A Room With a View

Florence, Italy

Ah, nostalgia - that wistful, happy feeling we get when revisiting times past that hold special meaning for us. Sometimes, the easiest way to feel happy is to remember a time we were at our happiest.  That's not to say that we should give up on the present and live completely in the past, but neither should we just forget all those happy memories that shape our lives. We take pictures, write in journals, make videos - all in an effort to save those moments when we smiled most.

Me taking in the view from my Florence apartment.

Reliving old moments is one of my go-to ways to remind myself of all the things I already have to be happy for.  For me, the photo album that always makes me smile is from the month I spent in Florence, Italy.

When I was 15 years old, I watched a movie called A Room With A View, and fell in love with Florence. It was my dream to go there. I stopped by briefly in high school during the ubiquitous "Europe Trip," but in university I stayed for a month. I signed up for a language course at the Istituto Italiano and had the time of my life.

Now, anytime I have a flashback to my time there - and usually this happens when I smell something that reminds me of Florence - my day gets a little brighter. Sometimes the things that make us smile aren't a what, but a when.

What memory makes you smile?


Florence Favourite Things:

Santa Croce

Dante Statue

Ponte Vecchio

Medici Hall of Maps

Singing in the Rain

When the skies cloud over, my life gets a little more sunny. There's nothing I love more than a rainy day, and apparently, I'm not alone. A quick browse through sites like Pinterest and Tumblr show numerous posts with tags like "rain," and "rainy day." The simple joy people get from rain is so prevalent that the Urban Dictionary gives a word to this phenomenon:

Pluviophile - (n) a lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.

Imagine a rainy day, take in all the details - the grey overcast sky, the damp smell of earth, the patter of the drops hitting the window - perfection.

Not only do I love the rain itself, I also love staying in on rainy days. They're the perfect occasion to combine another of my favourite things - old movies. There's nothing quite like curling up on a rainy day, with a cozy blanket, a bottle of wine and a little Audrey Hepburn.      

But the absolute best part of a rainy day comes at the very end of the day, that absolutely blissful moment when you lay your head on the pillow and realize that you get to fall asleep to the sound of rain. I love this so much that I downloaded an app for my phone that plays the sound of rain - there are several free or nominally priced versions for iPhone available through the App Store. My favourite is Relax Melodies - a free app that lets you mix sounds to create a personalized sleep experience.

Rainy day favourite things:

Kate Spade Umbrella

Hunter Boots

Roman Holiday

Cozy Blanket