"Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost. Sometime, somewhere, somehow we shall find that which we seek. We shall speak, yes, and sing, too, as God intended we should speak and sing." Helen Keller, 1896   Years ago, as a teenager making plans in my head to write about my journey or my story, it was to be written once I had succeeded in reaching my life goals. And I must admit that, back then, there were plenty of goals to be achieved. It was supposed to be a self-written story, describing the place where I started from and the place where I...

I would like to welcome you on the road to my Avennyou. I am starting to write as a way of documenting my experience. I am leaving behind my fears, doubts, and past experiences in order to start something new; something I feel passionate about, something which has taken a long time to reach after a relentless quest.   Ordering thoughts is probably one of the only practices that calms me down, eases the apprehension, and allows me to see beyond the current struggle. Meditation could possibly be a counter method, but then again meditation is not exactly the first priority of a rest...

"Dress for yourself and what suits your lifestyle,   and you will always look good.” Stacy London.   Modern life imposes on us women enormous challenges. As fortunate as I feel to live in an era where we no longer need to draw water from the well, and as grateful as I am to all the brave women, those bold visionaries who led the feminist movement and laid the foundations for a better future, it cannot be denied that we may have won the battle only to lose the war. We have made great progress, but, as numerous studies have claimed, women today are less happy despite o...

On my last visit to Rome, I visited the newly opened contemporary art museum, the MAXXI. It is a beautiful building architecturally, and though many criticize the small number of exhibitions, for me it was enough just to get familiar with the work of Gaetano Pesce, architect, designer and artist of international repute.  Except for the Time of Diversity, the beautiful and colorful indoor exhibition which emphasizes the artist's notions regarding constant change and transformation, what especially caught my attention was the giant version of Up 5&6, Pesce’s iconic armchair which d...

Spaces! For me it is definitely the "space" that first catches my eye when thinking of home. Although coziness has its advantages in terms of warmth, intimacy and embrace, for me, large, open, bright rooms with big windows will always come out on top. I assume it has something to do with freedom and having enough air to breathe.   That is why I love the House of Windsor, built as a concept house by Windsor Smith and purchased by Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin in 2012. I like the concept of having the rooms decorated by different, well-known LA designers such as Kathryn Ireland...

"From early childhood I have considered the freedom of my body essential to the rhythm of movement." Isadora Duncan   My first visit to New York in my twenties was a unique experience. Like every first-timer, I went through a mixture of so many feelings: the meeting between expectation and reality, the anti-climax deriving from over anticipation, the frustrated plans when confronted with constraints and the dreams, some coming true and some being left for the imagination. New York was, however, everything I expected. In addition to walking along almost all of the avenues,...

One of the very first grooming habits I adopted at a young age, except for facial cleaning, was the daily application of eye lotion in order to care for the sensitive area around the eyes. I am not sure who taught me this lesson: my mother, a beautician, or an advice column in one of the women’s magazines. But I certainly got the message early on that proper and consistent care prevents the premature onset of wrinkles.   The eyes require a regular grooming regimen, not only because of their delicacy but also because they mirror our inner reflection, revealing our intellect, emoti...

Italy has a charm all of its own. History radiates from every corner; the architecture, art, fashion, food, and hospitality – they all justify this country’s high reputation among tourists from all over the world. Whether visiting the two largest cities, Rome and Milan, the many smaller but beautiful cities such as Venice and Florence, or the rural regions, including the lakes in the north, Tuscany and Umbria in the center, or Positano on the southern Amalfi Coast — each place offers much to see and do.               ...

"If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy? If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?" Porter Robinson, Matthew Bair, Anton Zaslavski and Holly Hafferman.       This chorus from Zedd ft. Foxes recent song "Clarity,” while not one of my favorite melodies at first, immediately caught my attention because of its lyrics. It made me contemplate how contradictions and polarities can help us find accuracy; by persistently asking the questions, looking for the answers and finding our true place of comfort.   How of...