I Wonder…Tuscany

Have you ever felt lost in wonder?  

As someone who loves the outdoors, I think awe-inspired moments are often connected to nature.  Experiencing the magnitude of the Grand Canyon for the first time, or watching an elk teach her calf to navigate river currents in Yellowstone, are moments that will captivate most.   It is hard to beat what is gifted by Mother Nature for good reason.  It isn’t necessarily commonplace, and we trust it will take us away for a moment.  

That said…travel to foreign places can teach us that commonplace might taunt the curious in the right context.  The simplest of things can stop us in our tracks because it’s unfamiliar or we simply…wonder. And just like that, mundanities of daily life transcends our understanding  to another world that exists outside our box.

When I think of the tiny towns in Tuscany, you will laugh to hear a favorite memory was to see the laundry hanging outside the windows.   I suspect to those behind the shutters it is monotonous task of their day-to-day living.

To me, the clothes blowing in the breeze gave vitality and an elegant charm to the quaint towns.  It is amazing to think any of us would think of laundry as something to admire and yet…I am delighted to know it can be.

I wonder if they stroll down the ancient walkways like I do trying to decipher the stories  of medieval  fortresses, when I know in reality, they use the walkways and tunnels as a means to  move about their daily lives, almost always on foot or on bikes.

I wonder if they stop to look out of every window or archway to appreciate the Tuscan countryside.

And while  I am sure they don’t see the romanticism in this moment, I wonder if I might hitch a ride.

The delivery of fresh produce to the locals looks a little different in Lucca, and while the priority is to deliver everything in one piece, dodging people and squeaking past cars requires strategy.

Me?  I wanted to hop on a bike next to this gentleman and learn more about what makes this city work.

And finally, how many people have sat in this exact spot and wished they lived here?

 I can think of at least one.

Wind Kisses, Donna

 

Inspired by our time in Tuscany and Wonder