AFTER OUR TRIP THIS SUMMER, MY SOUL FELT LIBERATED AND IN SHOCK. SOARING LIKE A ROCKET FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN, ERUPTING FROM THE SURFACE TOWARD THE SKY, REACHING YET ANOTHER DARK, OUTER SPACE. OTHER WORLDLY, IT FELT AND SEEMED. ORBITING, IN TWILIGHT. IN A NEW PLACE.

LIFE HAS GIVEN LEMONS TO AMALFI. AND AMALFI HAS HANDLED THE TASK. HERE, IT IS ALL YELLOW.

PORTUGAL IS A POSTCARD. A POSTCARD YOU CAN TOUCH, STEP INSIDE, DRINK, TASTE, HOLD, SIP, CONSUME. DARK WOOD AND AMBIENT AIR. FREE FLOW OF WINE AND MILES OF OLIVES GROWING. OLD WORLD AND MODERN DAY. SUNRISE, SUNSET.

As much as I was familiar with Rome, I was unfamiliar. It was a destination largely off the top of our list of places we’d been dreaming of visiting. And, I don’t know why. When a friend of ours had previously been there, I had made a mental note of how special it seemed. Yet, I was never overcome with eagerness to visit. Maybe I had thought it was too touristy… it is quite the destination for many.

After spending a few days exploring the area and overcoming jet lag, we disembarked from Dubrovnik. With Split as our final destination, we slowly moved between a chain of remarkable and diverse islands along the way.
Sipanska Luka. Miljet. Kortula. Lostovo, Vis. Hvar, Stari Grad, Pucisca, Trogir. Each stop rich with personal story and history.

This trip was our first trip in years. First trip to Europe since cancer and covid. First stamp on the page of a brand new passport. I was incredibly ready to go when friends of ours sent out an invite, and then incredibly nervous as flights approached. This golden place, so stunning and full of beauty, was a perfect place to land.