"The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind" - Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations

"Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist!" - Today I explore this wonderful statement by the late Anthony Bourdain.

I have been going around in circles for years musing over this whole thought about the traveling journeys and contemplating moving beyond being a complete tourist and embracing more of the unknown as a traveler.

Sometimes it is sheer spontaneity and sometimes I go in headstrong with my grand expectations. There are moments of awe and beauty and sometimes it is a real spectacle and a few lessons are notched on the belt.

How to lean more into creating space for surprise and possibility and throwing the itinerary out the window for the afternoon. I thought I would muse over this whole topic and what it means to be a traveler and some things I have discovered along the way, no doubt the hard way but that was part of the fun!

Enjoy,

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"The money was always for a dream of sorts, an Italian dream, and now it's one we get to keep living" - Jac Beagley

Welcome to Episode #119:

Many of us dreaming about a home in Italy, a place to enjoy la dolce vita. The big question is, can you do it on a conservative budget and find something special?

The answer is - Yes you can!

Australian couple Jac and Josh Beagley spent $32,000 Euros (approx. $50,000 Australian dollars) on an apartment in a medieval hilltop village in Umbria. Their holiday home is located in the Centro Storico of Amelia only one hour from Rome. This is their story of buying and renovating a small apartment in a romantic medieval village in Italy. Jac shares that she had no idea what she was doing but they made it happen anyway. Later in the conversation Josh shares his journey and the new adventures in Italy.

We began the conversation reflecting on Jac’s walking tour on the path of San Francesco in Umbria, the Way of Saint Francis. It turns out, the journey she made as a solo traveler would plant a seed that Umbria had property that was not inflated and potentially affordable. And so close to Tuscany!!

I enjoyed listening to Jac’s story of traveling solo very much and this was a wonderful segway into way happened next- suggesting to her husband that they should possibly buy a place in Italy!! The rest is in this wonderful podcast conversation….

Enjoy x

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"Italy taught me to readjust my focus" - Judith Valente, The Italian Soul

Today I talk with Author Judith Valente about her recent book The Italian Soul - How to Savour the Full Joys of Life.

In Judith’s introduction to The Italian Soul she writes, “I depart Italy with the same feeling: I found what I was looking for”. Judith shares not only practical advice on how to savour the daily details, but what she has learned from her ancestors and her time in Italy with friends and family. While on retreats to pilgrimage sites in search of beauty and the contemplative life, from history, the monastics, the sense of community and conviviality that is a part of the every day life in Italy - Judith shares how we can create balance in our lives when we bring some simple pleasures into the every day, wherever we are in the world.

If you would like to deepen your interior life or appreciate the sacred in daily life, Judith’s book - The Italian Soul is a wonderful Invitation. Enjoy this conversation…

Book - The Italian Soul by Judith Valente

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© 2025 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2025

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