Double Life

I have just returned from 10 days of traveling around Italy and feel as though I lived a double life for 6 months! I am proud of this trip that I booked and funded on my own! I knew it would be an experience to remember, but never guessed I would learn so much about life and myself.

It is difficult to describe, but I was speaking to my acupuncturist about it today and she summed it up well. Americans tend to distract themselves from their lives. They look to the media and marketing teams to make life "better". New Yorkers are especially guilty of doing everything possible to ignore the day to day. We walk, drive, and ride everywhere with ipads, iPhone, and ipods. We try to disconnect to the point of being closed off. Europeans love to live life. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to see people in real conversations, without constantly checking a blackberry and not to hear one thing about the Kardashians, Real Housewives, etc!

After meeting with various locals and tourists, something finally clicked! I had become so disconnected that I was standing in my own way of real love and life. I ignored the flirtation of the hottest man I have ever seen in the Roma Termini and suddenly felt like Eckhart Tolle slapped me in the face :) I decided that I had to make a change and within 48 hours I formed amazing connections with 3 people because I was willing to be present and open in my own life. The bottom line is you just never know what opportunities will present themselves at any given moment, but if you are not paying attention you will miss them all! I know this will not make sense to some people, but to those who do understand it can be a life changing realization.

I know it will take some work, as it is easy to fall back into the New York grind, but I am determined to keep this adaptation of the Italian lifestyle.

*Aries*