Adventures in Italy ~ Article

I was asked to share my experiences with an Agritourism organization in Minnesota, and this is just my first draft, which was very long.  The version I submitted was much shorter, but I gave him both, so he might mix it up a bit.  We shall see.  Here it is :

Most Registered Dietitians would not normally choose to go on to get their Master’s in something other than Public Health or Education.  However, I knew going into the field of nutrition, I would end up treading my own path somehow.  After working as a Dietitian for WIC, I am now in the Piedmont region of Italy studying Food Culture and Communications.  This will lead me toward an internship of my choosing and after a full year, obtain a Master’s in the subject.  I am attending the University of Gastronomic Sciences in the small town of Pollenzo, Italy.   So how did I get here?

Growing up in northern Minnesota is just a primer to where I am today; being raised in a family of biologists and educators is a secondary cause; and as a third defense, I would have to say that my call for adventure and need for multifaceted understanding of my place in this world brought me here.  

The best and most valuable learning thus far has been when I get my hands dirty and actively involve myself in the process while allowing others to inspire my understanding. Since living in Italy, I have found that my purpose involves relationship.  I am inspired by my relationships with people and the land, but also the connection in that.  My value for all of life creates such a respect and sense of gratitude to that which sustains and binds it, and that is food.  Food is a large symbol of biodiversity--the correlation between us and nature. 

I attend class daily with people from all over the world and that in itself is valuable learning.  From these people both in and outside of class, I am being exposed to a wealth of knowledge I could have never found elsewhere.  Our lectures (so far) range from Sensory Analysis to Ethnobiology, Food Technology, Nutrition, Food History, Sustainable Gastronomy and even more to come.  It seems to me that all of us are professors here; we all bring our experiences and talents to exchange with one another.  Every culture has something special, unique, and valuable, and I feel it is important for each person to be empowered by this.  I have an even greater sense of empathy for each culture based on their ideals and beliefs, thus resulting in a strong interest to engage and recognize further.  

During the course of the year, I will be going to each region in Italy for a week to fully immerse in the life and culture there.  The two other places chosen by the University for us to attend are England and France.  We are fortunate enough to go into both small- and large-scale production sites, some as small as a family’s home but some as large as six-story, multi-building production areas.  The diversity in the sites are astounding in themselves: wineries, cheese-making factories, meat curing production sites, butcher shops, olive groves, a rice farm, flour mill, natural reserves, and the list goes on.  

Each stage (or study trip) we attend brings us even closer to the source, and each place we visit we witness the process from start to finish, also involving tasting the final product.  The doors that open with the simple word Prego (or Welcome) from the people in this country has been most gratifying.  We hear and see each facilities’ purpose for existence.  From these people I am witnessing family history, appreciating culture, witnessing Mother Nature and all her beauty, and growing even more as a nutrition expert and educator.  

From these study trips I am more able to see the big picture and put together not just the process from procurement, but its importance.  Because of my need to make links between it all, I appreciate the practice and truly retain that knowledge and understanding. I want to use my last stage as an example of the effectiveness of the idea.

Over a month ago, we had three classroom lectures on Food Technology and Preservation, specifically focusing on cheese.  We were then told that we would have an exam on these subjects in May.  Then last week we went on our first stage to the Italian region of Puglia, where we were fortunate to visit many small and large-scale production areas related to food, the environment, and agriculture.  One of the last sites we visited on this 6-day journey was a cheese production factory.  This particular family-owned cheese production site makes fresh Burrata and Mozzarella cheeses, where they usually work throughout the night so their final product is fresh in the morning.  This company was generous enough to bring in their employees to show us the hand-process they use in their production.  One of the craftsmen has been on staff for 40 years, thus very knowledgeable on the subject.  Because we were motivated to learn this process, knowing an exam was in our future, we probed him the most during the visit.  However, I realize the reason I was so intrigued and asked so many questions is because of the opportunity they allowed for me to partake in the process.  They opened their doors to me and showed me their passion.  I saw in their faces pride and saw sweat dripping from one of the men’s face, and I knew this was what I needed in order to appreciate the process of the particular cow, its diet, the rennet used to curdle the milk, the mixing of the curd, draining of the whey, moulding of the cheese, and of course, the final tasting.  If not for this visit, I would not have been able to sit down, study, and retain the lectured information given weeks before this trip.  I was able to put together not just the process and it’s importance, but fully comprehend and appreciate the people, the animal, and the land behind it all.  

It is hard to stop here at the extensive knowledge I gain daily.  Class lectures, outside conversations, personal presentations, and the immersion into varied cultures produces such a unique understanding.  The people and the relationships we form in this type of training is unexplainable and like nothing I would have ever imagined.  And all of this after only two months?  This year will truly be in my life forever.  

I feel a connection to the country now, and not only just because of my family roots here.  Knowing the process from field to final product is an understanding I will carry with me for the rest of my life.  No matter where we are or what we do, there are always links.  Relationship is the key, and I will never again be able to think of food as just fuel.  We need a balance of the pleasure of food, to feel and appreciate it, and know our responsibility toward it.  For food is history, it is culture, it is life.

Feel free to ask me any questions from my time here!  And do visit!  

Breathing

When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady.  But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life.  Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.  

Conscious breathing is an obvious part of yoga, but in my daily life I have found it to be almost vital to my being.  Not only because (duh) we all need to breathe, but when I stop and mindfully take a deep breathe, it is amazing how it can transform and even transport me.

Lately I've had these crazy flashback feelings of so many different times in my life.  They come about from what I see, certain smells, what someone says, or even just how I feel at the time of a deep breath.  When it rained/thundered yesterday and I was stuck under an awning for a few minutes, I was suddenly brought back to my parents porch in Hibbing.  I used to run out there when the rain and thunder started to just watch, listen, and even smell the storm.  This was of course after I got over the fear of thunderstorms where I would hide in my Dad's arms and cry, but that's beside the point.
  
Then I saw this pan today when I was walking by a store, and I was suddenly brought to the Boundary Waters, using the same sort of pan and lighting up the little propane stove to make some warm soup in the cold air, the lake in front of me, my tent behind, the sounds and smells of the earth and the land.

Even playing soccer here in Italy brings me back to those feelings and days as a kid and throughout high school on the field, always working hard but having so much fun.  When I walk and just open my mind, I am brought back to different times in my life and different feelings I've had.  When I go for runs, its as if I am with all the people I've ran with.  When I bike I am able to recall all the bike rides and people I have gone with in the past.  When I hear songs, see old movies, talk about memories of the past, I am really and truly present in that moment, filled with such strong senses.  Recalling my sensitivities and experiences has always been something really easy for me to do, but for some reason there is this strong influence on this impression now, and it starts when I take really deep and long breaths.

I wonder if it is because I am away, and the idea of channeling people and memories is in much more demand than usual.  I am just much more connected via wavelengths now more so than I had to be or consciously tried to be.  Even lately I think about someone and they will somehow get ahold of me, or I will find out later that we were both thinking or doing the same thing.  All I have to do now to in a sense channel people is to just look at a picture or close my eyes, and I know I am somehow with them or they are with me.  Sometimes a feeling comes to my heart and I just know who or what I am in connection with.  Maybe it is that I am just much more open to the reality now because I have to be, because there is no other choice but to be.

I am sorry if this all sounds really out there or strange.  This idea is really the way that I am able to be abroad and away from all those who I love and who I am connected to on some level because it means we are never truly disconnected.  This is my way of being with people when I can't be directly alongside them.

It is also my way of recalling on my past, helping me realize that it is part of me and with me always.  I would not have the feelings I do unless, as well all know, I had these previous experiences and understandings.

What is amazing is that the people and our past is just the beginning of what defines us.  We are also so much part of the universe, but usually very unaware in our current states of mind.   We are so far from this notion I think that we somehow can't even comprehend all of the influence.

All I know is when I breathe, I am where I need to be.

Focusing on the act of breathing clears the mind of all daily distractions and clears our energy enabling us to better connect with the Spirit within.

Smelling the Roses

I almost titled this Time but then realized that what I really mean is taking time and not so much dealing with Ben Franklin's time is money.  What I mean is just taking time to be in tune to what is going on around us and how we are connected to it all.  

I really have been able to take time for what I feel is important and necessary.  I have used the phrase a couple of times in the last month that "there is a time for everything".  What is amazing is the time I am "taking" is not spent as much on the past or the future.  I am focusing so much more now on the present--something I have always really strived for in my life.  How did this happen?  How did the switch just flip?  

Someone recently told me that I am very balanced, and granted, this was right after having done a head-stand contest and realizing how good my physical balance is.  When we talked later about the idea of physical and inner balance, he said to me that I am very well in tune to myself and aware of what I am feeling.  

The action I am currently working on, however, is the communicating of my feelings and needs.  I long to get better at honoring my desire for relationship while allowing for openness to transform in these needs.  I have set my heart on being more conscious on how to communicate the inner balance and/or imbalance I feel into active ideas and thoughts.  

This is not an easy task for me and I will probably be set back before I accomplish the ideal.  However, as I was talking to one of my classmates on our walk the other day, Communication is part of the title in our Master.  It is part of the reason I am here.  How incredible that what I feel I need to improve upon could be directly and/or indirectly involved in the knowledge I gain both in class and (mostly) outside of class.  

I will work on this balance I have as part of the process of improving my communication.  I will take time, in the present moment to focus on my words and what I am feeling and be able to merge this into vocal expression.  

In the same way, I want to remember my connection to the unlimited oneness of the universe.  I've been talking to friends these past couple of weeks on this topic, and I know my need for improvement in consciousness and being receptive of this link.  I truly believe what we feel could be influenced by outside sources, beyond our imagining.  We are one with each other in the end, and this will be acknowledged more as time goes on.  

Inner Peace

A part of me has the attitude of "go hard or go home" and I think in some situations it has served me well.  However, Italian culture is not based on the all or nothing attitude, and I think it has been a blessing for me here.

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday about how important it is to just observe sometimes.  We can learn so much just by allowing our senses to take over--mostly in terms of vision and hearing.  Gestures and body language, and even the choice of words people use can give us insight on that person and really allow us to see them in a new light.

I have come to appreciate the days I have in Italy where I can just be still and let my calm and silence be a reflection of my inner peace.  I truly feel that this allows me to reflect to others the foundation of a life filled with love and meaning.  I am able to better serve others and let my love shine by taking time to contemplate and have silence, while at the same time actively finding myself and building my faith--a faith in myself, in others, and in all of life.

In finding myself and building my faith in this earth that we live in, I am also better able to find what I can do and where I can be of best service to others.  I am more aware of what I owe and to whom I owe it.  What perfect timing to be in Italy, getting my Master's in a subject that I know will allow my talents and reason of being to evolve.

I have learned so much just in the classroom, and have so much written down I want to share.  The in-class learning, however is only a small portion of all I have learned in not even yet a month.  After a year I think I will know my true path and my purpose.  Until then, I will live as always with patience kindness and faith, while applying myself to good and positive things, and surrounding myself with the people who reinforce and deepen this path to purpose.

My Food Story

Photo courtesy of Kunal Chandra

This week we were so unbelievably fortunate to have Barny Haughton, a brilliant and inspiring figure in gastronomy, teach and guide the course of the week, which was Sustainable Gastronomy.  I could go into his history and achievements, but I really just want to mention the way he impacted my week.

I was literally writing down his exact words from his lectures all over my notebook page.  The way he thinks and lives speaks to me, not only because of his high achievements, but also because of what I imagine in my life and the lives of others.

He set the stage of the class with the mention of a book called A New Earth.  With this introduction he talked about the future of food and our direct impact on it.  He believes that the future of food we want will come from "the imagination, courage, and enterprise of small groups with big ideas."  With that thought, he had us divide into groups and perform and present our hypothetical models for food education in practice.  The themes varied, but each one of the workshops was something I could see myself doing someday.  Not only that, but these were situations in which I have seen throughout my schooling and professional career, and circumstances in which I know need the most attention and have the highest priority in our world today.

We have done a lot of group work so far, but this particular type of work was far from easy.  We are all from different backgrounds, cultures, upbringings, and we all have our own priorities as well.  That, coupled with highly motivated, and "go-getting" attitudes from all members proved to be challenging, but successful in the end.

After getting to really dig deep into each other's points of view and genuinely learning from each other, we were able to see from where those beliefs stemmed from.  Barny wanted us to explore the significance and value of our individual relationship with food.  He wanted us not only write about it, but also present it to the class.  He stressed that this exercise should be heartfelt and real.  Here are some of the pictures from the day:

The last part of his vision for us was to have each person prepare and cook a meal which reflects our food and cultural identity.  This was to be done after class and brought for the next day to share with the rest of the class.  This would also be presented and explained to each other, in order to know and understand one another on a different and personal level.

Barny did these activities as well, in front of us, just as we did for each other.  He made a "salad for all seasons" and it was simple, yet remarkable.  He talked about ingredients as being of high importance, and how we sometimes need to separate ourselves from the entire cooking process from beginning to end--he suggested instead to just "be" with the ingredients, almost as if in a meditative state.

The dish I chose to cook revolved around ingredients and aroma.  I was unsure of how exactly I would put it all together, but I knew that I needed apples, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves.  I also knew that it needed to be warm.  The flavors and spices all spell comfort for me.  The fact that the ingredients work together is what amazes me the most; how all of my favorite flavors and foods can all be put in one dish and actually work is almost destiny.  The meaning behind all of these ingredients can be explained, which is what I presented on, but it is easier to explain in speech than in writing (which is usually opposite for me)!

Something I will share is what I wrote about for my Food Story.  And here it is:

To write about my relationship with food is a tricky task.  There are many connections I could recall upon.  I have studied the science and nutrition of food in my undergraduate degree, and now I am in a Master program, studying the culture and art of food.  When asked to speak from the heart and talk about what rings true to me, there is only one route to go.  I believe my existence on this earth is to be in contact with people.  I have been challenged with this calling at the times I have felt I wanted to be more introverted and independent, but I now know my life purpose involves people.  Life can be a challenge, but without each other there is no overcoming.  An important thing I have realized and experienced in my life is that in this interconnection of people, food is a direct and understood link.  It connects us with one another: it is associated with different holidays, it identifies with all cultures, and we even each have our own relationship with it.  Food truly couples with every detail of life on earth, and is what sustains every living thing: sunlight is food for the plants, insects for birds, nectar for bees, plants and animals for humans.  And there are not only coupled links, but truly a chain of connections between all existence thanks to this sustenance.  Connections, relationships, and common ancestry are what I have felt a draw toward.  Charity and gratitude not only for people, but for all of life is what my call in life revolves around.  To value all of life I in turn respect and feel indebted to that which sustains and binds it, and that is food.  


I have a lot of respect and a newly evolved appreciation for all of my classmates after this week.  I am grateful for having had Barny instill this knowledge of our place here and the strength we have to make a difference, and in a sense become a wake-up call for the sometimes sleeping world we live in.

He left us with the thought of "staying with the positive" and when things don't always go in the way we want them to go, we need to remember that "the best things in life are those that somehow just fall into place, like the falling autumn leaves.."

Cheers!

--A special thank you to my classmates for the pictures--

(Especially Kunal Chandra)

Change

“To the fearful, change is threatening because it means things may get worse. To the hopeful, change is encouraging because it means things may get better. To the confident, change is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.” ~ Lorraine Matusak


I have always been one to follow my heart, knowing that it will lead me in the direction I am meant to go. Sometimes following your heart can be hard, and sometimes our mind allows our decisions to be made without the influence of our conscience.  No matter the path we choose, it is the one we are supposed to be traveling.  When I choose from my heart, it is what I know is best, even if it's not what my head is saying is right.  


Change can be extremely hard, and sometimes I have found myself avoiding change because of what I know is to come.  Avoiding hardship is not a way to learn or to grow I have found.  Challenging ourselves to change and go against the current can, in the end, be the exact thing we needed, even if it requires the most from us.  


Deciding to study in Italy for a year was both the easiest and hardest decision to make.  Yes, I was fearful and at times wanted to back out; and No, it's not the easiest and most comfortable situation I have lived, but that's part of the purpose.  Challenging ourselves, becoming self-sufficient, appreciating what we have, who we are, and where we are from can give us strength we never knew we had and an awareness we have never understood before.  It can make the (now) insignificant stress we experienced prior seem less than trivial.   


I know that I am where I am supposed to be, no matter how hard it may seem at times.  I have grown more this week in Italy than I have a month elsewhere.  I have learned more about myself than I had known until now.  I am fortunate and quiet, ready for the world to continue gracing me with the opportunities of life and, most importantly of love.   

Unexplainable Love

I am blown away by the unending love from those that have not only seen me at my best but also at my worst.  I tend to wonder how it works: what is it that connects me to these people?  Is it the bonds that were formed when I needed these people the most, when I was vulnerable and weak?  Is it the fact that these people have seen me at my best; have witnessed my potential and the person I truly am?  Have we shared a spiritual bond that has kept us there for each other no matter what, giving us the forgiving heart to sustain the relationship we have formed?  Or is it the fact that we are all human beings, allowing for an unexplainable understanding of one another?

Actually the more I think about it, the more I realize that there is no one answer; and thus, no right answer.

Most of our existence consists of unspoken significance and understanding.  A funny example of this theory is when I asked my Dad: what's with men and their beard phase?  And my Dad acknowledged that "women will never understand the beard."  And we don't, really.  From my perspective, it must just be something all guys do to prove they are real men.  I am man, I can grow beard.  And when I brought this up to my Dad, he said it's just the simple fact that men can grow facial hair, so they think: why not.  I feel like there is more reason than that, but as I probed for more intellectual answers (mostly in order to understand the male brain more) I was told that it's just a guy thing.  "If you were a guy, you'd understand."

As I stepped back from the conversation, I realized that it's yet another one of those unwritten and unspoken understandings (which women have an unending list of, might I add).  Ok, enough with the prefix un-.  (My apologies)

Back to my hypothesis: Sometimes people can't help how they feel or who they love--no matter what happens in a friendship or relationship, and they can't explain why.  We've all heard of the stories and even experienced firsthand the up-and-down phases of relationships.  And from the outside perspective one wonders: what are they thinking?!  But no barrier could stop the love that emanates from the relationship, the bond formed; no wrong could cause that love to fade.

And this is always hard to explain to someone on the outside, am I wrong?  The truth is: that's just Love.  It's both the best thing in life and sometimes the hardest thing to comprehend, let alone put into words.

The very best example, of course, is the love that parents have for their children.  Or even their grandchildren.  Every parent wants the best for their child, wishes only happiness for them, and would climb the highest mountain/swim the deepest sea for them.

The love we have all experienced develops of course from our family, friends, and through our long lasting relationships.  I have been lucky enough to experience this kind of love throughout my life and be a witness to others', and I truly feel that there is not one person out there who is not loved in this way.

This love we all possess is the single most important reason for our being; the one thing that gives us meaning in life and the strength to persevere in any situation.  Ironically, those who guide us through the rough patches in our lives are also those that provide us the motivation to get through it for--and that is true love: when you want to give just as much if not more for those who have given to you.

We know this: we are not here for ourselves, but of course for each other.  We should allow for others to be there for us too!  So in the times when we are at our lowest we need to be inspired by those who love us, press ahead, and humble ourselves to let them in, while acknowledging our imperfections.  

It is wonderful and expected to uncover the best and the worst of ourselves; and we are incredibly lucky for those who truly love us, who will always be there--Unexplainably.