I recently had the chance to venture to Venice Itlay ! This was not your average trip to Europe, there were two very important things happening simultaneously. One, this would be my very first travel experience all on my own, and two, I was attending my very first writing workshop !
The experience of navigating unknown airports and landing in a country where English was not the primary language was more than daunting to me. I have always had my trusty hubby/Sherpa/money exchanger/schedule keeper by my side, this time I was on my own, large and in charge. Prior to booking the trip back in February I had changed my mind at least a dozen times. Each day I would open the website hosting the workshop and imagine myself strolling the exotic back streets of Venice, hopping on a water taxi, or ordering an espresso and pastry in Italian. And then fear would settle in and I would imagine countless disasters that could be fall me, I could lose my passport, get lost, get robbed !, in my mind epic dangers awaited a single woman in a foreign country. Then I saw this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt
"Do one thing everyday that scares you."
Well that was it, I booked the workshop, booked my tickets and added a few extra days after the workshop to really explore the city on my own.
The workshop that I speak of was facilitated by Pink Pangea a website based community of woman who love to travel. A space where woman of all ages and walks of life share tips and stories of travels from all over the world.
While attending this workshop I became connected with an amazing group of woman of all ages and stages of life. Each one of these ladies had a different reason for joining this workshop. The best part was sharing where they were from and what life is like for them in their part of the world. The countries of origin for the workshop participants included, Israel, the US, Switzerland and Germany. Our facilitator Jaclyn, one of the founders of Pink Pangea, managed to pull some amazing writing from each of us, I believe we all left Venice feeling as though we had reached a new depth in our ability to build a story from the ground up.
The workshop was based at the Cultural Center don Orione Artigianelli in the city centre of Venice. Built in 1423, this prior Jesuit monastery now accommodates groups and individuals as a cultural and hospitality centre. In the mornings we would meet after breakfast in the beautiful courtyard of the centre and share our writing from the day before. Afterward it was lunch and exploring !
Of course each evening we would join together for a lavish dinner, and recount our adventures from the day. I must thank Jaclyn and all the ladies from this workshop for all the positive support, and encouragement each time we met to read our written works. It is no easy task to spill your heart onto paper and then share with the world. Until we meet again ladies !
Please check out the latest travel writing course at Pink Pangea
Amazing what doing one thing a day that scares you can open up! So glad you took the leap. XO :)
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