Welcome to Ciao Amalfi on Substack!
Back in 2009 I published my first post on Ciao Amalfi. My first public post, that is, since I had already been blogging—more informally and mostly for family and friends—since first coming to Italy in 2007. When I started, Ciao Amalfi was a wonderful way to connect and share, but little did I know it would lead to some of my closest friends and meeting people from mall over the world. Out of this connection and passion for sharing about life on the Amalfi Coast a new career was born along the way too. Whilte it wasn’t one I had planned, when I look now at my books Moon Amalfi Coast and Moon Southern Italy, I can say it has been quite an adventure.
Yet after 2 years of this global pandemic (and a year of beating breast cancer), what resonates most with me about Ciao Amalfi is the community. This community and connection—the things that ground us and keep us going—are what I keep returning to. In these busy days of so much, in every sense, it can feel harder than ever to connect. Social media algorithms often keep us from connecting to precisely the social connections we need - the ones that inspire or encourage us or just plain bring us joy.
What has carried me through so many of the challenging moments over the past two years has been the extraordinary beauty and the kindness of the people here in this place I am so grateful to call home. And I feel the difference it makes when I share this with you, whether it be a simple photo, share local experiences, or introduce you to the people that make this place so special.
And so … a new adventure! Moving my Ciao Amalfi newsletter to a reader-supported platform will allow me to bring you more, share more, and tell more stories from the Amalfi Coast. I hope you’ll join me on this new adventure!
Grazie,
Laura