My Adventure in Italy

One of the gifts of being a writer is the ability to express myself via words. That is my outlet, my outpouring of emotions when I become overcome, or actually limited. The work is my safety, my savior, my dream, and when I experience something rich and beyond my imagination, the words are the only way to both remember and savor my memories.

I just got back from Italy on a two week tour. The trip was planned three years ago, in a homey kitchen where my aunt, me, my niece and my mom all sat together, eating and chatting. My niece, who just turned twelve at the time, expressed her desire to see Italy. She was taking Italian in school and was fascinated by all things Italian. My mother sighed and said her dream was to see Italy but it had never come true. My aunt and I had gone before, but our respective trips were years ago, and we agreed it was the most beautiful  place on earth.

So, the idea was born.

What if in three years we all went to Italy together? Three generations of females off on an adventure. My niece would be fifteen by then which we agreed was old enough to take overseas. And we made a pact to make it happen.

Three years went by fast. Our trip was rich with food, wine, new people, and the gorgeous landscape of a beloved country. We met people from our own New York, and around the world from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.  During the tour, we all experienced something very different and yet all the same. By the end of our journeys, there were tearful goodbyes, and we agreed we would never be the same. Travel does that. For two weeks, there was no tv, twitter, FB, or internet. I forgot what deplugging to a writer is.

A gift.

With so many voices chattering in my head, the various stories sometimes fog amidst the clutter of every day living. But when we strip it down to the basics, the story crystallizes. Creativity has a chance to blossom because the brain rests. We call it filling the well. And it is just as important as the writing.

I received an even bigger gift on this tour. The outline of a brand new novel I can’t wait to write.  Something rich and deep and emotional. I can’t wait to start!

Hang with me this week. I’ll be posting some of my adventures on my blog so I can relive those memories. And there will be photos of course! Lots of photos!

Thanks to everyone who was patient during my “down” time, and who sent me beautiful emails about how much they enjoyed The Marriage Merger. I cried when I heard it hit the New York Times and USA Today list in the first week – it meant the world to me.

Happy Tuesday, everyone.