Looking back

Before moving forward...2024 review

New Years Day 2025 Torino Italy

Hello Friends and Buon Anno from my current location in Torino, Italy.

I had originally drafted and outlined this post during the “in-between time” which is what I call the days between and after the Christmas and New Year holidays with an intention to get it out last week. However, life and world events slowed me down and put it on the back burner.

Since then, I have been blessed and thrilled to see so many new subscribers to this substack! First, a very warm welcome to you and thank you for being here. Please do reach out and let me know where you are in the world and if you feel called, to what you are looking forward to for 2025. I truly love connecting with this community and have had in-real-life friendships and old fashioned “pen pal” relationships sprout up, all of which I’m so grateful for.

Second, so many of you found ‘Pied À Terre Life’ through Anne Boyd Rioux’s wonderful substack ‘Audacious Women’ where she gave me a lovely shout out (that I had no idea was coming, might I mention) and wow, this is such a great example of the true power of community. I’m so thankful to Anne, for her friendship and support, and for introducing me to all of you. What a lovely way to kick off (a bit dark so far) 2025.

I have been in a true “wintering” mode, a slow, nurturing state, that has lasted all of December and into January. I have been thinking of it as a seasonal tending to my garden, which includes reviewing; pruning; cutting back; protection from elements; making compost and planning for the future. What does this translate to in my reality, you might wonder? Well, I have spent a lot of time meditating and finding true nourishment and creativity in that practice; lots of reading and listening to poetry (something very new for me - more poetry); walking for multiple hours along the Po River in Turin, Italy where I have set up my home in my temporary Pied À Terre for 3 months. And some good creative writing, daydreaming and working my day job, of course. If you read my post ‘A Pause’ you will learn more about how life in Italy extends an invitation to me, to sink into this slow living routine, especially in autumn and winter, where my body and mind (if I let it) escapes from rushing and chaos and can just be.

My daily routine during travel has evolved over the last year, in part due to some not so great health issues, physical and mental (I don’t think you can have one without the other), and I wrote about living this travel life while managing those in several posts, including this one. While I won’t say I have enjoyed these issues, I have come to appreciate the outcomes as they have changed me for the better in many ways. I shared some of these with Anne when we met in person this autumn while we were both living in Edinburgh and she shared some of my practices on her recent post. I am going to be writing my own post soon about these practices a bit more in-depth as I have gotten very positive feedback from folks on other platforms when I’ve posted about them so I want to give some attention to them here as we move into a new year that is already proving to be chaotic. I want to provide a space that is calm and uplifting, a pause in the chaos, even for just the time it takes to read or listen. More on that soon.

2024 Review: I learned that grief and gratitude can coexist

As I was reflecting on my 2024 by going through the many, many photos I take, they show an astounding year of living in different countries, quite unexpectedly for more than one. I could see that my experience could seem quite wonderful and fun through the visual storytelling but also showed that inside there was grief and a good deal of stress as well. But this is life, isn’t it? Nothing is all one or the other. Whether rooted in one place or exploring the world and new destinations, I realized that my body, my vessel, is my only true home. In 2024, my vessel brought me immense gratitude and grief and I accept both.

January-May: 2024 kicked off with a surprise (and consuming) health concern and a long plane ride from Italy (my 3rd autumn/winter there) to Melbourne, Australia which would be my home for most of that time. I had never been to Melbourne, even though I had visited Sydney in the aughts. It was not “on my bingo card” for an extended stay in Australia in 2024 up until December 2023 when I received an invite to house/cat sit for a dear friend of my son’s (and now mine). I said an enthusiastic yes with no hesitation. *I feel like I should mention here that all of my other travel has been me renting apartments or houses. Several folks have asked if house sitting is how I travel. It has not been the way I’ve traveled for the last 6 years but I am not closed to it at all.

Melbourne, Australia 2024

Melbourne welcomed me with open arms: the loveliest, friendly, happy people; a delightful place to live in comfort; a great community; nature and the COFFEE. I arrived in summer and stayed through autumn and it was so incredibly lovely. Melbourne is an easy place to live and I want to return sooner than later. You can read more about Melbourne in detail here.

While I was down in the southern hemisphere, I planned a trip to New Zealand, my first time, and spent almost a month there (read more here) and while I enjoyed my exploration through both islands I would like to go back and spend all of my time at the bottom of the south island. I spent 7 days in Wãnaka at the end of my trip and just fell in love and wished I had spent all my time there. Wãnaka is very beautiful and charming and easy to manage and is adjacent to lots of excellent day trips including the bucolic Central Otago wine country. I spent a wonderful day touring wine country in the height of autumn leaf peeping and I can’t recommend it more.

Wanaka New Zealand

May-July: Paris, France

Living in Paris for 2 months in the spring/summer of 2024 was also NOT in my plan going into 2024. Another serendipitous meeting (in my favorite wine bar in Florence, Italy) in December 2023 led to an immediate friendship developing mostly through messages and a few phone calls which eventually led to an offer to rent their private flat (not an airbnb) in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. I had never been to Paris and so my answer was a lively ‘Mais oui’.

When incredible opportunity knocks, however unexpected, I am very motivated to answer with a yes.

Landing in Paris in mid-May, the weather was a delight, as was my home. In Paris, I lived in a very comfortable, charming older building in the middle of a true neighborhood. The 12th arrondissement is very local. As in not many tourists. It was perfection for me. I was surrounded by the loveliest of shop-keepers and bakers and Marche owners who looked past my non-existent-but-trying-hard French to make me feel welcome and a part of the community while I was there. At this time I went through some other alarming physical and mental challenges so it was important to feel safe and comfortable and I have to say I did. I found comfort in walking daily in the gorgeous, huge park that was only 10 minutes from my door. I also was blessed to find a wonderful acupuncturist and a gynecologist who were both amazing and very helpful.

Bois de Vincennes - my park in Paris

Despite some of my challenges I had a wonderful 2 months - my flat was minutes away from the Metro line 8 which got me everywhere I needed to go; to the popular spots; the busy spots and then dropped me back in my charming and less-hectic neighborhood. Dreamy.

I had another travel friend (we met in Florence as well) come through Paris and we had an excellent dinner together and spent a day touring Champagne, arriving back in Paris for a spritz and snacks by the Seine.

One of my very favorite days EVER occurred while living in Paris. I spent the day bicycling through Versailles on a very special, bespoke, small tour (12 people). It rained most of the morning and I have to say bicycling through Versailles in the rain is something I highly recommend doing. I kept saying to myself “who am I right now?” which is something I say to myself whenever I experience something awe-inspiring. I have said this a lot these last few years.

You can read more about Paris and Versailles here.

Late July - September 1 - USA

When I left Paris in late July, I flew to Scottsdale, Arizona to see my son and landed back in the US where I hadn’t been since September of 2023. Almost a year. Being with my son was life-giving and wonderful but unfortunately I would become more stressed due to the US “healthcare system” and its hostility. That is all I was say for now but instead of dialing down my issues being in the US pushed them up.

However, spending time with my son was not stressful and we took a quick trip to Tucson, Arizona, which we consider our “home”. We moved to Tucson from Massachusetts in 1996 when Zach was 8 and both of us consider it where we are from. We adore Tucson - it is the very best southwest city and so wonderful. We saw friends, ate at our very favorite spots, enjoyed two monsoons and stayed at an Oregon friend of mine new accommodations which are so lovely. We fell into deep nostalgia for his (and my) younger years.

Sorta Summer - Tucson - my friends excellent accommodations

August saw me back in Oregon, briefly, to see friends, visit my storage unit to change out clothes, and do a bit of in-person work with clients (which I rarely do now - my work is 100% remote). August in Oregon is quite lovely and seeing friends was fantastic but I had plans to leave the country again so it was a short visit. I flew back to Arizona to soak up a few more days with my son and my “grand kitty” - his Maine Coon Mufasa before flying to Scotland.

September-November 1 Edinburgh Scotland

I first visited Edinburgh in January 2023 after dreaming about visiting and trying to sort a plan for a couple of years. It was through a friend of my son’s who would connect me with Scotland based wonderful, self-catering flat owners in late 2022 and they would offer the best of flat’s in my [now] favorite area of Edinburgh. I fell HARD for Edinburgh that winter stay (January-March) and thought to myself: if I love it in the winter I bet I would really love it in autumn (which is my favorite season - you can read about here). I booked a month stay in mid-September through mid-October 2023 and yes I LOVED it in autumn so had made a plan to settle in for 2 months in 2024.

Stockbridge, Edinburgh my neighborhood

Edinburgh now feels more like home to me than Oregon. I made many friends on my first visit and have been blessed to add more each time I have gone. I was quite social this time with many walks; coffee dates; lunch and dinner dates and some train adventures. One of those new friends I made this year is Anne Boyd Rioux! I had been a fan of her substack for a while but had not realized she was living in Edinburgh until I was reading a post of her’s in August. She wrote about Edinburgh in such a way that I knew she loved it like I did. I reached out to her immediately introducing myself and inviting her for a coffee while I was there. She was going to be out of town for half my trip but was there most of October and we were able to get together for coffee and we hit is off immediately, talking for over an hour in the coziest back room of my favorite coffee spot in Edinburgh, Artisan Roast on Broughton. I was so happy we got together several times, I shared more of my very favorite spots with her, and we had many lively conversations. Audacious women indeed.

Feeling at home in Edinburgh was important because I would have some major health concerns to deal with, physical and mental, which made me, quite frankly, angry, scared, and overwhelmed at times. Scotland has good healthcare, expensive to pay direct (more so than Australia or France), but very nurturing. I wrote about some of my nourishing self-care and holistic care in Edinburgh here.

Two (old) friends, upon hearing a little about my struggles (first rule of struggle - don’t talk about struggle but I did) asked me why I didn’t “go home”. Well, that’s a weird question (and not helpful may I add) because they know I don’t really have a home anymore so what would be the point of going back to the US? I’m not in love with my healthcare there (to say the least) so I decided I was better off in a place I do love, and figuring out my needs which took time but was definitely manageable. I wrote about this topic a bit here if you would like to check it out.

Overall, my time in Scotland was just LOVELY. A part of me wishes Edinburgh would stay a secret but I know it will not. There was a definite uptick in tourists while I was there this year as opposed to my previous visits. My flat is very close to a (very) popular ‘instagram famous’ street and I have to say some days it was overwhelming how many people were staging photo shoots with their phones. I was wondering how the people who live there are faring with it? I use the street often to walk to some of my favorite shops and I found myself avoiding it on the weekends. Such is the world right now but over tourism is a topic for another day.

The week leading up to November 1, my departure, had me going on many dates with friends to say farewell (for now) and I was truly sad to be leaving. Edinburgh is an easy place to live and I hope to go back for longer stays sooner than later. Stay tuned for more on that.

November-December (and January) - Italy

On November 1, I flew to Italy and landed in Milan which is my ritual now. I transition in Milan and spend a few days eating and walking around the city. I have written about ‘not sleeping on Milan’ as a city to visit and I love my preferred little section that I always stay in, Isola. This year another travel friend, who I had never met in person, but connected with through this substack, was staying in Italy for several months and would be there the same time as my arrival.

Travel friends are some of the very best friends

Sara and I would hatch a plan for her to join me in Milan for a night and she gamely braved the sometimes unpredictable train system to come stay. We made our time count! Sara had never been to Milan so we did a “Michele walking tour” and really hit some highlights - I tracked our steps to be 27k that day. We had a spritz at the historic Campari bar next to the Milano Duomo which is fabulous and then ended the day with dinner at my favorite restaurant, Ratana. The next day we both went to the majestic and very busy Milano train station - her back to Rome and me on to Turin. So so lovely. I hope we can do another meet up again soon.

Busy Milano Duomo - outside cafe Campari

I landed (back) in Turin on November 5 and have been here ever since. This is the place that I have felt most relaxed and chill since summer and it has had such a healing effect on me. I feel hopeful and renewed, different in a good way. Torino is elegant, beautiful, easily walkable around the center and a bit more laid back than other Italian cities where I have stayed.

This week in Torino

I love all of the Italian cities I have called home over the last 3 years but Turin has been perfect for this chapter and has given me all I need. I have beautiful walks, delicious food, a perfectly located flat and have made lovely Italian friends! I also had my Paris-apartment friend come through Turin briefly in December, with her cousin, and the three of us had the most perfect of long lunches followed by a long stroll to the center to a historic bar for some vermouth (a specialty of Turin) and ending with a tasty visit to two of the best chocolate spots. We then took a sunset walk back to the River Po. A perfect day.

I spent the holidays enjoying the lights and festivity of Italy, which is so special. I ate (too much maybe?) panetonne, walking through the holiday light-filled streets, peeping sparkling trees in windows and was blessed with a brief, magical evening of snow. One of my Torino-Italian friends invited me to their home for a friends and family holiday gathering that was one of my favorite evenings ever. I felt so welcome as I stumbled through my [improving] Italian, ate delicious food and laughed and talked. I had a cold walk home through our charming, quiet quarter with the Mole a sparkling beacon and thought again “Who am I right now?”

My quarter and the sparkling Mole - Torino, Italy

I am now on my last two weeks in Italy and have used up my 90-days Schengen visa. I can’t return to a Schengen country until April.

I have so much gratitude for 2024 and all the joy and awe it presented in my life. I also have gratitude for the grief. I know that sounds false but it is true. Honestly, it is the only way I can make sense of all the challenges and also not hold on to the tough days but to let them go with grace for their lessons and the slowing down they provided. I don’t know if some had to be quite so rough?? Only time will tell the opportunities they provide.

Here are a few thoughts I have held fast to and will continue to hold to as we move into the new year:

• Believe in your ability to do amazing things

• The more you feel your feelings the more you understand them

• The world is full of incredible, life-changing people and places

• Your life can change in a moment

• It is hard because it is unfamiliar, not because you are incapable

• Your choices only need to make sense to YOU

What does 2025 hold? Well, I won’t be returning to the US anytime soon. I have some irons in the fire and am delighted to be exploring somewhere new. More on that soon.

Thank you so much for being here and for reading my 2024 review. I am so excited to be back with my readers and to welcome so many new people to this page.

I have plans for future posts, as I mentioned above, on calming nourishing practices and/or places. I also will be picking back up my audio journal ‘Life Off-Script’ very soon. There are a few episodes recorded so if you haven’t listened yet you can do so here.

If you want to read about how I began this Pied À Terre Life my ‘Great Purge’ posts are a good place to get started.

Do let me know if you have any travel or remote work life questions or want to chat. You can message me directly or comment below. I love connecting.

Ok friends, until next time, stay safe and cozy wherever you may be.

As my Italian friends say to me when we part (in a whisper) “Ciao, ciao, ciao, ciao, ciao….”