Three Months Of Soul-Seeing In Italy

Ciao, Bella! Come stai? Hello, beautiful! How are you doing? Throughout the months of March, April and May I often heard this greeting, whether it was said to others or to me.

Here I am, back in the U.S. after living and traveling in Italy for three months. Living in Italia for ninety days was every bit as romantic as it sounds.

Instead of sight-seeing my way through this beautiful country, I lived and spent my days "soul-seeing." What an immersive ninety-day experience in a country I'd previously heard or read about only through someone's else's experiences and photos. Spending three months in Italy has changed the way I live. It feels long-overdue to be sharing what I experienced while soul-seeing my way through Italy for those three months.

Before Italy - The Context

For most of my adult life I've imagined traveling to Italia, not realizing that this beautiful dream wouldn't happen until I reached the (oh-so-ripened) age of 65. I am not retired and have no plans to do so.

When I first dreamed of coming to Italy I saw myself as a tourist, one who came to see and experience the sights. I'd travel around from place to place with my spouse and/or perhaps with our children or a few close friends. In my mind's eye I saw us experiencing a sampler platter of Italy while on vacation there for two or three weeks.

Last fall I began to envision and plan this dream trip, letting go of the original plans I'd imagined. Keenly aware that I'd be traveling solo--post divorce, I understood the importance of trying to live within my typical monthly budget (with perhaps a few extra splurges here and there).

What did I want from this dream-trip to Italy? What persistent voice had been calling me to visit Italia, a place that has appealed to my romantic self over the span of so many years and life-stages?

Instead of a two to four week vacation, I now imagined having a much longer and more immersive travel experience. I had a conversation with my landlord, requesting whether I'd be able to vacate my apartment for three months so that I didn't have to pay rent while staying in Italy.

This longer trip to Italy would include time for me to coach, write, and run my business in between my travels and adventures. In planning a three month stay I would follow my strong desire to live an immersive and authentic Italian life among locals.

The Overview: Three Months in Beautiful Italia

During my first month in Italia I stayed in a charming Airbnb situated along a main street in a small Sicilian fishing village beside the Tyrrhenian Sea. Even the town's name sounds romantic to me--Santo Stefano di Camastra, known for its handmade ceramics, or ceramica. I fell madly in love with Sicily, completely smitten with its local people and its beauty.

For the second month I lived in a very different and delightful Airbnb in Toscana. Instead of living right in the town itself, I stayed on a farm a 30-minute walk away from the village of San Casciano in Val di Pesa. While surrounded by hillside olive groves and vineyards, my days often included a visit to feed and talk with the goats and chickens and a rooster named Arturo. Tuscany captivated me as much as Sicily had during the first month.

Soul-Seeing (and eating) in Toscana!

I'm glad for those first two month-long stays in small towns. During both of these month-long stays I felt much less like a tourist and more like a guest of the locals. I kept reminding myself to engage as someone who wants to love and listen and learn rather than to critique or assess or judge.

Near the end of my second month, a friend asked me which I liked better--Sicily or Tuscany. Both, I replied. Why compare apples to oranges or Sicilian pastries to those in Toscana? I didn't have to choose.

At the beginning of my third month I stayed in Naples for two nights, followed by an Airbnb in Salerno to visit the Amalfi coast. After that I stayed at a historic B&B in Anzio for one night, wishing I'd booked it longer due to its charm, history, and another wonderful host. (Will I return?)

For ten days in the middle of the third month some of my children joined me to visit Rome, Venice, Florence, and Cinque Terre. I finished out the month as a solo traveler, spending time in the town of Bellano on beautiful Lake Como and ending with a four-night stay in Milan.

Throughout that last month in Italia (sob), I took with me the reminders from those first two months. I again determined to be a respectful guest with immense curiosity and love for Italy's local culture. Though I was moving around from place to place I viewed myself as less of a tourist and more of the same kind of soul-seer I'd been during the first two month-long stays.

For most of my three-months I continued coaching my existing clients and meeting with entrepreneurial friends on Zoom. Though challenged by the difference in our time zones, I'm grateful for the ways that technology kept us connected.

During my three-month stay, I avoided checking off a long list of must-see tourist sights. I wrote stories, thoughts, and poems in my journals frequently. I didn't get to see everything I'd hoped to see. Instead, I prioritized time spent in the places and experiences that seemed to be whatever I needed and wanted most in the present moment.

Soul-Seeing Versus Sight-Seeing

I am continuing to write about Italy in my journals now that I'm back home. I want to remember my life there. I took more photos than my poor phone wants to hold (unless I keep adding more storage). I'm counting on those pics and my journal entries to prompt more writing to share with you here. I've started to gather all of my Italy writings into one place, knowing that it's another book I'd like to publish.

I continue to thank God for a landlord, family, and friends, each one encouraging me to follow my dream in taking this immersive three-month adventure... for the adventuring, soul-seer in me who fully emerged and took the lead... for beautiful captivating Italia.

I am forever changed. I am living present and grounded every damn day. The soul-seer within me continues to insist that I love and listen and learn with intentionality. She knows my long-time longings and dreams, knows what I value most.

#immersivetravel #authenticity #italy #empowermentcoach #lifecoach #coactivecoach #dreamtrips #stayingpresent #lifegoals