My Heat Goes Out To Italy

By now you have probably heard or read about the earthquake in L’Aquilla, Italy this week.  The pictures are devastating.  My father lived in L’Aquilla for 5 years and I have been there many many times.  It was always one of my favorite places to go.  I love the insanity of Rome, but L’Aquilla was what true Italian life is all about.  In the morning the market thrived in Centro where you could buy absolutely anything.  In the afternoon and late into the night it rang with the sounds of laughter with the kids playing soccer and the murmurs of adorable old men in their jackets and hats chatting on the benches.  I have so many memories of being there.  Here are some of my favorites:

~ Going for long walks in the country just outside of town with my sister.  We traveled to Italy twice, just the two of us and it was great.  We live 10 minutes apart from each other and yet, even with the best of intentions we don’t get to see each other as much as either of us would like and even when we do, we are usually fitting it in between getting other things done.  In Italy we would talk for hours and just catch up on really where we were at in our lives.  Sometimes they would be really big important conversations and sometimes we would just laugh and be silly, but either way, that time meant the world to me.
~ I am a true Daddy’s girl so spending time there with my dad was great.  He is Italian through and through.   It was wonderful to see him in his element.  We too got to spend some wonderful time together just being.  A 15 minute conversation with my dad does not reveal much, but if  you have a chance to just spend time with him you come to see how truly amazing he is and I am grateful for being able to do that in Italy.  We would walk the streets and stop in to a café for a drink then head out to dinner and a gellato afterwards.  It was great.
~ L’Aquilla is where I first learned to add some Sambuca to my espresso and where my Dad introduced Gary to Grappa and Cent Herb.  How else was he going to know if his potential son in law was man enough to handle his daughter?   By the way Grappa in the right setting might be tolerable but I caution you to stay away from Cent Herb at all costs if it is ever offered to you.
~ I remember always going to Rosella’s to buy shoes and laughing at what a small world it is because we all have family in Cleveland, Ohio.  I still have some of my sexy boots that I bought there and will probably have them forever.
~ The first time Gary ever used a passport was to go to L’Aquilla with me and it was the first time he ever had ‘real’ lasagna.  He was really nervous about being in a foreign country, but when we walked into the Bar Cavour and they played the entire River album by Bruce Springsteen he knew that we would love it.
~ I have great memories of warm summer evenings spent eating gellato (nutella, straciatella and pistachio are my favorites) and walking around Centro.
~ I remember a night when I was there with my sister and my Dad has some business colleagues in town from New York.   They were super nice guys.  We all went out to dinner and ended up at some bar afterwards doing Jager shots.  Not sure how that happened, but it was fun!
~ L’Aquilla is known as the city of 99 churches and they are beautiful.  Speaking of beauty I remember walking the streets there many times and finding the most incredibly, seemingly every day things.  Beautiful window boxes with trailing red geraniums over flowing and beautiful little paintings on the sides of buildings.
~ I loved walking through the Collemagio, an old fortress where scenes from the movie Ladyhawk were filmed.  (an old movie with Matthew Broaderick in it.)
~ Gary and I bought a beautiful drawing of L’Aquilla while we were there once that shows the whole city and has a gorgeous frame, the kind that you really can’t find here.  It hangs in our home today and it makes me smile ever time I walk by.  The funny thing is that we bought it fully framed, with the glass, right after 9-11 and then brought it back on the airplane!  First of all the thing was insanely heavy to be lugging through the airport but second of all we could not believe that they actually let us on the airplane with a giant sheet of glass.  Craziness!  Oh well, it just adds to the story now which makes it even more meaningful.

My heart aches for all of the families that have been displaced and lost everything and for the beauty that was destroyed.  I am grateful to have been there, though, and for the wonderful memories that I have.

Leave a Comment





Signup to receive Nicole's blog posts via email weekly:

Other Posts

Letter to My Younger Self

April 11, 2025

Today is my birthday. For me, birthdays are a beautiful mix of celebration, anticipation and reflection. This post is dedicated to reflections. Things I wish I could tell my younger self. Imposter syndrome is normal! You’ve spent so much time doubting yourself. Feeling like everyone else knows what they are doing while you’re still trying…

Read More

Managing the Adrenaline / Emotional Roller Coaster of Real Estate

March 21, 2025

Closings, getting mutual on a contract, receiving a referral – there are lots of wins in real estate. Each one brings a shot of adrenaline that feels amazing. However, those moments are often short lived, with a lot of space in between. If you aren’t careful that space can fill with self doubt, insecurity or…

Read More

Why Proving Yourself Is A Bad Idea

March 14, 2025

I competed on a listing this week that I didn’t get. It was a great one too – awesome house, great clients. It was one I really wanted. When I got done pouting I took a few minutes to ask myself, ‘where did it go wrong’? Our first appointment was amazing! The second one, not…

Read More

The Secret To Success: How Awareness Transforms Everything

March 7, 2025

‘The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.’ – Source Unknown Last week focused on letting go of the need to play catch up. The only thing that matters is focusing on the present moment. The…

Read More

Don’t Try To Catch Up – Just Start Where You Are

February 28, 2025

I’ve spent the last few days in Virginia at my favorite real estate conference, Genuine Hustle, where I had the honor of presenting a session on asking powerful questions. It’s the most authentic, vulnerable, supportive and all around amazing group of agents that I’ve ever spent time with. They haven’t released the location or dates…

Read More

This Phone Call Brings In The Most Referrals

February 23, 2025

Can calls really translate into referrals? Are some more effective than others? When we work with clients it’s easy to go into ‘get it done’ mode. We focus on getting from contract to closing as quickly and smoothly as possible. And to be fair, that’s a big part of what our clients hire us to…

Read More

What if EVERYTHING is Working Out For You?

February 7, 2025

What happens when you have a ‘set back’ ? Does it send you into a tail spin of fear and insecurity? Do you brush it off and move on? Or – Do you view it as confirmation that you ARE on the right path, realize it wasn’t the right opportunity or situation for you, and…

Read More

Don’t Do This Alone

January 24, 2025

I was lucky enough to be invited to mastermind with these amazing agents for a few days this week. We talked business, but it was so much more than that. We talked about being intentional with our lives, the hours we worked, the struggles we face, our investment strategies (owning rental real estate of one…

Read More

Collaboration Over Competition, This Is Your Chance To Learn From The Best

January 17, 2025

What if you could stop over thinking how to run your business? What if you knew exactly what other agents do to attract clients? This is your chance! Season 2 of Secrets of Attracting Clients starts January 27th and I’m super excited for this years line up! We have 12 amazing sessions, all with ideas…

Read More

How Lowering Your Bar Can Help You Reach Your Goals

January 10, 2025

January holds a special mix of big dreams and deep insecurity for a lot of agents. If you find yourself toggling between the two – know that you’re not alone. We usually associate big dreams with big actions. So we make long to do lists as proof of our commitment to increasing our income. Often…

Read More