If you have been following along on the blog, then you probably know I take part in a series titled ‘La Dolce Vita’ most Mondays. I usually write about something that makes my life in Rome a ‘sweet life’. I’m sad to say the series will be coming to an end, but happy to let you know we (the hubby and I) will still be posting about things and places we enjoy, and events going on in Rome and sometimes throughout Italy. We will try to keep the content fun and informative and still include lots of photos, but you can look for it on different days of the week, not just on Mondays. Sound good? Yeah, we think so, too. 🙂
So how did the ‘La Dolce Vita’ series get started anyway? It was a brilliant idea of a fellow expat. Do you believe in destiny? I do! (The hubby and I credit destino (destiny) for us meeting each other, so yeah, I’m a believer.) I had just entered the ‘blogging world’. I wasn’t sure where to start, which direction to go, or what I should write about. (I basically wasn’t so sure about this whole Italy ‘thing’ either … I’ve had a difficult time with the language, finding a job, making friends with other women and adapting and adjusting to a different life and culture.) That’s when I stumbled across Ciao Christy. It’s a lovely blog written by a girl very similar to me, and she invited other bloggers to join in a series and write about something each week that makes life in Italy, or in general, a little sweeter … la dolce vita.
At first click I felt a connection with her. We are both from the South (me from Alabama, she from Georgia … technically, we’re neighbors), we both live in Italy (me in Rome, she in Florence), we both miss and crave the same things from home (peanut butter, oatmeal, Nyquil … the list goes on), we both are in love with twins (her fiancé and my husband both have a twin brother), and we both love and yet struggle with our new found lives in Italia.
Participating in the series gave me a focus for the blog, and more than that, it allowed me to focus on all the positive things about life in Rome. Let’s face it, Rome is spread out, it’s busy, the overcrowded public transportation with regular strikes and delays can make any sane person absolutely crazy, some of the women I’ve come in contact with aren’t always the nicest, you pay a lot for a little space when it comes to apartments, the bureaucratic system is a joke and the paperwork and waiting time involved to do ANYTHING will turn a nun into a cursing sailor. All that aside, there are so many lovely things about life here in Rome … the food, history, wine, ancient ruins, fresh fruit and veggie markets, public spaces, the location, coffee, energy in the piazzas, free cultural exhibits, public transportation (when it functions properly), gelato, and the little surreal moments that take your breath away and remind you to be thankful.
Even more than a direction for the blog and an attention toward the positive things, participating in the series allowed me to connect with a fellow expat who goes through, understands and relates to almost the same things as me. I am blessed to have great friends, but not everyone can exactly relate to some of the feelings and trials I’ve experienced in my new life, just simply because they have not experienced the same themselves. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone. Christine, the blogger behind Ciao Christy, and I have had the pleasure of meeting in Rome a few times. We immediately clicked when we met in person. It was like visiting with a lifelong girlfriend. It’s so easy to talk with her because we have such similar southern characteristics and life experiences. When she visits, her laughter and company are like a rejuvenating breath of fresh air for me. At the end of our visits, it always seems like I’ve had a small trip back home … to a place where fun, laughter, food and girl talk are abound.
For my new obsession … another very dear friend of mine introduced me to Pinterest recently. I don’t know why I put off checking it out for so long because it is SO MUCH fun! If you’re a pinning fanatic too, I’ve added all the La Dolce Vita posts to one of my boards in Pinterest. If you’re interested, you can check them out here, or click on the Pinterest suitcase at the top right hand side of the page. If you need an invite, just message me and I’ll be glad to send you one so you can get started and join in all the pinning fun, too. You can send me a message by clicking here. Happy pinning!
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