I Lunedì Sono Bene Giornate! - EverydayVictoria, Milano, Bologna, Firezne.

Ciao ragazzi :) Happy Monday from Italia!

We’ll cover a couple things in today’s newsletter:

We’ve rebranded, again! Are you keeping up? 😋

My instagram and blog/brand will now be called “Everyday Victoria”

“Perchè?” You ask. Well, as much as my instagram focused on “style” and me, Victoria, there was something missing in the handle. Every day on my instagram and my blog I connect with you guys… I chat with you and together we ponder life, explore new experiences, and grow. On Mondays I send you #MondaysAreGoodDays blogs, on Wednesdays I send you “Midweek Motivation” and eventually I would love to send you #gRAINfood on Tuesdays, #ThreeSongsForTheWeekend on Thursdays, #PhotosOnFriday, and #SelfCareOnSundays (I’ve got lots of ideas for you! 🙂) So, we see the theme here… something EVERYDAY from me.

So with all of this… and with the fact that these ideas have been written down in my journal for months now… the name change will be the first jump in the next stages of my blog, brand, business thing that I do…

I find that this name is much more accurate with what I want to do here: be a friend, be a casual conversation starter, just.. you know… chat with you guys every day and show you what I’m up to every day… I’m really just a normal person that does “everyday” things.

Inherently I have this pull to share my story, share my voice, share my life with those around me… so here we are.

Anyway, let’s move on… :)

As you may, or may not, know… I am on a solo trip through Europe (Italy and Portugal)

I landed in Milano and since I have traveled to Monza, Bologna, and I am now writing this post to you in a Firenze cafe :)

I wanted to go on a solo trip because I needed some real excitement, change and uncomfortable experiences. I thought, being just outside NYC, and traveling alone a lot I’d be fine and confident like I normally am.

Hmmm…. I really underestimated that one. Not that I was unhappy… but being a new country with a new culture, new language, etc. can absolutely make you “check yourself” and really intimidate you. Think of Milano as Italy’s New York City. There is a hustle & a bustle here and people on a mission. And then there’s me… unable to simply commit to a restaurant I want to eat at… not knowing if I should pay first, then eat… or eat then pay… why do they keep asking me if I want my cafe (espresso) “normale” … isn’t “un cafe” supposed to just mean “an espresso” ?!

Anyway… I was definitely uncomfortable. But that’s what I came here for, no? Yes.

None of this was a bad experience though, if anything my first week in Italy (Milano and Bologna) humbled me immensely.

Here I am thinking that being someone who typically identifies as being from New York City, I’ll be gooooooood. NYC is intense and will eat you up and spit you out… but everything changes once you “parlare un po’ italiano” (speak little italian)

Anywayyyyy… Milano was a cool city and while I can see why most people skip it on their Italy trips, I met some amazing people.

TIP!: FACEBOOK TRAVEL GROUPS. Man, this saved me. I met an amazing girl from a female solo travel group who showed me around Milano, got apertivio with me (aperitivo is this amazing Italian custom where you spend about 8 Euro on a drink and get food for FREE… brilliant), and even invited me to a gallery opening/exhibition which resulted in my extending my stay in Milano. I would say Milano is great when you have a friend and while you should never be discouraged from traveling solo to ANYWHERE… this place can be a bit intimidating (in the best way). Public transportation is incredibly easy and Milano is very, very safe. I have plans to write a post on how to prepare for a solo trip with all my best tips and tricks for ya. while no one seems to really use facebook anymore, there are many communities and groups on facebook that will allow you to feel like you belong and help you out along the way.

I stayed at the Queen Hostel in milano and I met some great people here too. I met friends that wanted to go on random bike rides at 11pm, go get pizza at random hours, and sat and chatted with me in the hostel lobby.

Thank you Milano… off to Bologna!

I mean, come on. Look at this place.

Bologna is a mid-evil city filled with these portici or passages. Every single street, corner, passageway, alley is absolutely gorgeous and since Bologna is a university town… there is a liveliness and indescribable spirit to it. You will find, I would say, 95% italian locals. I highly recommend taking a day trip or two to Bologna. The city is stunning and the people are very friendly. There are less english speaking people than Milano, but you will be able to communicate. Always start with “Ciao, Buongiorno.” And once they start rambling off in italian, simply respond “Mi dispiace. Non ho capito. Parli inglese?” I’m sorry, I do not understand. Do you speak English?”

More to come about Bologna… but I stayed at the Dopa Hostel which was an absolute gem. I also really appreciate Bologna because while very intimidated in Milano and still kind of intimidated here too (in the sense that I could not commit to where I wanted to eat, could not get myself to go into restaurants, etc) … ((and let’s understand that it’s not people or the atmosphere that are intimidating… this was all simply internal… to the point where I would talk to myself saying “what the HELL is wrong with you. GO IN. JUST PICK A PLACE”)) … anyway, what was I saying?

Yes… I really appreciated Bologna because the town really helped me to get out of the “writers/creative block” I’ve been in for quite some time. I sat in the portici and people watched and drafted so many instagram posts and blog posts. The city is amazing, truly. The color of the city vibrates with energy and enthusiasm of every single italian I passed by or spoke with made me feel very happy.

And now… off to Firenze :)

Okay… I get it. I get why people love this place. From the moment I started walking to my (really, really great hostel) this city was fascinating. The food scene is amazing, the atmosphere (not in the tourist section) is charming, and more people speak english (LOL… I’m determined to learn italian because I would really like to rely less on people speaking English… but that’s another story… anyway)

Only a couple hours into biking around Firenze…

TIP!: Whenever I am in a new country, city, etc. the first thing I do, every time, is rent a bike. It’s the perfect way to blend in like a local, the perfect way to browse through the city, and the perfect way to give your feet a rest. From Milano where I felt a bit upset because it did not evoke any creative energy in me… to Bologna where I felt a happier spirit and started writing a bit more… to now Firenze where I am writing this blog post and my #MondaysAreGoodDays newsletter…. this city is quite the place.

Ok, so… only a couple hours into biking around I stopped into a little, little local “bar” where I felt invited by the owner who helped me craft my perfect panino… and then a few seconds later this wonderful Australian couple sat next to me, started up some conversation, 30 minutes later I’m splitting a Tagliere (charcuterie board) and a bottle of amazing red wine.

Time passed and I had to get my bike rental back on time… for dinner I ate alone but the owner of the restaurant was so kind and introduced me to another American. We chatted, standing up at the bar after my dinner and I ended up learning some incredible information about… something… that I will try to pursue. More details to come :)

Today, this morning, I have bounced around to some of the best coffee shops in Firenze. A week of being alone and I finally feel that I am comfortable, slowly learning Italian, and am happy where I am. Firenze is a bit more expensive than Bologna and some places in Milano, but that all depends on where you go… and most of the time you can eat a croissant and have an espresso/coffee drink for under 3 euro… AMAZING.

I am learning to be patient with myself and my feelings. I was a bit frustrated with myself at the beginning of the trip because I had those feelings of intimidation mentioned before… and I knew that nothing was actually intimidating me… it was all in my head and everyone has been extremely nice and accommodating. Patience with yourself is the most important thing you can have. Patience on a trip…. patience with your projects… or even patience with yourself changing your instagram name LOL.

I encourage YOU ALL the take a trip. Always take atleast ONE trip each year. Get away from the known, get away from the comfortable, get away from the routine. GO OUTSIDE your comfort zone. We live in a digital time period that makes travel and meeting people the easiest it has ever been. UTILIZE THIS! Grow… grow grow grow. Keep moving forward.

My feet are fucking killing me… I’ve been wearing basically the same rotation of clothes for a week (mostly because I think if I open up my suitcase and dig through my clothes, I wont’t be able to close it back up (Mom, please come to Firenze and help me pack my suitcase hehe… I feel like when you need to have a child to be good at folding because I seriously suck at it.)

Thank you for reading, grazie :) And happy monday!

#gRAINFOOD (gut & brain food) - Good Morning Green Smoothie

gRAIN Food:

You probably won’t find a bigger #guthealth advocate than me. I truly believe in the mindset that #FoodisFuel and we must put good things into our bodies in order for us to be as clear, strong, and HAPPY as possible.

Try making this smoothie in the mornings. It is refreshing, light, delicious, and has an incredible amount of benefits for your gut and for your brain. #gRAINfood

If you have been a reader for a while, you know I have written about this before. But for my newbies, TRY THIS OUT! It’s my favoriteeeee.

1. Handful of spinach, handful of frozen mangos and peaches, one frozen banana, Ginger kombucha tea (I recommend Healthade’s Lemon-Ginger), and half an AVOCADO

2. Blend it together

3. Top with cocoa nibs and cinnamon

First, let’s talk about SPINACH. You should eat spinach every single day. I swear by its benefits, both physically and mentally. I add spinach whenever I can. I add it to my avocado toast, I add it to my eggs, I add it to my sandwiches. It’s SO good for you.

Benefits of Spinach:

Iron. A lack of iron in the diet can affect how efficiently the body uses energy. ...

• Calcium. Spinach contains approximately 250 mg of calcium per cup

• Diabetes management

• Cancer prevention

• Asthma prevention

• Lowering blood pressure

• Bone health

Kombucha tea is KEY to sourcing the energy you have stored inside your body to give you a BOOST of life. Kombucha takes some time to acquire a taste to, but no worries, in this smoothie you will not feel overpowered by the “fizzy-ness.” Think of Kombucha tasting like a really healthy beer, sort of. Anyway, just add it to the smoothie! I promise it’s delicious and your stomach/body will be so grateful.

Bananas and mangos are filled with antioxidants and fight inflammation. These are two great fruits to have in mornings while blended with spinach and Kombucha. This combination creates an energizing SUPERFOOD smoothie to start your day. Feel free to add chia seeds, protein, flax, etc.

And, you might be wondering what “cocoa nibs” are.

Cocoa nibs are “chocolate” BEFORE it is mixed with sugar, milk and other ingredients. It is the most pure form of chocolate. Cocoa nibs (made from ground up chocolate beans) are said to have benefits to your health including helping brain function, reducing high blood pressure, and helping your mood.

Lastly, cinnamon is the super spice. After testing, there is evidence based benefits including: anti-inflammatory, decreasing the risk of heart disease, and it helps fight fungal infections.

If you are still hungry, I recommend eating this smoothie with a Go Macro bar. Stay tuned for next week’s email where I will talk about my favorite protein bar, Go Macro!