Ciao!
I cannot believe that time is flying by so quickly here. It truly is amazing how short a week can seem when filled with so many activities. This experience has already been so eye-opening and full of growth already, and I am so excited to see what the coming weeks bring!
I had some expectations for what I thought I would experience here in Europe, and my experience has been not what I expected at all. There are so many things I enjoy seeing and learning about the Italian culture. It really is a beautiful atmosphere, not only with the landscape and architecture, but with the social aspect as well. I admire the Italian appreciation of relationships and community. Here, time spent with friends is not rushed and squeezed into sections of the day; it is prioritized. I admire that mindset a lot and hope to take the practice of prioritizing my community back to America.
One of my favorite things to take in from the culture of Italy is how intricate the process of creating is. We have gotten the amazing opportunities to visit handmade workshops of weaving and pottery in the Umbria region. These visits blew my mind and my eyes were opened to the effort that is put into producing some of the most beautiful products I have seen, all with the human touch and care. I especially appreciated visiting the weaving studio in Umbria because we learned about the history of how the local business formed, and the family background that went along with it. Not only are these pieces incredibly gorgeous, they take a devoted amount of time to prepare and produce. This is another example of the Italian culture not being rushed. We were informed that a table runner can take months to create because of all the intricate handmade details. This process of making things by hand really intrigues me and I wholeheartedly appreciate it. I am inspired by the passion and story behind each handmade good!
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for being excited for all of us as we continue this journey in Italy!
Auguri (Best wishes) ,
Rebecca Feldman

A beautiful embroidery in an Umbrian weaving studio.