Calabrisella Mia

My plane ticket is booked. That means, this summer (August to be exact) I’ll be taking my first solo trip to Italy. I can’t even begin to describe how much I’m looking forward to this trip. It has been 10 years since I visited last. As hard as it will be to go this summer without my father, I can’t help but feel how important this trip will be for me.

In the summer of 2006, I took a “career vacation” from my job in Music Publicity to decide if I really wanted to continue pursuing it. When it came time to make that choice my father was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. I put everything on hold in order to be there full time to care for him during his illness. I don’t regret the decision I made. As hard as it was, if I had to do it all over again I would. Through that experience, we grew even closer than we already were.

He was always so proud of the fact that I embraced his Italian heritage. He always made sure to tell me that no matter what; I would always have a home and family in Italy that I could turn to whenever I needed. I have this unexplainable connection to my father’s town, and even though it’s been 10 years, I remember it so vividly as if I were there just yesterday. My cousin tells me the town hasn’t changed which, for me, is so reassuring. My life has been flipped upside down and I have spent every day trying to adapt and move forward – it will be nice to see that some things don’t change.

I’m looking forward to spending time with my family in Italy. I have so many fond memories of the time spent with them and I trust there will be many more to come. I have a feeling that this trip will be life-changing for me. I’m at a crossroads in my life, and I’m not sure where I’m headed next. I hope that this trip will help me feel closer to my father and also help put things into perspective and clear my head so that I can make the choices that I need to make. It’s been a hell of a couple of years and I’m definitely due for some magic that only a place like Italy, more specifically Carpanzano, can provide.

The countdown begins…77 days!!

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