My birthday fell about halfway through my trip to Europe in May, while we were in Tuscany and staying at a villa just outside of San Gimignano. The night before I thought a lot about what I wanted to do that day. We’d already had several whirlwind days of traveling so I thought it would be nice to something a bit slower-paced for a change. What I did for my birthday:
- Slept in a bit and then headed for the nearby town for a bit of sightseeing and wandering
- Had my first and only Italian gelato
- Shopped for a few small gifts for my kids
- Did my daily 40 laps in the cold water of the villa pool
- Spent an hour or so lying in the sun and dozing
- Watched an afternoon storm roll across the sky and across the valley around the villa
- Ate a simple dinner of bread, cheese, olives, and charcuterie, along with a bottle of local wine
- Took a rambly walk around the grounds of the villa with my camera, including a visit to the organic garden
- Went to bed a bit early
Here’s a slideshow of photos taken on that day:
4 comments
THAT’s the other thing I was supposed to buy you a drink / celebrate about at THATCamp!
Awww, you’re so sweet. :)
Jana- Reading your blog I have cried, I have laughed out loud, and I have often scrambled to find a notebook so I could jot down provoking ideas.
Your writing is inspiring. Your photos are beautiful. Thank you, thank you, for letting the world follow your journey and glean a fresh perspective from your insights
I read a post you wrote for the Exponent blog three years ago and since then I have periodically kept tabs on your blog and writing. You are such a gem of a person.
I love your introspective thoughts. Your story of how you have gone back to school and redefined yourself is motivating. Your narrative on how you have been able to make sense of the world, even when your marriage, and religiosity, was fading is so helpful to so many people.
Thank you for being frank, open, and honest about your journeys and being willing to share!
Thank you so much for this note, Danielle! I like knowing that my writing is creating connections with my readers–that makes the investment of time in this space worth it.