I'm sad to leave my hotel where I stayed for seven days, mostly because I will miss the owners (and life partners} Tommaso and Massimo, as well as their assistant, Rosanna. I feel like I'm leaving family behind. Although I stayed seven days, the first day didn't count since I arrived after 10:30 at night, which is why I started the blog the following day on Sept. 28th. I made sure to visit my corner cafe-bar for a macchiato and appricot cornetto before catching a taxi with my packed luggage to my new place in Rome.
This leads me to say that my 7th and final blog on behalf of sendmeonvacation.org is from my new digs in Rome. I moved into my friend, Milena's palatial apartment in a quiet and beautiful neigborhood. It feels like a private street since you enter large iron gates for a small street of apartment buildings. It's a grand and elegant apartment and I have my own bedroom. Milena and I met in Italian class at Santa Barbara City College and became friends. How blessed am I to not only have a friend in Rome retiring here with her husband, but a base as we take a few short trips? We plan to head to the Amalfi Coast on Thurs for a few days. I have envisioned visiting Positano for decades and thrilled to do so even if it's not with the romantic partner that I've dreamed of ;)
Below is photo of the street I've moved to and the fantastic old heavy entrance door. It's pretty spectacular.
I can say in all heartfelt sincerity and in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, that SMOV has participated in making my dreams come true. It's not just the amazing foreign travel, but it's given me purpose after such a long ordeal with breast cancer to be sharing my workshop, "Living and Healing Through Color" and in Rome, I'm writing. Embarking on a reinvention post-cancer by writing a book and blogging is a new chapter for me. As a creative person with background in Hollywood, as a stylist for home and wardrobe makeovers and now, an author, is more meaningful to me than I can descrbe. So, thank you (grazie mille) to Director and Founder, Cathy Backus for your love, support, and friendship. I also want to thank Heidi Lamprecht, VP for your support and friendship, not to mention the survivor women on retreats I've had the pleasure of meeting, many of which have become friends. I am truly grateful.
I will continue to post photos and a blog here and there. Thank you for reading. Below is a photo of me writing on the patio at my new place with the most pleasant breeze and wild parrots melodic and boastful chirping.
Ciao, ciao.
Keep on swimming through life,
Valerie Anne