As I prepare to travel to Italy with my family, I am reminded of the importance of being intentional about how and where I invest my time, energy, and finances. Growing up in a family with deep Italian roots, I have grown fond of learning about generational traditions. I am not sure of too many other families that have risotto at Thanksgiving dinner!
Hearing stories of how our ancestors lived in a beautiful, mountainside town in Northern Italy, I always longed for a chance to experience their culture in person. Throughout the years, we would exchange handwritten letters with the matriarch of our Italian family, Francesca, and hear how their families were doing. In June of 2016, a group of 16 Chicagoans boarded a plane headed to Rome, Italy to meet the cousins we had only heard about in postcards.
The trip lasted ten days and we had the opportunity to travel across the country, beginning in Rome, making our way up to Malo and ending up on the Amalfi Coast. When we finally arrived at our family’s home, it was an absolutely breathtaking moment to see all nineteen of them waiting for us on their doorstep.
Every detail of this experience has held a significant place in my mind and heart from the moment I left. Not only did I get to visit one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, but I was able to invest my time and energy into learning more about the generational traditions I grew up with and why it is important to honor them. Now, almost eight years later, I am going back to see the family I have kept in touch with and, of course, to celebrate Francesca's 98th birthday.
As I get older and gain a better sense of prioritizing what I am investing my time and finances in, connecting with my roots will always be one of them.