A couple of years ago, my friend Laurie, whom I met through my friend Lizzie on my blog, asked me to help her renovate her holiday home in Italy. Laurie lives in Hawaii, and I live in France, and neither of us speaks Italian—what an adventure it has been!
Laurie’s father’s family is from Italy, and she has many cousins living in the village where she has been visiting for years and where she finally bought a home. The village is utterly charming, a world apart, with a strong sense of community. Every time I come here, I don’t want to leave. It’s a place filled with wonderfulness, kindness, generosity, and beauty—everything that fills my heart.
Today, we went in search of some old materials—tile, wood, and stone. One of the men who had managed the resurfacing of the façade told us to come visit his place, where we might find something useful. Wow, did we find something useful!
Most people would call it junk or just a pile of nothingness, but all I could see was one good thing after another, hidden among the rubble.
Fortunately, and surprisingly, the man spoke French. I described to him what I had in mind, pointed out items I found, and asked if it was possible to use them.
With his magic wand, he agreed and looked at me, saying, “You have some pretty creative ideas, looking through this pile of stuff covered in weeds.” I smiled and replied, “That’s my middle name- Old Stuff.”
When I have a creative idea and share it with someone in construction or architecture, and they like it, it feels like hitting the jackpot in their eyes.
Happy we are as if we were granted a million dollars to spend as we wanted. Or as if we had a free vacation to the Maldives. Creating is the best holiday!
This journey has been an incredible adventure for us. Together, we’ve learned from each other every step of the way. The charm of her homeland, the language barrier seemingly disappearing with the help of sign language, and Google translate, and the support by the talented craftsmen, we’ve brought our ideas to life. Our bond has deepened through this renovation, and the friendships we’ve built have become the best part of this experience.
We have more to do!
Leave a Reply