europe
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Breaking Up Is Hard – Staying Open to Love Is Harder
I don’t write a lot about my relationships. In truth, I haven’t had that many serious ones in the first place. But…
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The Ultimate Blissful Ignorance: Summer on the Italian Riviera
Once upon a time, there was a middle-aged man living in Sanremo, Italy, who turned off for the summer. He put down the…
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It’s an Adventure Finding Your Place under the Sun
The writer embarked on a safari starting in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Bostwana reflecting on his life changes after relocating to Italy…
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When You’re Thankful for All That Life Brings… Especially Pop-Tarts
I hope you enjoy this special Thanksgiving Eve edition of The Spaghetti Diaries. Thankfully, I’m not usually a midnight snacker or a…
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the Italian Driver’s License
Can Americans Get an Italian Driver’s License? Yes, Americans can get an Italian driver’s license, but they can’t convert a U.S. one.…
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How to Find Yourself in a Sicilian State of Mind
Despite the various differences among the Italian people, one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that Sicily, or as it…
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Overcome the Wall of Fear and Enjoy the Magic on the Other Side
“WONDER is what we’re born with. WORRY is what we learn.” Amber Rae I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about fears…
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The Annual Olive Harvest: It’s a Family Affair
My sister and her husband arrived from Florida a few weeks ago. We received an invitation to join a friend of mine…
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The Pendulum Swings: A Birthday, an Opera, a Colonoscopy, and an Election
I know I left many of you hanging on the edge of your seats with my last post, but I’m afraid in…
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Excuse Me, Doctor. You Want Me to Inspect My What?
Taking Care of Business I can finally say, that I’m settling in and taking care of business in Rome. After over four…
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Yesterday Joy Won
“In this life, we will know and bear witness to incredible sorrow and anguish, and we will experience breathless love and joy.…
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“V” Is for Veneto, Verona and Venezia
In northeastern Italia sets the region of Veneto and the home of Verona and Venezia. Although I have traveled to Venezia a…
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It’s Time to Start Something Different
Hello friends! I hope you are making the most of the summer months. I’m sitting in my writing loft today, and there’s…
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My Path to Pride and Fostering Pride in Others
“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride…
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The Liberation Tour – May 2021
Buon week-end a tutti! I’m still struggling to find my rural legs in Southwest Francia. I spent ten well-needed, and selfishly well-deserved…
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Ignorance and Courage Make Great Companions
A good friend of mine commented on a Facebook post recently saying, “How courageous you must be!” It was a wonderful compliment…
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Attenzione! Carry-On Baggage May Shift During Takeoff and Landing
I have spent a good portion of my life in motion; moving residences from one place to another, flying between my offices…
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I’m Sorry, but I’m Not Sorry Anymore
After a year of life interrupted and time to work on myself, I think I am out of apologies. I’m sorry, but…
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Thoughts of Love on Valentine’s Day in the Pyrenees
This week is an important one for me. Not because it begins with Valentine’s Day, the day for lovers, but because it…
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Oh God… We Need a Little Christmas Right Now
This year, more than ever, I’ve been living with my Christmas memories. I struggled with this title, but let’s be clear: “a…