Buongiorno! Ciao, Good Morning!! It’s It’s time to update you all on how I’m doing during the Lockdown here in Italy.  Corona has everyone around the world in a full blown panic and it seems the past week hit everyone in the US with the reality of a “lockdown”… In Italy we’ve been dealing with full lockdown for a month now so maybe I need to send all those “hey are you ok” texts to my friends…

Daily Life

Writing from my living room it’s a beautiful day. Bright, sunny and very quiet.. I live in the heart and centre of my city so not hear anything even cars is kind of strange but welcoming! Even at the busiest hour it’s still nowhere near as loud as LA and NYC.  I’m a city girl so the constant humming of city sounds can be too much.. But so can silence…  I am a clean FREAK with OCD so I’ve been in clean – organize mode.There isn’t much cleaning to do. I kinda just pick stuff up, dust it off and move it to another spot..  Quick trips to the market where I can get a good walk , fresh air, and sunshine on my face feels so rejuvenating !   I know the news looks crazy and I’m not following anything in mainstream media . I’ve been binging on podcasts , youtube classic shows and my favorite classic movies. To be honest I can’t provide much insight on Milan or Rome. I am very far north in a different region. Milano is about three hours away and Roma is almost five so I don’t know what is going on there I can only say that my friends there are ok. We went into complete isolation about two weeks ago. It’s been very quiet which I find really nice:} I’ve gone out for groceries and to the pharmacy. No one is hoarding anything and the shelves, fresh fruits, veggies, everything is still fully stocked. Everyone abides by standing one meter apart and people don’t push and shove to get things. My Salumeria is open and also our local Panne shoppe (bread) but we can get fresh Brioche, amazing quiches, and bread if we want. Theres TONS of toilet paper here but we have bidets my husband pointed out haha so not really an “issue” Also the first thing you see when you come into the markets are cases of water still and sparkling and it’s even been discounted which is great so people CAN stock up and they don’t hoard anything ! I moved to Italy five years ago and I can tell you there a HUGE cultural difference in how people behave here. There are always exceptions but I’ve found that here in Italy manners are VERY important and valued here.

As of now to date everything here is very good. My family is great, I’m great, we feel great. It may drive people crazy to stay home but we are ok and catching up on many things that normally don’t fit in our everyday schedule!! I am going to post some of my healthy tips and things, remedies I like to use that I hope will help you too!! My husband is a criminal defense  lawyer and he’s still able to go to work everyday. Criminals don’t take any days off AND they need their lawyer!

Making Lockdown easier- My Tips

1.  Reading: The Humane Economy by Wayne Pacelle, The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout ( I’m actually looking into getting another book from here I like her style of writing!)The Atlas of Cursed places Olivier Le carrer (I got this as a gift and you all know I love anything related to travel), Every Frenchman Has One by  Olivia de Havilland (This is one of my fave books:} Not just one of my favorite actresses but I LOVE that she’s 103!! She was born in Tokyo and she later spent her life as an expat living in France after retiring from Hollywood :} I relate to a lot of this book just Italian style!!)
2. Learn a new language! Ok not super easy but I’m working on my Thai. I was fluent until the age of five . When I started school my mother stopped talking to us in Thai and we all learned English. I was in ESL and went to English Language classes with my mother at night so she could learn too. I’m sad that we still didn’t speak Thai at home  so I’m hoping that the 100 words I know I can turn into sentences.. at some point  I’m still trying to become fluent in Italian and am 80% there!
3. Learn a new skill! Instead of binge watching shows try to keep your brain active by learning a new skill set. I’ve always loved gardening and I’ve found an interactive course online that guides you through  growing food and herbs  indoors in a container garden.
4. Exercise- Meditation- Tai chi- yoga All of these are GREAT for relaxing, stress relief, better sleep , flexibility and keeping your immune system strong. Check out this channel Boho Beautiful on Youtube She’s RAD, her workouts are super short and she’s beautiful. I love listening to her talk  plus these are the same pilates and Yoga workouts I’ve been doing for years and they are great for your body and mind:}
5.  I LOVE my essential oils. Peppermint oil / Lavender Oil, Tea Tree oil, and Oregano oil I ALWAYS have these four at home or on me. I use Coconut oil as a Carrier oil meaning oregano oil itself will burn so I put maybe 3-4 ok 5 drops in my palm and mix in some coconut oil and rub it on my feet then put on socks. This also is effective if you do it with Vicks Vapor Rub. Oregano oil is POWERFUL This brand Oreganol has a dropper and I mix it in a glass of water (6-8oz) when I’m feeling sick AM/ PM. It tastes like crap just a warning but it works. Peppermint oil I use 10 drops in a water bottle and mist it all over my bed, and room, 20 drops if you want it more powerful. Tea tree oil I mix in a water bottle and mist it in my shower, it’s effective in killing mold. I travel a lot so I always use some in my hotel shower it’s like a natural antiseptic. I use peppermint oil probably the most. I like to just put a few drops in my hands, rub them together and inhale the smell. It’s great for headaches too, one whiff of peppermint oil or put a dab on your earlobes, forehead, or massage a few drops in your palms them massage your scalp. The pain relief is usually instant for me.
6. I make a tonic with hot water, juice from half a lemon, sprinkle of cinnamon and small teaspoon of honey. I also chop up 3- 4 slices of ginger and put it in. After I’ve sipped all my tonic l eat the ginger. If you’re not used to eating ginger start with one piece. Ginger is hot and spicy. I find that eating it after I’ve sipped my tonic softens it, but it still can be strong. Ginger is good for your stomach and has anti inflammatory properties. You can also just do hot lemon water . I drink only hot lemon water first thing in the morning first thing when I wake up. I drink coffee but not a lot. I’m good with one espresso (no sugar) in the AM . I never drink anything with caffeine after 5 pm but thats just me….. I hope you guys are doing ok out there! Being home is a good thing. Above all try not to panic, keep yourself healthy and hey if nothing on my list appeals to you then use this time to catch up with friends (return those texts!! LOL) or who better than yourself:}}}} Love you guys XO Tera