Summer in ITALY
is never a bad idea
Our friend and photographer muse Elana
Jadallah of
@elanaloo went to the country of art, good wine, and romance to celebrate her 30th birthday and she let Golden August come along for the adventure....
"after two years of exploring near home deeply, it was invigorating to be far away, immersed in somewhere new"
All I could think of when I woke up on my birthday was what a privilege it is to witness yourself growing older, what a privilege it is to live, to breath, to experience another year of life. I am eternally grateful to be starting this new decade here. I've always heard your 30's are an incredible time in life and I'm excited to see all that this decade will hold. Celebrating this new decade in Italy, fully immersed in all the most special details and moments had me deep in my feels. A dream come true.
The first hours of the day are sacred to me, when the earth feels quiet and I can think. This was no different on the few mornings we spent in Puglia, as I woke hours before anyone and read here in silence.
Knowing we had a few calm days on the end of our trip allowed me to fully enjoy the bustle of the Amalfi Coast and then drop into the slower, spacious moments that we spent tucked away on an old olive masseria in the countryside.
On our last night in Puglia, Aaron yelled for us to come up to the roof! I was reluctant but climbed climbed the narrow stairs on the side of the trulli, thinking about how many thousands of years this place had been standing. The sky was glowing orange, just for a few fleeting minutes before it dipped below the horizon. Seeing that sunset from this vantage point will forever be seared into my mind.
pictured above: the salty crop hanging out to dry with the Mediterranean in the background ~
Decades from now, we'll be more disappointed by the things we didn't do than by the things we did. We've heard this saying a thousand times... and at this stage of my life, I couldn't agree more. I usually play it safe, don't risk 'too much' I had a million reasons to say 'no' to this trip and I'm so grateful to have decided to book it anyway. This trip reminded me of the power that one 'yes' can have. Exploring a new place (with familiar faces) after so many years dreaming of this has meant more to me than words can say.
I took only a carry on for the time I was there and {The Golden Dress} was truly my staple on the trip.
