Questa Dolce Vita

This is Bergamo, a city in Northern Italy close to Milan. And yes, it always looks this golden and picturesque. Just kidding. But not really. This view is of the lower town taken from the upper town. Credit to: sumfinity.com and Nico Trinkhaus for this photograph. Find it here.

Still infatuated with Rudsak, I am currently loving these fingerless gloves-so handy for using a touchscreen phone without having to take them on and off. Probably not the most functional for Canadian winters, but I anticipate will work quite fabulously in Northern Italy (please stop raining though, otherwise all this fur fun is a no-go!). I was going to do a photo actually wearing these until I realized they are vacuum-packed away in the depths of my luggage. These are not available online for some reason, so I guess you'll have to make a 12 hour stop-over in Toronto/Montreal before your New Year's ski trip to the Swiss Alps. 

If you enjoy these pins that I've collected and want to see all of them in one spot, just click 'Inspiration and Motivation' on the category section to the right. It seems silly, but the Pinterest travel and quotes boards have given me alot of courage when it is faltering. I just try to think about all of us that pin these haphazardly, but do we ever really follow-up on what they say? Are we really making an effort to be out seeing the world at any cost? Not usually, because it's scary and uncertain. But Amanda Lindhout did it, on cocktail waitress tips. And my friend and fellow-pharmacist Michelle is doing it- next year she will embark on the coveted around-the-world trip. Check back for more inspiration and perhaps even some fascinating interviews with other female trail blazers who are 'daring to live the dream'. 

Dear you, 

Keep dreaming the impossible dream.


Love, me. 

It seems like Ms. Bradshaw has the right words for every situation in life, including moving away from the ones that we love. It is comforting to realize that, in truth, we are all so very close. Though land and ocean may separate us- planes, trains, and cars can bring us back together at the click of a mouse or at the turning of a key. I try to remind myself of what it would have been like in the past, to salute your country and countrymen knowing you may never be able to return. Instead, I know we will be seeing each other soon- in Bergamo, in Toronto, in Edmonton, in Florence, and in Ireland for starters. 

Attila is Massi's childhood cat that behaved always more like a dog than a true cat. He would often see our car coming back late at night from the club and come to greet us, then he would wait for us to go into the house and up the stairs. 


Atilla è il gatto di Massi da quando era giovane e si comportava sempre più come un cane che un gatto. Spesso, veniva a salutarci quando stavamo tornando dalla discoteca, poi ci aspettava per entrare in casa e salire. 

Sometimes I wish I never had it as good as I did here, it would make leaving so much easier. But that simply was not the case, I have been living what some would argue to be a perfect life- an amazingly satisfying career split between working in the community and teaching labs to future pharmacists, the best friends and family a girl could ask for, and essentially a comfortable existence split between work and hobbies. My line of work afforded me the chance to travel all over the province and to vacation wherever my heart pleased. It let me help people. I really could not have asked for more, but that is exactly what I am doing with this move. I need a greater challenge, to step out of routine comforts and to feel my heart race every day with the prospect of not knowing what is going to come next. The only thing that would make this perfect is if I could bring all the people I love with me. But I suppose if that were the case, we would never truly live, because life is about making choices and sacrifices. Hard choices. Whether the sacrifices will be worth this risk is yet to be determined, but I will keep you all updated. I have to say thank you to absolutely everyone that has been a part of my life up to this point- 

To my friends and family- thanks for asking the hard questions and yet sending me off with well wishes, there will always be a place for you in our home in Italy. You supported my crazy dreams the entire way and that is the true meaning of friendship and family. Your love and nurturing is what made me into who I am today- the kind of person who, thanks to you, has the backbone to move to pursue a fantastical dream. Please always stay in touch and visit. 

To my colleagues and the profession of pharmacy- it has been the pleasure of a lifetime to work alongside so many wonderful pharmacists, technicians, assistants, and students striving to improve lives each and every day on the literal frontline of healthcare. I have loved the profession and loved my patients dearly, you gave so much to me in the form of trust and confidence. 

To Edmonton and Canada- Edmonton, everyone complains about you but you are where I grew up and it is impossible to deny the fact that you hold almost all my most precious memories. My first love, my first drink, they all belong to you. There is a saying that you can never go home again but I know I'll be seeing you soon. Canada, I wouldn't want to be from any other country in the entire world. You are the epitome of what other countries strive to be, a sanctuary for people from everywhere and anywhere, a safe haven where multiculturalism and diversity are not new or foreign concepts but rather a way of life. Where saying sorry and smiling at strangers is commonplace. So I will always wear my flag proudly and try to be a living example of the true north, strong and free.  

To everyone in Italy- grazie for making me feel at home during every trip, even when I knew only two words in Italian. And thank you even more, for being rather terrible at English and forcing me to learn the language of my future home! 

And finally, to Massi- for taking a chance on a girl you met in a bar one warm summer's night in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and for all the sacrifices you made moving here to make it work. And more importantly, thanks for waiting. 

GRAZIE and ciao for now (never goodbye). 

So even though it has not hit me yet, I think my subconscious can sense the impending move and it is making me do strange and fanatical things that are totally out of character. Here's a random list: 

• eating Hawaiian pizza every chance I get (the Italians think it's gross but it has always been one of my favorites). I just ate it again for dinner tonight. 
• ordering double doubles at Tim Hortons. This is very odd because I NEVER used to get them before, I usually order tea. Besides that, I also LOVE espresso. 
• shoveling the snow with gumption....it's a whole different feeling when you tell yourself it might be the last time you shovel a driveway. 
• doing Fireball shots. It has been recently recalled all over Europe. I also associate them with country songs, another things I've up-ed my consumption of. 
• going out to the mall in sweatpants tucked into winter boots, because we know this is probably illegal in Italy and one can be fined and jailed for such an offense. 
• getting every disgustingly sweet 'holiday' drink offering at Starbucks and Second Cup, they do not do eggnog flavored espresso I'm guessing.
• buying Proactiv- I haven't used it in years but I have this irrational thought in my head that I won't be able to get it in Europe and what if I need it again?! 
• just enjoying Edmonton and paying attention to the view of downtown coming down the hill and the sunset over the river valley and that sharp pain in my lungs when I inhale the winter air and seeing what movies are playing at the Garneau theater and all the little things that you never pay attention to unless you know you won't be seeing them for awhile.

Provincial Pub is the new-kid-on-the-block in terms of Edmonton's ever-popular trendier bar offerings. I was here on Saturday night with girlfriends and had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners, Jason Yen, who was beyond kind in letting us taste test the Schöfferhofer grapefruit weizen and a scrumptious apple cider. I am not a connoisseur of resto-pubs by any means but I enjoy the concept of restaurants trying to move towards being more locally sourced, other notables including Three Boars Eatery and North 53. Featured below is the baked brie, one cannot go wrong with cheese in any form. We ended up devouring this minus the bread- the melty, smooth brie was so much better as a stand-alone. 

Jason really stole our hearts though with this on-the-house dessert: PB & C – Peanut Butter Mousse, Chocolate, Granache, Vanilla Ice Cream, Roasted Peanut. Provincial Pub has a ton of potential and the talent is in the woodwork- literally. Their main chef,  Cedric Boeglin, hails from Woodwork in downtown Edmonton as one of the key players when the restaurant first opened. Chef Ryan Hotchkiss (trained under the wonderful Daniel Costa at Corso 32 and currently  an instrumental piece at Bar Bricco) helped to the framework of the menu for Provincial. Grazie per il dolce Provincial Pub, we will see you again for any late-night peanut buttery chocolate cravings. 

Tried to sneak a candid shot while walking by this lakeside restaurant in Bellagio on Lake Como two summers ago. But the waiter's shy grin kind of makes the photograph no? Today was frigid in good ol' Candada so let's just imagine ourselves, seated at a corner table there, with a cool glass of Cantina Zaccagnini rosé...

This is a copy of an original painting that I did which used more muted and realistic colors. When I did this version, I was in a more colorful mood. I used to want to have a seaside cottage on the East coast and I always imagined a piece like this for it's walls. And I would walk along the beach and collect pocketfuls of sea glass to be later displayed in tall vases on the fireplace mantle, next to this painting. 

Condé Nast Traveller recently did a slideshow on How to Dress Like An Italian Man, find it here. And while I very much enjoy any how-to-dress-like-blank features, I had a few disagreements with this particular article. I suppose I am not an Italian man so perhaps I have no right to disagree in the first place, but having been very much associated with one for quite awhile, I feel like I have a bit of an insider approach to the whole concept. First off, the author states 'it starts with an unconstructed, unlined blazer or suit, which exudes a vibe of rumpled nonchalance.' Wait, what. Rumpled? RUMPLED?! That word should not even be whispered around an Italian man, nevertheless used in an article talking about how to dress like one. When Massi was still living here, I ironed his socks and jeans, and even dish towels. With starch too. Ironed socks. So there is no such thing as 'rumpled nonchalance', it is more like a 'perfectly pressed nonchalance'. The author of the post, Matt Hranek, gets it right on the next point however, when he states- 'shirts are almost always pressed and hopefully bespoke (if you can manage)'. Much more on par, thank you or shall I say, grazie. Then, concerning accessories, while wrist adornments are certainly having their moment in the sun, I think we must pay homage to the classics which are obviously chains of Italian gold around the neck, crosses never go out of style. Of course, one must have the groomed chest hair to properly compliment this jewelry. In regards to The Watch, yes, vintage is often preferred- Massi enjoys a Longines passed down from his father. Shoes-wise, I feel like the rules follow that of an Italian sports car...they have to be Made in Italy, they have to be made of quality materials (real everything), and they have to be streamlined and elegant (clunky or square-ish equals no, unless it's Timberlands). Finally, scarves and grooming. Yes and yes. Italian men have a penchant for anything they can wrap around their necks (now let's not get carried away here, you and your dirty mind you), and personal grooming.

Other important things to do if you want to emulate Italian man-ness...

• tuck in all shirts. You might not be able to pull this off without an accent though. 
• always wear a belt. You cannot leave the house without a belt. It is kind of like that rule for women where you should never leave the house without earrings. 
• no flip-flops unless you're at the pool, beach, or shower. 
• wear sockettes. That bare ankle look of Italian men is talked about all the time, but I have a sneaky suspicion that they are not wearing their shoes senza socks. You might want to invest in those teeny-tiny socks that don't peek out over your shoes. 
• tailor everything. 
• tight pants, 'nough said. 
• start a sunglass collection, first up...Ray Ban Aviators. 
• don't skimp on outerwear, If you're going to be out on the streets of Milan in winter, it's chilly and you can't go around flashing your immaculate suit that's hidden underneath a hideous jacket. Look for a wool overcoat in a classic color like navy or beige and for God's sake, if you buy anything with fur, make sure it's real. 

Now for more photos of Italian men you wish were your boyfriends. The fact that some of these men are clearly old enough to be my father or grandfather but yet are so darn attractive to me really creeps me out, anyone else? 

It was London Fashion Week S/S 2015 that really did it, Day 4 particularly when Burberry showed those now infamous initial-ponchos and printed scarves. But what I really took to was the way the scarves were cinched into the whole outfit with a belt. LOVE IT. It's not particularly a revolutionary idea, it's definitely been done before but somehow often forgotten in favor of utilizing the scarf more functionally than fashionably (by this I mean, we tend to default to tying it around the neck on a chilly day). Anyways, thanks to this moment of inspiration, I have recently been out and about doing this: 

There is a scene in the movie Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts where she is at dinner al fresco in Rome with a group of international friends and they decide to give each city a word. New York is ambition. Rome is sex (how presumptuous indeed!). I thought I would do this for each new city I visit as well as some from past travels. Toronto’s word is transitioning.  

How wonderful is this Smythson crocodile-embossed wallet that is color-coded for you jet-setters out there? It has four different compartments for four different currencies that will prevent this from happening (actual photograph of my wallet on an everyday basis because I'm too lazy to re-organize)- 

I found this wallet on mrporter.com when searching for an equally-worthy passport holder.


EDITOR'S NOTES (from the site)- 
For the non-stop traveller, this crocodile-embossed leather wallet from Smythson has four separate colour-coded pouches to keep multiple currencies organised in one convenient place. The dark brown leather makes a handsome addition to a well-packed suitcase, bringing a touch of luxury to any time zone.

• The only thing I'm not a fan of is the hefty price-tag. I am a fan of every travel item on mrporter.com however. I wonder if that means I'm secretly a metrosexual man because this website seriously curates the classiest travel accessories I have ever seen and it is all targeted at a male consumer. Gah. 
  

Rudsak is a Montreal-based company that epitomizes 'the spirit of cool rebel', but in my mind, it aligns perfectly with 'the style of Torontonians', which I would describe as being very much the high-end hipster with rebel touches. I love to buy local and I still adore my made in Canada Mooseknuckles bomber jacket, however it is not exactly something you can dress-up or wear out to a fancy dinner. Enter the Grace coat. Down-filled and adorned with real fur (sorry PETA, I must also admit here, I love eating rabbit with polenta). 

The official description: Memory puffer with leather sleeves and asymmetric front zipper closure. Front leather welt pockets, rabbit fur lining inside hood and raccoon fur trim at hood edge. Interior dickie with rib collar and rib cuff. Signature Rudsak accessories.

Check it out here or just go here if you're in Toronto: 
RUDSAK TORONTO-QUEEN
315, QUEEN STREET WEST
PHONE : 416.595.9661

Oh hello there young, reckless Canadian. Thinking of spending a year abroad in Italy? You're in luck because Canada and Italy share a very special relationship that permits the exchange of it's citizens at their most attractive, impressionable, and dare I say, "adventurous" stage in their lives. By this, I mean this particular visa is available only if you fall between the ages of 18-35. If this is you, come join me in Italy! The working holiday visa will let you live in Italy for up to a year (without it you can visit as a tourist for 90 consecutive days maximum) and you can also work for 6 months out of that year. 

What you'll need: 
- an application form (available online or from an embassy or consulate of Italy) 
- application fee of $160-ish 
- copies of bank statements from the past three months to show you are not particularly poor (meaning you must have at least around $1500-$2000 Canadian in the bank, they say you must budget 200 Euros/month. Not entirely sure how they expect someone to live on 200 Euros/month unless you are supposed to exchange your body for rent)
- a flight reservation (you can get a travel agent to book one and cancel it if you can't commit right away, but make sure it's a return ticket)
-  medical insurance for the amount of time you want to stay in Italy (mine costed about $700 for 12 months)
- a copy of your CV 
- a passport, obviously 

Being based in Edmonton at the time of application, where there is not an official Embassy or Consulate, I went to the Sportello Consulare ad Edmonton which is like a branch of the Consulate in Vancouver. We met to review my application materials, basically a process to ensure they will grant your visa. Evidently this whole process is very easy and headache-free for most Canadians and in fact, after sending my application off to Vancouver, I had my passport back with the visa in less than ten business days! Stay tuned of course to see how it all pans out once I get to the country renowned for it's red tape and bureaucracy. Can't wait to have to disclose each of my tattoos...I have been warned by former alum of this working holiday visa, Miss. Bridget, who is currently satisfying her wanderlust in Australia. Check out her blog, Bridging the Gap. 

Wanted to share this photo of Massi's mistress, he's been spending alot of time on her (hehe) since he's been back in Italy. She is quite fun-loving though and perfectly color-coordinated to our casa (in the background), so I will let her stick around as long as she takes me to Bellagio every now and then. 

Found this ridiculously cute design by artist Sasha Netchaev who wrote- 

I was fortunate enough to study abroad for four months in Firenze, Italia, and it has forever changed my outlook on life.  This informational poster was created to shed some light on the beautiful Italian people.  I based my information off of the countless observations I made every day living in Florence.  I hope it resonates with Italians and those interested in Italian culture alike. 

Check out the original page here: To Be An Italian 

Time to leave now, get out of this room, go somewhere, anywhere, sharpen this feeling of happiness and freedom, stretch your limbs, fill your eyes, be awake, wider awake, vividly awake in every sense and every pore.  – Stefan Zweig

To chase love is to chase happinesses. It’s to decide that you will throw yourself into the swirling, maddening and restless chase we’re all trying to enter. Because love is the ultimate destination, is it not? It’s the reason we move, every day.

It’s the reason we get up and fight through the bad. It’s the reason we keep going, trudging on, meeting person after person. It’s the last goal, the final frontier and the only thing worth moving for.

If you think you’ve found it… in a person, a city, a job, you must move for it. If your dream job awaits in Spain, you must move there. If your heart yearns for the pink beaches of Bermuda, you must go there.

If you fall in love on the dunes of the Cape with a man you barely know, you must follow him. Chasing love is not irresponsible, it’s honest. It’s admitting that there is no greater chase, nothing more important. Because if you’re not chasing love, what are you running after?

Read the full article here