ANDIAMO! CINQUE TERRE PHOTO TRIP THIS SUMMER

Right now, you're probably diving into holiday mode, with lists a mile long and a lot going on. I love this time of year for the togetherness, and the moments of gratitude. I want to whisper something in your ear to consider as a present to YOURSELF -- a creative trip to Cinque Terre, Italy with Italian Fix & I . . .

the ceilings in this region are beyond my wildest dreams!

the view of Riomaggiore, the village where we stay.

the pasta, oh how wondrous the primi piatti (1st course) can be

Bianca and I on our last trip together - photo by Rashmi Pappu, a past guest of ours

Travel is my oxygen -- I need it to survive and be well. I crave that feeling of newness, of being bombarded by beauty and living in the present moment. As a kid I devoured books about explorers, exotic lands (I had plans of becoming an Egyptologist!) and adventure seekers. In my imagination, Anne of Green Gables, Amelia Earhart, and Cleopatra mixed with the members of the babysitters club at my tea parties. Now, we're hopping on a plane and having a real life photo/creativity party in one of the most beautiful, well preserved, historical places on Earth: Cinque Terre, Italy. 

This trip is focused on learning how to create captivating images of all that we see as well as dive deeper into our creative dreams, coming up with a plan on how to make them happen. Bianca and I are our own bosses, doing what we love and working hard at it. We will share all that we've learned about the biz of freelancing and making a living through our passion. It hasn't been easy, and it wasn't always this way, but we are doing this. I get asked questions about the business side of photography everyday via email. How do you get your work into magazines? How did you build your client base? Did you go to school for photography? How do you price your work? I am an open book on this stuff and honestly, the business side is just as juicy as the creative part! I can help you develop that "hustle muscle" it takes to be a freelance creative. We will focus on BOTH the business and the creative aspects of begin a photographer.

When we take you to the Cinque Terre, you won't just SEE the place, you'll FEEL it. There's a difference -- there is the inside scoop Bianca brings, with her family's connection to the land and villages (her husband is from this area and she lived there for years), full of impossible-to-google experiences because these people, cantinas and cooks, they don't have websites! They're Bianca's friends and they invite us into their world creating wines, olive oils and making meals that are beyond compare. 

We take care of you as you live your dream. Us ladies have children, career, family, and busyness where it's very hard to have a moment of quiet and to dream big. Bianca and I understand this and we are here for you -- each activity during our 6 night Italian adventure is planned (and optional if you prefer to chill with a Prosecco on our hotel balcony) to seamlessly inspire and put a smile on your face. There's delicious food balanced with lots of walking, photo lessons complimented by a few shopping trips (Rosa our local shopper will bargain her little heart out on your behalf!), creative work pow wows with the most delicious cappuccinos to fuel our fire. You get the idea, we love to have fun and get real.

This trip happens once a summer -- our dates this year are July 19-25. If you can get to Italy, we can help you get to the Cinque Terre and we will personally greet you at the train station and have our driver whisk you and your bag up to our hotel. The rest is gravy. Verdi said it best -- You may have the universe if I may have Italy." He was right. I have traveled the world over and Italy is the place that keeps on inspiring me to live fuller, simpler and with more beauty.

More info, testimonials from previous guests and pricing are all over on Bianca's site, Italian Fix. 

Email me if you have any questions at all! Leela@leelacyd.com