1. I've become a country person (not a city one).
I only realized this when each day as Steve and I decided what to do in Florence we would look on the map and say something like "Let's head to that green space there."
Nature speaks to me.
2. Fresh food is best.
Everyone marvels about Italian cuisine, but what struck me was that at its essence it is quite simple.
Fresh, whole ingredients served together isn't rocket science, and it just tastes better.
3. You can't be inspired when you're rushing around to "see" everything.
Italy overflows with inspiration, but it saddened me to see that throngs of people (including myself at times) could approach an artistic masterpiece, snap a photo and walk away again.
Better to look at one piece of art or architecture, and take a lesson away from it, than rush around to "document" everything.
4. Greatness takes time to develop.
This is an extremely important lesson for us mamas in the trenches. As I stood looking up at cathedrals that took hundreds of years to build, it reminded me that I shouldn't expect such instant results in my parenting efforts.
What's worth creating takes time to create--including the investment we're making in our kids' lives.
5. East, West, home is best.
It's remarkably comforting to travel the world with my best friend and enjoy it, but also to realize that I'm just as satisfied with our day-to-day life. We don't have to escape or "get away" on vacation because our everyday life has meaning.
We're living the life of our dreams already.
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