A is for Mela

The Italian Alphabet Serialized Over 21 weeks

(photo by Michelle Ciani. all photos in my posts are mine. i love taking photos!).

For the next 21 weeks I’ll be working through the Italian Alphabet as a creative prompt for my writing and photography. This series is available to paid subscribers and includes an audio version read by me.

A is for Apple. But apple in Italian starts with an M.

Mela.

Apples conjure up Fall for me. Apple picking is a favorite thing to do. I love eating crisp and crunchy apples straight off the tree.

Fall reminds me of new beginnings because in the Northern Hemisphere it’s back to school season and everyone gets to start off the academic year with a fresh notebook. I love cracking open a new notebook.

I’ve been using my new notebook for planning. I’m taking some time this month to look back on the year and tidy up some things as I move into the last quarter of 2022. It’s sort of a beginning. It’s more of a second chance. A refining. A last call to meet goals set back in January. Here’s what I’ll be doing:

I’m going on a quest. 

I’ve decided to go on a quest inspired by the Italian Alphabet. For 21 weeks - because there are 21 letters in the Italian Alphabet - I will write about something that each letter summons up for me. It will serve as both a writing and a photography prompt, an opportunity to explore Rome and my relationship to the city in a creative way. It will be a treasure hunt!

A is for beginnings. It’s the first letter in the alphabet and the first letter in this series. I hope you’ll follow along!

My Italian Alphabet Series is available to paid subscribers but I’ll be leaving some Letters unlocked for you to take a read in the hopes that you might choose to join me for this series - and more! 

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I write letters home from Rome - actual physical letters -  and I write memoir. You can read more of my work on my website. Thanks for reading !

If you’d like to receive the beauty of Rome in your physical mailbox I’ll send you a Postcard from Rome. Visit my online shop to order.

I am a collector of many things but my favorite things to collect are moments and memories and I love sharing them with you here. Do you collect anything?