Love Letter To Italy

For those of you who know me well, you already know my passion for all things Italian…but others of you may only just be discovering how much I adore that beautiful country. Recently I shared a story on Instagram, in honor of the heart and strength of the Italian people. I was surprised how many people did not know the root of my love for Bella Italia…I thought it would be fun to share it here as well!

When I was nine years old my family moved to Naples, Italy...my father was an American naval officer and we were slated to be stationed there for several years. My parents wanted us to have a true Italian experience so we rented an apartment in a complex among mostly Italians, on the top of the Posilipo hill. Our apartment overlooked the Bay of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and Capri. When I wasn’t in school we explored Naples, took boat trips to Capri and Ischia and spent holidays in Rome. Some of my favorite memories of my mom (now 92) are of her zipping around the Neapolitan hills in our Fiat. My favorite foods at age 9 were “tortellini en brodo” and “Pizza Margherita”.

Life was good and I fell deeply and madly in love with the beautiful country of Italy. I have been back countless times since. But my first time...and only time as a resident...is firmly etched in my heart.

All of the above photos were taken on my recent travels - I only wish I had photos from my earliest trips!

Sending all of my love to Italy with hopes for a speedy return to normalcy!

xoxo