Last night in Stresa, Italy, thunder cracked the sky wide open—just like it does back home in Michigan.
But this morning?
The mountains are draped in scarves of cloud, like they’re dressed for a secret ceremony.
And Steve and I?
We’ve detoxed from the noise.
The endless scroll.
The background buzz.
The distractions that keep us anywhere but here.
My rule is simple:
Creation, not consumption.
Create beauty.
Write as if no one’s watching.
Breathe it all in—new sights, tastes, sounds, smells, and most of all… feelings.
Because let’s be real—
aren’t distractions just clever ways to avoid feeling?
To justify bad behavior?
To cover up self-serving choices?
Here’s the truth:
We’re not meant to feel good all the time.
We’re meant to stretch.
To ache.
To question.
To grow.
And growth feels gritty.
Steve hasn’t turned on a TV once (shocking for my “always-on” guy).
I haven’t live-posted a single thing (wild for me, the sharer).
Instead, I’m creating longer, deeper reflections in my Postcards From Italy series.
And it hasn’t been all dolce vita.
Early in the trip, I tore a contact.
Now I’ve got a rogue piece that makes my eye water like I’m crying through every cathedral.
It’s raw.
It’s annoying.
And it’s reminding me I don’t have to curate perfection to live beauty.
Seventeen days away is a long stretch to miss my mom, my kids, my grandies, my dog, my people.
But in the in-between, I’m choosing to listen to the song of my soul—
and let it carry me into every moment that feels like me.
Because energy recognizes energy.
And when you stop consuming the noise,
you finally hear your own music.
If you enjoyed this post, join my inner circle of people on a mission to design a life they don’t need to escape from!
