself in the midst of anxiety, walking in circles quite literally and putting so much pressure on myself to see everything worth seeing that I end up not really experiencing the full capacity of which I could if I could just simply calm down. In this ongoing effort to just be, I am finding more happiness, satisfaction and ease than I do when I run around from place to place trying to accomplish as much as humanly possible. This trip is about not trying too hard; exploring without expectation and enjoying without analyzing. I wouldn’t be me if I didn't have some kind of criteria outlined for myself, but these are just some things I’d like to do and remind myself of throughout the course of my week:

• Stay Present; get lost often and laugh about it
• Walk around a museum and really look at the art; take as much time as needed. There is no rush.
• Order a drink at a random bar by myself
• Meet a stranger, make a friend
• Do an insane amount of yoga, somewhere different everyday
• Feel what it’s like to be back in a university setting; be a student of travel
• Avoid buying obnoxiously expensive fresh green juice; or, go all out and order it with a shot of wheatgrass and all; don’t complain about how expensive it is or apologize for being a yoga freak 
• Spend time by the water; hike outside; take in as much fresh air as possible
• Buy a vibrant, colorful dress and rock it even if I have no where special to go
• Find a quaint coffee shop and blog; #talesofawriter
• Find as many free things to do in one day as possible
• Be okay without having every moment planned; it likely wont work out that way anyways
• Avoid tourist attractions and discover hidden gems; write them down
• Visit a winery and get drunk in the middle of the day “unintentionally”
• Don’t buy Kombucha if you venture into Whole Foods; suggestion: Avoid Whole Foods
• Be curious rather than anxious; find ease in simplicity
• Eat amazing food and don’t think about the price- you’ll get paid in a few weeks
• Breath every moment in, sigh every stress out
• Find a vintage shop and buy an eclectic piece of jewelry 
• Walk barefoot in the grass or in the sand; lululemon socks stay permanently dirty anyways
• Enjoy myself to the max. It’s that simple.

This ambitiously long list can really just be summed up in three words: 

Presence, Simplicity and Enjoyment. I’ll check in with this list at the end of my trip and not until then. I wont be carrying it around in my pocket, checking off each bullet point like kale on my grocery list. This is my experimentation; I’m eager to see how it pans out.