Guest Post - Studying Abroad in Rome
Ciao Bloggisti,This is the last post from our intern, Ariella. I asked her to write about her overall experience studying in Rome. It was a pleasure to work with Ariella and we wish her the best as she continues her studies at Cornell University.I have spent the last four and a half months exploring Rome. I've immersed myself in a new culture, started to learn a new language, admired the art and architecture of this amazing city that continues to create history, and meandered through its confusing yet welcoming streets.The illusions and expectations of studying and living abroad in Rome were surpassed by the realities of my temporary new home. The only real challenge seemed to be the difference in the food markets, which I quickly understood. How fun and interesting to be able to select and purchase food that looked real and smelled as it should. The shadows of dust and dirt reminded me of where the food actually came from, as opposed to very manicured and polished plastic packages of foods that all looked the same and had no aroma.Stopping at every cafe along the way as I discovered my neighborhood and others I explored, I found my comfort zone. While homesick for family and friends for a short first week, I'm now faced with the fear of returning as I know I will long for the place I will be leaving behind. I suppose it's good to leave with the feeling of wanting to return as my mission feels unfinished. I fantasize about returning for an extended period of time and can even imagine living here in the future.Rome has surpassed my expectations and has given me much to think about. I have enjoyed the people, the culture and lifestyle, and the way one moves through this city. It has been so interesting to see how such an old city with all its monuments and history has been able to have continuity despite the politics and introduction of globalization. This is evident by all the current problems of immigration, unemployment, housing, circulation etc. It's obvious that to preserve and yet become a place where the locals and visitors can enjoy this eternal city, introducing and maintaining infrastructure in the existing urban fabric has been quite a challenge.It has been a privilege to live and learn in this setting with Rome’s varied colors as they age and as the sun rises and sets through the changing seasons, giving us different perspectives of an everlasting place.
My Ten Year Anniversary.
I'm not sure why I started blogging ten years ago today.
The blogging world has changed a great deal since my first post POST. Back then nobody was making money from blogging. It was way to communicate, connect, and create.I rarely read old posts. Some make me cringe (and not just because of all the typos), others make me thankful I got the heck out Los Angeles, and then there are the posts with the hilarious comments. The randomness of the posts is bizarre. One post would be about some serious foreign policy debate and the very next day I would write about an annoying Black Eye Peas song.At first I used a pseudonym and didn't tell anyone, outside of close friends, in Hollywood that I had a blog. Like many other long-time bloggers, I don't delete old posts...even the embarrassing ones. These posts are a snapshot of what was going on in the world and/or my life at the time.There's much debate about the future of blogs and blogging. Who knows what will happen. I do know that readers are turned off by constant shilling.I'm glad I started a blog a decade ago. Through it I found my voice again and met some great people (several who are close friends to this day). I wouldn't have moved to Italy without that blog. My life would be completely different.
Io Adoro - Anguilla, British West Indies
Anguilla is quite the A-list celebrity/VIP destination these days. However, the small island has managed to retain it's relaxed, quiet charm.My most recent piece for FATHOM Magazine went live today. ANGUILLA – I wish I could say I have always appreciated this beautiful island. That would be untrue.When my family moved from New York City to the leafy suburbs of Verona, New Jersey, I knew I had to become a true American teenager. I was hampered by my parents' insistence on raising their children as if we were a family living in the Caribbean.My parents are from St. Martin (totally different from the Dutch side, St. Maarten) and both my grandmothers were Anguillian. Whenever we went to St. Martin to stay with my paternal grandparents, we ferried over to Anguilla to visit family and friends. When I was a child it, was fun to hang out with my cousins, go the beaches, and stuff ourselves on Johnnycakes, rice and peas, and salt fish cakes. But as for the stunning white beaches of the island, they were lost on me when I was older. I mean, I was a teenager. Visiting relative after relative while sitting on their verandas for hours drinking Ting was boring.The final anti-island straw happened one night when I was walking back to my aunt's house and a mongoose ran across my foot. I was done. I thought, "I could be chilling at the Short Hills Mall with my friends instead of being stuck on this tiny island."It wasn't until my parents moved to back to St. Martin after retirement and I moved to Rome that I began to understand why those trips back home were so important.To read the rest and see more pictures, click HERE.
The beach at Cap Juluca with the island of St. Martin/St. Maarten in the background.
Photo: Me and my iPHone
A Woman Who Lives in Rome Actually Loves Milan?
Yes, it's true.Even my Milanese friends who live here think it's odd. I don't care. If loving Milan is wrong, I don't want to be right.Just in time for Milan Fashion Week, here is a short piece I wrote for FATHOM.
It's All About Sicily In Fathom Magazine
The award-winning Fathom Magazine is celebrating Sicily this week. I'm trilled that I get to join in the festivities.
My article is about Sicily and the solo traveler.When I booked my trip, I didn't think it was a big deal that I was traveling alone. Then once everyone and their mother kept saying, "Wow, you're going to Sicily by yourself?!", I started to get nervous.You can read about my Sicilian adventures HERE.The entire series is fantastic. I want to book a trip now.
Weekend Inspiration - Driven to Tears - Robert Downey, Jr and Sting
In the States we tend to define ourselves by what we do for a living. Therefore, working in any creative field is not easy. There's the whole art vs business debate, the struggle to actually make a living, and the fact that most people have no idea what it is you do day-to-day.I sometimes buy into this, feeling unanchored because I cannot be put into a specific category. The last time I was in Los Angeles, I was speaking with a friend who's an agent at CAA. He told me that I was over-thinking everything. I could decorate and write. I didn't have to choose one over the other.My brain couldn't process this. How could I BE two things at the same time?!Thankfully, several of my very talented friends reminded me that creative people are creative. Basta. If you're a truly creative person, you will not be fulfilled unless you are able to do the work that inspires you. It doesn't matter what the medium is. They also told me to stop confusing what we do with who we are.Robert Downey Jr acts. He also sings... well. This confuses some people. I don't know why. This is not a Paris Hilton "Stars Are Blind" situation.Here he is singing one of my favorite Police songs. I love his little dance move at the end. I do that too but in the privacy of my own home.Buon weekend![youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1crxmBTxRlM&w=560&h=315]
August In Rome
All over my neighborhood are signs like this:
Before I was on Hollywood's schedule, so August was a busy time for me. While all my friends and neighbors fled the August heat and tourists, I stayed behind in Rome writing and pitching TV projects.Now I'm on a local schedule and it's a trip. Last week I was running around town making sure to touch base with my vendors before they closed up shop for the month.There will be NO furniture deliveries in August.September will be out of control. Everything is being pushed to that month.In the meantime, I'm going to use this period to catch up on office paperwork. I also need to find more space in my tiny apartment for all the new books I have. I'm literally running out of room.One friend (who just left town for the rest of the month) suggested I see a few movies. Then we started laughing because most of the movie theaters are closed too.
Weekend Inspiration - Felicia Sullivan's Dispatch From Florence
Felicia and I met a few years ago through a friend in NYC. She's wicked smart, funny, and has a killer sense of style. Along with being a ridiculously talented writer, Felicia is also a gifted photographer, baker, and cook.Felicia recently left her high-powered/profile job and is traveling in Italy and France for three weeks. It's not easy to walk away from something that looks great on paper (especially in this economy). It takes a certain kind of fearlessness to step toward the unknown.I love her blog. The way Felicia writes about life, love, food, etc. is extraordinary.I just read her Florence dispatch and I all I have to say is, "I need to book a train ticket pronto." I hope her writing and her photos will inspire you.Buon Weekend!
What Is The Purpose Of A Blog Now?
I was at a Rome Bloggers meet up a few months ago and one of my fellow bloggers told me she missed my old blog.My former blog was more personal and a bit all over the place. One day I would write about politics , or my friend's big Italian wedding, and the next day about some silly pop-culture thing like the horrific "Kwanzaa Cake" made by Sandra Lee.The blogging world has changed a great deal since 2005. It's become a big business and very niche.When I first started this blog I felt a lot of pressure to keep it extremely focused. I understood the advice from my social media savvy friends. They would ask me questions like,"What's the point of your blog? What are your goals for the blog? What IS your blog, personal, design, lifestyle, expat?"Something clicked when I read my friend Felicia's recent post.I should worry less about labeling my blog or trying to shoe-horn it into a very narrow space.Design blogs are more than pretty pictures. The popular ones have a POV or narrative that's engaging. They have to be, thanks in part to the explosive success of Pinterest.Interior design is influenced by many things... art, fashion, music, film, travel, the list goes on. I like to write about those subjects as well and I will.It's a new year and time to loosen the strings a little.
Get Your Interior Design On - The Kathryn M. Ireland Bootcamp Experience
Last month I attended Kathryn M. Ireland's Interior Design Bootcamp in Los Angeles.That would be Kathryn the internationally known designer, NOT Kathy the former SI cover model. One Hollywood exec said to me, "I thought you were talking about the model the entire time. Alas, now our conversation has become less interesting to me." Too funny. Gotta love Hollywood.It would be hard to describe a packed four day schedule in one short blog post. Overall, it was fantastic experience. I was very impressed by Kathryn and her team, Jen, Rebecca, and Francesca. I learned a lot and enjoyed meeting my fellow bootcampers.There were only seven of us. Six were in different stages of our careers. One bootcamper had a new house. For her it was a good opportunity to see how a designer works. Some bootcampers had degrees in Interior Design and their own showrooms, while others were self taught and just starting out. It was a great mix.If you watch the show MILLION DOLLAR DECORATORS or have read anything about Kathryn you know that along with being a talented textiles and interior designer, she's a fantastic host. We met some heavy hitters in the business and it says something about Kathryn that everyone she introduced us to was warm, and down-to-earth.The workshop was organized (binders, books, baked goods!) We received excellent nuts and bolts information and advice about the business of design. There were guest speakers who talked about the state of the industry, branding, product development, publicity, and social media.We also visited several high profile showrooms with Kathryn, like Lucca, Nathan Turner, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Peter Dunham, Christopher Farr, Jasper, Pat McGann, etc.Martyn's was our last showroom stop. He had drinks and quips for us.There was down time too (and plenty of wine with meals). We went on a hike in Will Rogers State Park with sick views of the Pacific. It wasn't mandatory but a nice way to kick off a long day. That day we visited Kathryn's print shop. She opened it in Los Angeles instead of outsourcing the work. The time it takes to hand print fabric is no joke and that's why it's expensive.We worked on our mood/presentation boards for our projects with input from Kathryn and her team. I wanted to pull my hair out as I tried to draw my floor plans by hand. Luckily for me, one of my fellow bootcampers was a kitchen and bath designer. She talked me down off the ledge.I can't really say which highlight (there were many) of the workshop was my favorite. I can say I returned to Rome feeling excited about the future and inspired.For more information about future Bootcamps, check out Kathryn's WEBSITE.
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Stylish Simplicity - Moleskine Daily Planner
I do have a laptop, a phone, and other modern electronics, but I love putting pen to paper.For a while I tried to keep a To-Do-List on my computer. However, for some reason, I kept going back to using legal pads to make my long lists. It made no sense to have two lists going. I had to get organized.
Finally, a few weeks ago I bought a Moleskine Planner.I'm a big Moleskine fan.
This one book has helped me so much. I like being able to physically cross things off my list as I complete them.Design-wise, I adore the stylish simplicity. These well crafted books are made without distracting bells and whistles.Are you old-school too or a computer only type of list maker?
It's Important To Treat. Yo. Self.
For those who don't watch NBC's "Parks and Recreation", here are two clips explaining what the heck the title of this post is referring to.
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Not having a steady paycheck is of course one of the major downsides of starting your own company and/or being a writer. Your landlord doesn't care if your latest script is hilarious. If it doesn't sell, you can't pay your rent.
Another downside is the lack of structure. I work from home. My laptop is always around. I don't take the weekends off. I feel guilty if I'm not working on novel number two, tweaking the AGD business plan, finishing a rewrite on a spec, working on my TV idea pitches, etc.
The thing is, I'm producing diminishing returns. I'm fried.
I finally hit the wall last week. While I do have a slew of pitches coming up, (which I have no control over), I have to get some kind of schedule in place.
I also need to treat myself once in a while. I have been so severe with my budget, it's insane. I can account for every single euro I spend.
I have no desire to have credit card debt or to be irresponsible. But I cannot continue to live the way I'm living. Something has to change.
So, I'm going to loosen the reins a little.
Treat. Yo. Self. 2012 has begun.
RIP Nora Ephron
I'm in shock. Nobody outside her immediate family knew she was even ill. Here's a link to the ABC News breaking report about her death.While she may be better known for her films, Nora was also a very witty journalist/novelist. Her book "I Feel Bad About My Neck" is hilarious.Nora and her words will be truly missed.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMo36SfyQhw&w=480&h=360][youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-8_zS2m-n4&w=480&h=360]