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Writer's pictureViolet
Oct 196 min read

10 Things Italy Has Inspired In Me

Today is our last day in Italy!!!

Wow ! An entire - exact month has flown by! It's been precious time spent with family, visiting new gorgeous places. What exciting things we've seen, done and amazing food we've eaten. I'm stuffed.. I'm full and I mean that in every sense of the word! I'm surprised my jeans still fit because we've feasted time and time again! We are truly blessed and grateful for this wonderful time together on this side of the globe.


Spending time in and near the water (many places so far including- Monopoli, Tropea, Positano and Bari during this trip has been nurturing. It's amazing how healing hearing the waves can be. The last few nights in Bari when the sun had gone down I'd open the windows and just listen to the waves. It reminds me that we all came from water, lived in it for 9 months in our mother's womb and it's the place that covers and heals us.





Here are 10 things that Italy has inspired in me to start/continue more of when we return back home! :)


1) More Soaking Baths! - I know this one sounds silly and yes I shower daily, but as a mom to a toddler, I don't always have the luxury to take long showers like I used to pre-G days. (ie I know have at any given point a screaming toddler at the door begging to come in! "Maaaamaaaaa are you donnnnneee???!" Lol and although we have a big beautiful spa bathtub at our new home, I have YET to actually use it. I guess waiting for it to fill up feels time consuming after a long day but probably more reason to actually use it! So I am excited to get it all cleaned up, add some pretty organic candles, add a little art, some eucalyptus plants and take more relaxing baths once Gio goes down for bed - or - early morning which is what a beautiful ex colleague of mine swore by doing - Antoinette - no wonder she was always glowing and energized and so calm!! It was those 5am relaxing baths to start the day!! I promise if you meet her she is the epitome of a glowing, beautiful woman - inside and out!!


2) Simplify Meals - Growing up in the latin culture (I was born in Honduras, parents from Nicaragua but raised in SF since the age of 1.5), I was exposed to lots of spices, strong and savory foods with endless condiments - which don't get me wrong - I love - YUM but something I've appreciated is how simple foods are cooked here. It's because ingredients are organic or close to it, and the meal is meant to enhance the natural flavor of real foods. Sometimes it seems bland not having pepper or spices on top of everything like I'm used to but if you stop and chew mindfully you realize that foods have their own flavor that comes out during the cooking/roasting/baking process and the extra stuff isn't actually needed.



3) Creating with Ceramics - Before I left to Italy I had an inkling that I wanted to get back to this artistic activity, a self-love hobby that I enjoyed many years ago in college and after visiting Vietre Sul Mare, the desire just exploded more within. As I walked down narrow alleyways the entire town was decorated so beautiful with ceramics in every possible corner, top to botton. Simply - Stunning!! As most moms know, having your hands full and being "touched out" is a very real thing especially if you are a breastfeeding mama, so doing something soothing and calming will be so fun and I'm committing to doing just that. I'm currently looking into a studio to get back into creating beautiful artistic pieces I can use to decorate our new home or just because I enjoy it! Here's a gorgeous enormous studio I passed by on the way - https://www.ceramicasolimene.it/eng/


4) Slow Mornings - Sometimes this is impossible - ugh, I know! Gone are the days of sleeping in till 10am (pre-kid days) But it's been calming to my nervous system to sleep in, or get more sleep and to start the day in a slower way. Having a little one means sometimes having to handle unpredictable wake up times sometimes numerous times through the night (oh those hard days and long nights).. but whenever possible this just means planning out the days more in advance. Most days here in Italy I've set aside our clothes, pjs, shoes, activities/toys, snacks the day before and it's been a tiny habit that has helped so much! Not only does it save time, but truthfully a bit of sanity too!


5) Gardening - So I will admit, I tried doing this when we first moved in to our new home and failed - partially... Why? Well, truthfully I didn't dedicated the consistent time and energy to the daily care of the seedlings and well, we know what happens when a tiny fragile plant is neglected.. so, I'm committing to starting smaller, with tinier planters on our deck and then over time learning and growing with them and expanding to our huge yard.



The thought of managing a very large yard feels overwhelming now so I plan to start small and gett Gio involved. His first pet - will be our plants lol. I don't think I can handle an actual pet a.t.m. but thats another story. Simply, easy loving habits we can enjoy together after school. like pruning and watering. I'll just need to figure out what grows best in my area and when to start planing seeds for the next season! So far I'm dreaming of; lavender, lemon, orange trees, peonies, roses, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and who knows what else! Oh and absolutely adding more vine plants, colorful trees and creating a wall of half potted plants and a moss piece. Can't wait, but that's a lot so one thing at a time!


6) Decluttering Toxins- I will say that I've gotten so much better at donating and tossing out old items but there are certain things that we can do better in general and that's getting rid of all the harmful junk we have or continue to buy. I'm currently taking a Detox Course and learning so much. It's been truly eye-opening to learn how much garbage we are exposed to each and everyday, especially in the US and as a mom to a little one, I just want the best for him and us as a family. I've learned a lot as an Integrative Nutrition Coach when it comes to foods, dietary theories and FDA, but this also ranges from the endless plastics we are exposed to (water bottles/food storage), aluminum which is terrible for our exposure to metals in general (ie - most deordorants), types of synthetic clothing, etc. I have lots more to share on this topic so if you want to learn more, stay tuned..




7) More Color, Patterns, Textures! - I love our home, I appreciate how it feels calming and has earth tones Vito and I love, but I have been feeling inspired to add more color, art, paintings and bring in more warmth. In Naples we stopped at a very antique/retro art shop and purchased a handful of pretty art pieces. I'm excited to get custom wood frames once back home and hang them up! Im currently really into rust orange, greens, yellow and blues shades.. we shall see what I come up with once home! Also, I saw some beautiful closets decorated with wallpaper inside and loved that idea. :)


8) Fermenting! Before meeting Vito I fermented carrots, onions and pickles and it's something I want to get back to doing. Not sure why I stopped, since it's incredibly simple, delish and lasts a while if you store it in the fridge. Also, eating fermented foods every day is so important for your digestive system. I can't say Italy brought this out of me, but looking at loads of tomatoes in glass jars almost daily reminded me of how much I enjoy being in the kitchen and I want to bring back more of this creative and healing energy again.


9) Candid Conversations - I enjoy learning from others, speaking with incredible women on their stories of life, love, loss, pain, motherhood, success, business and overall personal development and growth and I plan to do more of that! t's beautiful to see how social Italy is as a country. Its culture is one of communion and connection and I love that. I plan to interview many more incredible human beings and being as open and candid with each and every one of them. Maybe even hosting intimate parties in our grassy yard now that we have tons of more space to do so!


10) Explore More! The world is meant to be explored and I'm excited to show Gio and travel with family much more. I know flying across the world is not an everyday opportunity so going to make the most of beautiful and new local places we have yet to explore and enjoy. Many more places to hike, eat, swim, play and learn! So, was there anything here that inspired you as well to add to your everyday life? Or anything that came to your mind? If so, I'd love to hear it!


Comment below or message me on IG at @violet_ventures I'd love to hear from you!


With lots of love,

Violet





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