What I learned in Italy
By Melissa Kathryn

I’m not meaning to sounds like I’m knocking our country, I am so proud to be an American (I just laughed as I typed that thinking of the song) but there are ways that we are living, or in my view, not living, in which we should be.
As I walked the streets of Florence, I was reminded of how wonderful it is to simply slow down, to take in every moment and be present. I started my trip, working, that’s right, waking up in the middle of the night to work on programs and write my marketing. That had to stop. So, I packed it up and made the decision to fully immerse myself in my vacation and in the Italian culture. I am half Italian so that part came naturally…
I ate beautiful food, drank incredible wine, spent hours walking endlessly through cobblestone streets filled with history, art and natural beauty. I spoke Italian, ok, I tried to speak Italian, and I met amazing people. I took cooking classes, visited wineries, saw the countryside and was among loved ones, my family. Life doesn’t get much better.
So what did I learn? I clearly can’t do that everyday but what I brought back with me that I want to share with you is this:
10 Tips Italians Live By to Live your Best and Healthiest, Most Pleasurable Life Yet:
1. Be present – don’t be caught up in the past or the future, the present is what you are living and experiencing now.
2. Enjoy your meals – taste your food, engage your company, take your time eating, drinking, talking and walking. Meals are an experience and meant to be shared and enjoyed.
3. Family is your life-line – take care of each other, make amends, communicate, be open, spend time together.
4. Move more – walk everywhere, bike, run, dance – move your body. It’s a gift, not a chore.
5. Simplify your life – the more you have, the more you need and the more you spend. De-clutter. Get clear on what you really need and want.
6. Surround yourself with love – Italians are always among family and good friends. They take care of one another. We are all brothers and sisters.
7. Live Passionately – enjoy every moment.
8. Language is everything – speak passionately, mean what you say. You are the words that you speak.
9. Simplify your meals – Italians use no more than 5 ingredients including all of their spices, which allows for the real flavors of your foods to be tasted and enjoyed.
10. Eat seasonally – eat for the season, eat fresh foods from the farmers market – less pesticides and chemicals. Support your local farmers.
Challenge:
Incorporate at least 3 of the items listed above into your day each for 1 week and see how your day-to-day experience changes…for the better!
#bepresent #simplifyyourlife #MelissaKathryn #MichellePhillips #Enjoyfood #slowdown #Travel #livepassionately #eatseasonally