As I type, tears of gratitude are flowing from my eyes. I’ve been sitting in awe and stillness since returning home to Chicago after my seven-day journey through Italy with some of my closest girlfriends. All day, I’ve been replaying videos of our laughter and scrolling through my camera roll, revisiting the joyful moments that have become cherished memories all too quickly. This trip reminded me that living in the present is truly a daily practice, and I’m so grateful to continue embodying this intentional way of living.
From Rome to Naples to Positano and the Amalfi Coast, I don’t have many words to share right now—mostly emotions. Still, as I reflect, I feel the pull to share a few experiences that were never meant to only remain memories for me, but rather become reminders or signs for others. So, I write.
My Eat, Pray, Love Journey
I chose to visit Italy after watching the iconic film, Eat Pray Love, for the very first time. It’s about a woman named Elizabeth who decides to rediscover herself through travel after walking away from what many would consider a “successful” and happy life. In America, Liz had the career, the marriage, and the community, until one day she realized that what she desired for herself had changed, and she was determined to reclaim it.
Like Liz, I could relate—not on the marriage part, but through the idea of redefining what “having it all” looks like. While Liz journeyed through Italy to eat, India to pray, and Bali to love, I found myself traveling through Rome to eat, Positano to pray, and the Amalfi Coast to love. The reason for my voyage? To live in harmony with time and to see life in a new way.
One thing that fascinated me about Italy was the absence of TV screens. As someone who watches the news for a living, it was refreshing to bask in the break I knew I needed. Each restaurant was filled with families, couples, friends, conversing as if time didn’t exist and the only moment they had to share stories was now. Italy is truly a place where you can unplug. It’s like the mecca of human connection. Italian restaurants and wine bars are still open after midnight, and social gatherings and gelato shops are crowding the cobblestones.
The Gift of Being Present
After dining at Le Bontà del Capo to celebrate my birthday, we decided to return on Friday night for karaoke. We wanted to spend our final evening in Positano soaking in the beauty of everything God had allowed us to experience, and there didn’t seem to be a better way to do it than relish in the company we enjoyed previously.
So, we ordered pizza and cheesecake with gelato, and shared our favorite moments from the trip all while overlooking the crystal-blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. As we reminisced, the reality of leaving Italy—and the incredible people we’d met along the way—began to settle in. I wanted to preserve this experience as something more than a memory, so I decided to ask random strangers one simple question during the little time we had left in this beautiful country.
I typed in my notes app:
Italian: Ciao, sono Cianna e sto raccogliendo consigli di vita da estranei, puoi per favore aggiungere qui sotto?
English: Hi, I’m Cianna, and I’m collecting life advice from strangers. Would you please add yours below?
I looked around the restaurant, wondering who would be my first stranger of the night. My eyes landed on our waiter, Emmanuel, a blue-eyed Italian man who looked to be in his early thirties. His warmth and quiet humility throughout the evening made him feel like the perfect person to ask.
I caught his attention with a wave, and as he walked over, I turned my phone toward him. As I watched him read the question, I lit up when I saw him smile and nod his head in agreement. In that moment, part of me felt that Emmanuel was simply touched by the fact that someone wanted to hear his advice.
And there— he typed away and passed me the phone back. My eyes gazed at the following words:
Italian: Lo ho un solo tattoo,c’è scritto disfruta el momento. Una persona a me molto cara una volta mi disse “goditi qualsiasi momento,anche quello più stupido. Perchè un giorno ti mancheranno anche cose come passeggiare con i tuoi amici o prendere un caffè con loro.” Quindi goditi fino in infondo qualsiasi attimo,senza dare nulla per scontato.
When God Speaks Through Strangers
Once we reached our vacation home it was time to read what Emmanuel shared. The girls and I gathered around in anticipation, and I hit the translation button for the big reveal. Here’s what he said:
English: I have only one tattoo. It says, ‘Disfruta el momento’ (‘Enjoy the moment’). Someone very dear to me once told me, ‘Enjoy every moment, even the most ordinary or seemingly insignificant one. Because one day, you’ll miss even simple things like taking a walk with your friends or having a coffee with them.’ So cherish every single moment to the fullest, and never take anything for granted.”
Since Friday night, I’ve read Emmanuel’s quote every day, holding onto his words tightly as both a gentle reminder and a sign. I shed tears, realizing that it’s all just a core memory now, yet I’m glad I thought to freeze a moment in time by collecting wisdom in the present moment.
I’m a firm believer that God allows us to have very specific life experiences so that we can serve as a testimony. Traveling to Italy was exactly that for me. And in this case, I’d like to believe He used Emmanuel as a testimony before I returned home to share my own, and for that, I’m deeply grateful.
To Italy: Grazie per l’amore che ci hai mostrato, Italia. Hai un posto speciale nel mio cuore per sempre🇮🇹
Cianna Hope 