Entrepreneurs

Thursday in Torino there will be the third edition of Gamma Donna, an important event dedicated to women entrepreneurs who tell the story of their work and life to the public. I will also be there: I was invited to tell about my challenges in the desert and how Desert Therapy was created. This occasion will be presented by Anna Ferrino, the owner of the company which followed me in all my crossings: who better the she knows my story? In 1991 when I started the desert crossings I certainly never thought that one day I would be part of the world of entrepreneurs! Yet it happened and I am proud. It is true that limits are undefinable, the important thing is never to stop when facing a difficulty and to have the courage to walk even the most difficult roads that life offers us. So many surprises await us!

To help Haiti?

After the terrible earthquake in Haiti, Oscar, who is a doctor, immediately made himself available to help. He should be leaving Saturday from Milan to go to the Island that was devastated, but yesterday the orders of the head of the humanitarian organization arrived: everything will be pushed back to the beginning of February.
His first reaction was disappointment, due to feelings of helplessness in being able to these people in great need, but objectively it doesn’t make sense to leave without even knowing what there is to do. There are no suitable facilities to house the Italian doctors, operating rooms are few and inadequate, and also the violence and looting that taking place everywhere, do not guarantee safety for those going to lend a hand. It is better to wait until someone takes the lead in organizing the relief effort, hoping they do so soon. The passing of time does not help those who are suffering.

Begining again

Now even those who were able to take a longer break are back to daily life. I think there is an action that unites all of us who begin a new year of work: opening the agenda for 2010 and organizing work. I did it as well. The first commitment in January- participating in the prestigious Salone di Torino Gamma Donna, where I was invited, along with a good number of women, who will talk about their everyday commitments as entrepreneurs. I will talk about Desert Therapy, and how it has come to be and how love for the desert has transformed not only me but also all those whom I have had the great fortune to accompany in this enchanting place. This is another gift that I had in life: being able to witness the transformation of people as they “discover” the desert, each in their own way, but all in way so complete, it also fills me.

Happy New Years!

Also this year we have reached the end of the calendar. It is difficult to escape from the typical trite sayings: I think that just the fact that they are trite means they contain some truth. In any case we must weigh the year. For me, on the whole: positive: it was a year of big projects, some of them realized, some of them still in progress: but watch out if it is not like this! My loved ones are still close to me and this is the most important thing. It is a turning point this New Year’s Eve, whether we like it or not. And for us it is also a chance to relax, away form our normal horizons. Lauren and Max chose the mountains, while Oscar and I have taken two weeks of freedom in our “Little Get Away”. Peace to all!

THE GREAT SNOW

So much snow fell on Milan two days ago! It was very beautiful to take a walk while it was snowing with Koa, who would run happily in the park covered in a blanket of white which had quickly transformed the walkway. During the snow I noticed that the internal lights of houses became warmer and softer, and the sky also remained lighter, it seemed like we were living in a nativity. Even people change when there is snow, and everyone wants to return to childhood and play. Of course Max and Koa would not miss the opportunity: here they are happily rolling in the snow that continues to fall while Lauren takes the photos to immortalize their first White Christmas.

Dinner

Here we are a few days before Christmas and the dinners to celebrate are one after the other every evening. Whether they are at home or at the house of a friend or at a restaurant, these are always evenings where you eat and drink too much. It is difficult to resist certain appetizing dishes that normally are not included in our diet and then here we all are complaining that our waistline has grown or we have trouble sleeping because our bodies are not used to so much abbundance. On the other hand Christmas is also this: the occation to visit with friends and family that we see very little during the year and spend a few peaceful and happy hours with them….eating! After the holidays, everyone must return to their schedules and daily routines and resist the temptation to let out their belts: better to decide to restrict ourselves, our bodies will be thankful and we will enjoy our health together.

White Christmas

How wonderful is the snow at Christmas! It is like the times of old, when the everyday rhythm of life was at man’s speed. Today unfortunately a little of the magic is lost in the effort to always meet daily demands, which in a city like Milan scatters you between hurried purchases and constant traffic jams.
Also the snow becomes a problem, causing only inconveniences and becoming another thing to make us angry, as if we don’t already have enough things to anger us!It is difficult, but if we all have the courage to stop ourselves for a moment and think about what Christmas represents, remembering that it is a celebration dedicated to love and kindness, maybe we will be able to accept also the inconveniences of a beautiful snowfall and enjoy the spectacle it gives us!