All posts filed under: Lifestyle

Coffee & Reflections: Ciao 2014!

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Well, hello friends. I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season with friends and family. Christmas has come and gone, but my beautifully lit tree still stands, proving us with warmth and cheer, reminding us that the holidays are not quite over (which I’m actually happy about). As I sit here and sip on my delicious cappuccino, and enjoy the peace and quiet of our home this morning now that my in-laws have left, I thought about how this year has literally flown by. We’re about to start a new year and a new chapter in our lives, which made me start to think about all that 2014 entailed.

When European Winters Happen to California Girls

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It snowed today for the first time this winter and basically… … This just captures it all. As a California girl (who’s also lived briefly in Thailand and Florida, i.e. tropical places) living in Milan, I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how the women over here manage to look so glamorous in their high heels and cute little stylish jackets – prancing around the cobblestone streets (a feat of its own without snow) – while I’m simply trying to stay warm and comfortable and avoiding, as best possible, to not die of hypothermia or lose my toes to frostbite.

Brera by Night

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Brera is one of my absolute favorite neighborhoods in Milan, and even more so around the holidays. We love venturing through the cobblestone streets, admiring the Christmas lights that are strung from balcony to balcony creating and popping into a cute cafe for a bite to eat or warm cappuccino. The ambiance is especially beautiful in the evenings.

Decisions: What do you want your story to be?

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Earlier today I was thinking about where I was in the beginning of 2012, the thoughts that were running through my mind, and where I am now, at the end of 2014, and I started reflecting on all of the events (both little and not so little) that have happened over the short two and a half year timeframe. And the thing is, if I look at it like a backwards domino effect, I realized that it all started with one decision. One big decision. The question at hand was, ‘do I resign from my tech job in San Francisco and go on an adventure that I had been craving (and kind of “wing” things for a bit)?’, or ‘do I stay because it’s safe, secure, comfortable and lucrative?’  

s i m p l i c i t y

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I’m feeling extra in love with the beauty of this quote today. As I’ve moved from USA to France and now Italy over the past few years I’ve realized that my life has become so simplified in terms of “stuff”, but increasingly full of great memories and appreciation. ❤

Echoes in Eternity | il Colosseo

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“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” – Marcus Aurelius As I was looking through some photos of a visit to Rome this summer I stumbled on this one of the Colosseum, which I love, particularly because as I was taking it a bird hovered just above it and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. It made me think of the movie Gladiator, with Russell Crowe, one of my all-time favorites. There’s the famous line “What we do in life echoes in eternity” and it’s so powerful. The thing is, it’s never too late to make life count… and there is always the beauty of hope and redemption. 🙂

The Power to Change Your World

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“Change Your Thoughts & You Change Your World.”  This afternoon I thought about the power of our thoughts, and the role our attitude and perspective plays in our day to day life. One of my clients had to reschedule a meeting last minute and I ended up with a couple of free hours … free hours that I wanted fill up by doing something ‘productive.’

The Colorful Side of Milan

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When I first moved to Milan I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the city. I had always thought of Milan as a fashion capital where the majority of people you see walking down the streets are gorgeous Italian models, wearing mostly black attire and heading to some type of posh event. Either that, or a very “corporate” city, as it’s also basically the business hub of Italy.

Laundry in October

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For those who haven’t lived abroad, you’re probably wondering what this post can possibly be about. Well, basically, October is an awkward month for doing laundry, as is the spring. Contrary to what many people from the States might imagine, many Europeans (as I learned from having spent long periods of time in France, Italy, Switzerland), and actually most of the world, aren’t big on dryers, so if you’re living in a typical apartment or house over here, you won’t have one. (Unless you’re an ex-pat or something, then it’s an entirely different story).