Ahhh... Italiahhh

My husband and I just returned from our much anticipated trip to Italy. This trip, as you'll recall, was in honor of our 20th Anniversary.

Twenty big ones, Baby!

As you also know, I made sure I went in to the trip managing my pie-in-the-sky expectations, especially in light of our honeymoon troubles two decades ago. I promised myself that I would fully participate in making the vacation experience enjoyable, keeping my vision of perfection flexible.

Street performers in Rome

But thankfully I didn't have to work too hard, as Italy did most of the work for me. My husband and I were able to relax and have the time of our lives.  Everything really WAS perfect.

Alright, mostly perfect.  On our last night in Rome, my sweetie couldn't sleep from the music blasting from the night club down the street, so you can imagine how hard the next day of overseas travel was for him. I myself slept like a bambina, as I was still under the effects of Dramamine, my medicine of choice for the ferry ride earlier that day. But apart from that, all was absolute ...

Paradiso

Spaghetti that is sweet, spicy and just a tad creamy.

Insalata di Frutti di Mare

The food.  The wine.  The beauty all around us.  Being together, sleeping in, having our own schedule without any whining... and I cannot emphasize the absence of whining enough... made for a brilliant holiday.

Insalata Caprese

How can they make gazpacho taste soooo good?

What made it really relaxing was knowing that our two kids were well taken care of by their loving aunts, uncles and grandparents.  They kept them so busy with fun activities that, according to numerous accounts, there was no whining whatsoever!

(I was ALMOST jealous.)

Here are some of the many pictures I took along our journey from Rome to Capri to Positano, then back to Rome to fly home.

Positano, The Amalfi Coast

Mornings were pure drudgery...

Fresh fruit on the veranda...

Beautiful floral arrangements...

Cappuccino

Evenings were even worse...

Sunset on the Isle of Capri

View of Positano at dusk

Bellissima notte

"When the moon hits your eye
Like a 
big pizza pie
That's amore."

Now THAT'S  Sangria!! (And a Mint Julep for The Mister.)

And I couldn't recall the last time I'd had a cocktail at 1:00 in the afternoon.

Steps down to a private little beach. We launched kayaks from here.

At Capri's Orsa Maggiore: A room with a VIEW

Fragrant flowers outside our albergo on Capri

Captain Ivan took us around the island

Exploring Capri by sea

Me thinking I'm SOMETHIN' tooling around the island!

Gorgeous turquoise and sapphire water

Loved all of the little coves and caves

La Fontelina

A restaurant accessible by boat or a short hike. You know what we chose!

Hubby and Captain Ivan looking for a good swimming spot

Beautiful cave formation

Relaxing at Il Ricci after our relaxing afternoon of boating (and we think we spotted Gerard Butler here!)

A natural bridge in the stone

View from cliff above

Cute boutique

Bougainvillea spilled out everywhere

High end shopping in Capri Town (I bought nothing.)

Capri Terrace

Intricate design is everywhere

Terraced garden on the property of our hotel in Positano.  All produce is grown on site.

Honeysuckle and flowers were everywhere

Taking time to enjoy the Mediterranean views from the hotel terrace.

Looking out over Positano

I just wish pictures could capture the wonderful 

scents and sounds.

My favorite color combo: turquoise and salmon

Ravello

Lunch poolside in Ravello

Enjoyed the crisp, cool air of the mountains warmed by the sun.

Breathtaking views!

Too much rugged beauty to speak of.

If we didn't have two children and a dog at home to take care of, I doubt we would've returned home!

Create Yourself: Acknowledge Your Strengths

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."  

-Albert Einstein

The Season of Great Expectations

Vacations, Vacations!

Why must you court us

 With

False expectations?

-Author (thankfully) Unknown

A few months back, while researching an upcoming trip to Italy, (woo hoo!!!!) I found myself reading all kinds of travel literature.  Much of it was fun and exciting, but after a while it just got too overwhelming.  So after slogging through endless declarations of must-see's and stays in southern Italy, (I know, it's pure drudgery, I tell you!)  I was delighted to come across a refreshing article, "Cape of High Hopes," in the March issue of Travel and Leisure Magazine.   

While the author, Editor-At-Large Peter Jon Lindberg, never mentions a word about Italy (at least in this article,) he does eloquently describe the potential pit fall of any vacation endeavor: grandiose expectations of the "perfect" trip.

I don't know about you, but when I plan for a trip, especially to uncharted territory, I get really excited. I become entranced in a sort of perfectionistic rhapsody, romanticizing the upcoming vacation to the point that it can never live up to my supernatural, ecstasy-inducing vision. It's as if my penchant for conjuring up wonderful possibilities (a great talent to have as a career coach, mind you) goes a little nutso-bonko and ends up biting me in that area-where-the sun-don't-get-to-shine.

But then I read this almost therapeutic article about becoming aware of these expectations and am now determined to outsmart my bullish idealism during future travel. I won't summarize Lindberg's elegant insights into not-so-elegant bullet points; instead, I'll just let you enjoy this lovely piece for yourself. His perspective is a great way to approach anything, really, whether it be vacations, careers, or life choices.

(FULL DISCLAIMER: Don't go thinking that this is THE best article in the whole WORLD. Because I'm not going to be the one to overly inflate your expectations.)

But DO enjoy!
-Katie

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/when-a-vacation-disappoints.html

The Strength of Kindness

Discovering people's greatest strengths is probably the number one reason I love what I do.  I feel like a treasure hunter sometimes, thrilled at the prospect of uncovering some hidden talents (or, more likely, a unique combination of talents) that someone possesses.

And yet I'll admit that there is one strength- oftentimes learned but sometimes generously bestowed on a few individuals- I tend overlook in the midst of the other more "lucrative" talents. This strength is, simply put, a capacity for kindness. It is one of the most important aspects of a person's potential, but so often gets way too little attention. After all, no adult would think of putting "I am kind" on their resume or business card or use it as a selling point in an interview. Yet how refreshing and effective is this trait to have in our working environments? We all know that when a person is both good at their work and displays kindness to others that she becomes a super star.  Through simple acts of generosity, she leads with integrity and positively influences the workplace.

I wonder if many of us are actually born to bestow kindness, but as we grow older we stop being as outward with our care taking. We gradually build up our competitive spirit to the point that our gentle souls diminish, and our nurturing inclinations take a back seat. We learn to put on an adult armor that shows we mean business, masking that tenderness we may have shown freely as children.

A very touching article in Guideposts Magazine reminded me of that pure, unadulterated kindness that children can bestow.  Jennifer Hubbard, mother of Sandy Hook elementary school student, Catherine Hubbard, wrote an insightful and touching essay about her daughter, Catherine, age six, who was one of the children who tragically died in the December 2012 shooting.  Reading this mother's words (albeit through tears) prompted me to remember what a gift kindness is, and how we cannot ever diminish its power or grow out of our own inclination to share it. Ms. Hubbard allows us to glimpse into young Catherine's life, which centered around her immense capacity and understanding of kindness, even at the tender age of six.

Here is a brief excerpt from this story:

"She could be shy around adults, like lots of little girls. With animals or other kids it was another story, especially with animals. She came alive with love, our own miniature flame-haired Dr. Doolittle. It was as if she couldn't contain her need to care for every living thing.

How many hours did Catherine spend in the backyard with her friends patiently training our old yellow Lab mix to jump over a stick? Hugging her. Picking her up, though she weighed twice as much as Catherine. She had a thing for critters-her pet bunny, her fish, the crickets in our yard on lazy summer nights, even the worms. Butterflies were a big deal. She'd gasp with delight when one landed on her hand, which they always seemed to do. Maybe it was because she'd whisper to them, 'Tell all your friends I'm kind.'

Yes, kind. Catherine knew what she was and how precious kindness is in this world.

Catherine's Business Card

Not long ago she made her own business cards with Catherine's Animal Shelter across the top.  Care Taker, she wrote under her name.  She handed them out to friends and to her first grade teacher at Sandy Hook.  [My husband,] Matt and I smiled at her sense of purpose.

She was never without some kind of animal, usually one of her unbelievably huge collection of stuffed toys. She piled them around her on the bed at night. In the morning she always picked one to put in her backpack for school, as if she had to have something with her to care for, even a stuffed animal."

Visit Site

As tragic and heartbreaking as it is to know that such a lovely life has been cut horribly short, I'm hoping to let Catherine's example of open tenderness remind me to better appreciate kindness: In myself, in my clients and in my own gentle, tenderhearted daughter as well.



Note: Catherine's parents created a memorial in honor of their daughter's love for animal rescue.  They requested that any donations be sent to their local animal shelter. To date, with the generosity of hundreds of supporters, Catherine's vision is now becoming a reality. The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary is under way!