Hello there, friend!

I just wanted to hop on here to give you a bit of an update about myself and Forces for Nature.

A few months ago, my husband and and I up and moved to Rome, Italy. Well, I can’t quite say up and moved as if it were a last minute thing. It’s been in the plans for a while now but the pandemic squashed any and all plans for everyone, am I right. We came for his job and, admittedly, at first I felt hesitant about the move. For the past 9 years, we’ve lived in Panama, Colombia, and Costa Rica. All were incredible experiences. And my hesitation wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to leave Latin America for Italy. I’m Italian-American and the idea of learning more about my roots was super exciting. What overwhelmed me was the idea of starting over again. Growing up, in my 20s, in my 30s, all I ever wanted was to travel and see the world. Well, careful what you ask for because you might just get it! I have had the incredible privilege of not only traveling, but living and integrating into places I never thought I would. And, although I’m good with change, it can be hard. And the constant change from this past year, the not knowing what’s next, routine getting thrown to the wind, it’s been a lot. But, we’re in Rome now, and it’s been quite amazing. That hasn’t changed the difficultly of trying to get by not knowing the language or understanding the culture yet, but the magic moments have reminded me that it’s all worth it.

And the one constant that I have had this whole time is you and this show. I absolutely love having the opportunity to speak with such incredible forces for nature. Without fail, they always give me a dose of inspiration to keep going. To keep making conscious choices for the Earth and its inhabitants. And you don’t realize until you’re thrown into a new situation how much of your conscious choices had become habit and something you actually no longer needed to be conscious about. For example, when we arrived to our temporary apartment, I had to learn how to recycle here because, believe it or not, the building doesn’t collect recycling (or trash for that matter). To dispose of these items, I need to walk around the block and put them in the public collection bins. And I still haven’t figured out how to do all that in our new place! I have a little pile of recycling growing because I’m too stubborn to just throw it away.

Another habit I have to get myself back into is asking for no straws with my drinks. Colombia and Costa Rica have been steadily improving in regards to most places now don’t provide you a straw unless you ask for it. In Italy, it’s still automatic! Sometimes with two straws coming in your drink. It’s a little thing, but avoiding straws is one of the ways I reduce my single-use plastic use.

And, another thing to learn is where to get the more eco-friendly options. What stores are out there and where are they. It’s all a learning curve.

I’m sharing this with you because I just want to make it very clear that I totally understand the overwhelm that comes with trying to change what you know, learn a new routine, instill new habits, create new comfort zones. It’s not fricking easy! Maybe you’ve been living in the same place for the past 20+ years. That doesn’t make it easier to make more conscious eco choices! In fact, it might be tougher than what I’m going through because change is my constant. Your routine might be much more solidified.

But, at the end of the day, the world is slipping ever more quickly into an irreversible mess. I’m not sure how it’s been for you, but this summer has been the hottest I’ve experienced in years. And I was living in the tropics! And the news of droughts, and wildfires, and floods, and algal blooms, etc etc are nonstop and it’s gettin scary. It would be SOOOO much easier to bury my head in the sand and ignore it. But that would be wrong. That would be throwing all hope out the window. And, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from those badasses that have come on this show, is that there is hope. But you have to fight for it. You have to change some of the things you’re used to doing and make allow yourself to be uncomfortable for a bit. But it’ll just be for a bit because they’ll soon become habit and routine and be choices and actions you make without a second thought. Trust me. Change can bring magic into your life you never thought about before. Change can keep the magic the world has to offer intact. And I’ve heard it a million times and even felt it before myself, what real difference does it make if I do this one thing or don’t do that one thing?? It adds up! And if each one of us makes the effort to be more conscious, uff, the power of the collective is incredible.

Anyway, it’s time to get off my soapbox. This episode is also meant to give you the heads up that I’ll be taking a break from interviewing until the Fall. I’ll be using the next couple of months to ease more into life here, do a little bit of traveling, see family. And to see what the next steps are for Forces for Nature. I’m still going to bring on incredible individuals who are doing great things for animals and the environment. If you have someone in mind, do let me know. And keep an eye out for Instagram Lives with some pretty cool people. But what more can I offer you? Would you like more tips posted on social media? Particular products? To be a part of speaking engagements? How can I support you in making more eco and animal friendly choices? How can I be your guide, or cheerleader, or helping hand. Send me a DM on Instagram or Facebook. Or You can email me at [email protected]. I really want to know.

And, until then, I’ll be staying in touch through social media. I hope to connect with you soon. Take care and I wish that the rest of your summer is fantastic, fun, and safe. Big hugs.