Freedom

What would it take for you to lunge at making your dream on Earth a reality?

Some people spend all their lives thinking about that question. Others seem to have no problem living life full and hard. Some never find success. And some redefine "success" by making it uniquely their own.

Me? I fall somewhere in between. But in the first half of 2012 I lost two dear friends who were in their early 30s - one to a horrific and senseless shooting and the other who went to bed and never woke up. I realized that indeed life is short and that my daily grind had exhausted me. Something needed to change.

My next chapter in life wasn't coming to me, I was going to it; Italy, to be precise. And I jumped for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Stop dreaming. Start living. 

The decision to jump didn't happen fast, but it did happen.

After carefully pondering and researching the idea of life abroad for years - since my first trip to Italy in 2006 - the timing was ripe. After the tragic loss of my friends I knew it was time to set my plan into action.

Over a period of four months I sold my house and moved into a short-term apartment. I researched how to fly my family (a dude and two Labs) to Italy; animal travel seemed easy, but proved not quite so. I left my 20-year over-productive career in advertising and paused operations of a four-year old company I started from the ground up.

With just 14 days before jetting to Italy for three months, I'll be spending the holidays in Tuscany. 30 days outside Montepulciano. 30 days outside Cortona. And 30 days who knows where.

The full adventure will be parked here, or you can follow tidbits at Facebook.

Cheers to the next 90 days!

Catch the updates by clicking on the link "A Tuscan Holiday" above at right.

~ Patrick

for the love of : italy