Let's Dream into Italy Together

Thoughts as we imagine new adventures this year...

It’s been snowing most of the day outside my window in upstate NY, a serene scene of oversized snowflakes falling gracefully with no wind to blow them around, just like the snow that fell the day my grandpa Santagada passed away back in the 80s. The date of his passing was significant to us because it fell on February 5th, the Catholic feast day of Saint Agatha of Catania, Sicily, from whom our family name is derived. Grandpa Louie’s tribe is actually from the region of Calabria, not Sicily, hence a different spelling from the corresponding Sicilian surname Sant’Agata. More on that later in another post. But interestingly, Agata’s presence is prominent in the history of both my paternal and maternal family lineages, and she has asked me to step up, since she is my namesake after all.

I’m welcoming that sense of wintry serenity, and despite the cold, I’m conscious of the turning of the new year toward spring. I’m aware of ancient calendars that say Mother Nature ushers in the springtime at the start of February, as the blanket of snow nurtures all the burgeoning activity, the life-force that’s invisible in the darkness beneath. Despite being a travel advocate, I like hibernating; I’ll admit I am not a winter weather fan. I value the time to be relatively still, get cozy and grounded, focus on projects, and plant the metaphorical seeds of the new, upcoming cycle. Traditions from ancient Roman times recall mid-February fertility rites called the Lupercalia, honoring a maternal symbol of nourishment, the she-wolf, who legend says nursed Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Some of the rituals of pairing up partners have evolved into Valentine’s Day. Spring fever is almost upon us. In bocca al lupo!

Speaking of potent opportunities, Agata’s celebration day feels like an auspicious time to share my latest project with the world. Hers is a tale of feminine sovereignty, of womanly wounding, of miraculous healing, and of a commitment to a Higher Love. Without going into too much detail here, in the year 251 CE, she refused to marry a prince who pursued her, wishing instead to become a bride of Christ. She is the patron saint of breasts reflecting the particular form of torture she was given as punishment for her “disobedience.” She is also affiliated with Mt. Etna, the region’s perpetually active volcano, pictured above. In a poem I had written more than 25 years ago, I addressed Saint Agatha, saying to her, “I carry your name like a bell.” On Palm Sunday in 2019, during my first pilgrimage to Sicily, I turned a corner in Catania after enjoying what could be termed as an illegally-delicious pastry, in the shape of and in homage to, you guessed it, St. Agata’s mammary glands, and to my surprise it was the very moment that Agata’s own cathedral bells rang out beautifully to invite the faithful. While I am not religious in any formal sense, I walked into that church built on the site of her martyrdom, gazed at the distinctly feminine altar of uplifting celestial paintings that exalt her and chandeliers shaped like crowns of stars, felt my connection to the place and this woman’s spiritual love story, and wept. I’ve always thought Sant’Agata is a much grander entity, an ancient pagan earth Goddess whose veneration had to be rebranded by the new church as was done in so many other cases. To this day she is worshipped in Catania, with a three-day and night festival of impressive spectacle from February 3rd through the 5th. Her benevolent likeness and flower-covered carriage along with giant yellow pillar candles are pulled through the streets by thousands of impassioned devotees. The root word of Agata goes back to the Greek term “agape,” which is defined as a transcendent love, the highest form of love - for humanity, for a higher power, and for the world.

Over the last few years I too have been head over heels in love, in a profound, romantic, divine relationship - with Italy itself - that defies mere logic and that continues to reach new remarkable plateaus. Through many dream trips, bucket list check-offs, and the rediscovery of my ancestral home and living relatives, I have honed my knowledge and have established an inspired audience. I’ve done all this as a completely solo parent of two children, with a full time teaching career, without an enormous bank account, and as the only child of my increasingly elderly parents. My point? We have no valid excuses to forgo our desires to live our dream life. Invoking the spirit of agape, I’m now ready to help others, especially a sisterhood of women, to step into our empowerment and make our own choices, to own a level of self-worth that insists that we prioritize our own joy and deep sense of awe, and specifically, to allow us to experience firsthand the stunning beauty of Italy. Let’s turn your far-off travel fantasies into real, fulfilling memories just as I have done, because whether or not you can call her your ancestral land, bell’Italia will welcome you with all her magnificence and endless generosity.

On February 5th I’ll be unveiling my new book, Wildest Dreamers Travel Journal, Part One: Becoming an Explorer. The book is for those who dream of traveling to Italy (or to anywhere) but think it can only ever be just that — a dream. Those who feel lost or overwhelmed by the concept, or who think they would have to overcome insurmountable obstacles to actually step onto Italian soil and savor its glory. The book is to be used to MANIFEST your travel experience if you need guidance, to help you shift to a deeply deserving and grateful mindset, to break down the planning into manageable steps. You’ll have a knowledgeable guide to hold your hand. This affordable full color, 21 page downloadable / printable PDF e-book is a collection of powerful affirmations, meaningful writing prompts, pro-tips, and inspiring photos that will help you to reinvent yourself, to blow the top off of what is possible for you. You can work at your own pace, but I provide recommendations to keep your commitment to yourself and make your travels a priority. Companion goodies and DIY tools are coming soon in our shop to help you further reprogram your thinking and make your dream journeys inevitable. You’ll be part of our community to have immediate access to new items. The energy you’ll tap into will be unstoppable, like a fiery tide of molten Sicilian lava. Here’s the link to the book, live as of February 5th, a labor of love from me to you:

If any of this has sparked your interest, please join me here. Contact me on my social channels for many more stories, musings, updates on future tours, collections of inspo, and bits of invaluable wisdom. We are just getting started and plan to keep growing our curated offerings with tiered support. I look forward to helping you and those in your sisterhood circles see yourselves in Italy or assisting you in designing your Italian adventures! I invite you to take a daring leap into La Dolce Vita.

Remember: “We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams.”

Photo by Stephanie: Moon over Mt. Etna, Taormina, Sicily, April 2019.