Today I celebrate my 45th birthday on the day of a Super Blue Blood Moon that last made an appearance 166 years ago. What a magical gift that is! So tonight I will celebrate with friends around an open fire to give thanks for all the blessings of this past year, set new intentions and work towards releasing what no longer serves me to help manifest and bring new dreams to life. 

As another chapter in my journey will soon unveil itself, I think back to all the beautiful and unforgettable moments that have made the 44th year of my life so memorable. I went paddle boarding for the first time and was surrounded by a spool of dolphins, saw a mother whale with her baby who swam beneath my boat, witnessed a viper eating a frog, went horeback riding in the rain and dined on a hilltop and had a massage in the rainforest in Costa Rica, climbed water falls in Jamaica, kissed a stingray in the Cayman Islands, swam in the ocean during a full moon in Punta Cana, climbed a cannon in Bahamas, walked the snow-covered streets of New York, explored the villages and cities along Sicily’s Ionian Coast, sailed along Calabria’s Coast of the Gods, had delicious sunset dinners on the Violet Coast, hiked jaw-dropping cliffs, sipped Aperol Spritz in Taormina, watched magnificent sunsets all over the globe, and so many experiences that are embedded in my heart forever. 

I also made a dream come true by hosting my first women’s retreat with an incredibly inspiring group of women who each hold a special place in my heart. I was selected as a Top Social Media Influencer in the GTA and was featured in fredi magazine. And I courageously accepted an assigned that forced me to push the boundaries as a travel writer - I will proudly share it with all of you when it hits newsstands. Every experience over this past year has enriched my life in new and profound ways, but the one thing that continues to enrich my life above all else is the LOVE I humbly receive along the way. Love is the thing I hold most precious for love is the one thing that cannot be bought and what a blessing to be gifted an abundance of it in my life.

Many new adventures await me this year. I am taking a new group of women to Marrakech, Lisbon, Tuscany and Calabria. Join us if you can, the experience is rewarding in ways you never imagined possible. I will be embarking on more press trips, writing new articles and making new dreams come true. The future is brighter than ever because we hold within us the power to make it everything we want it to be. I don’t have all the secrets of the universe, but what I know for sure is this: If you embrace each moment with fearless abandon and courageously pursue the life you want, love and God (light) will guide you and you will see your star rise higher than you ever imagined possible. Happiness is yours for the taking. It’s your life, and yours to live. Live it! 

On this special day I want to THANK YOU for being a part of my life; for your kindness, friendship and encouragement. I am so grateful to all of you for opening your hearts and lives to me each day. I am humbled by such graciousness. Because of you I have become a citizen of the world and am filled with hope knowing that together our journey will be a better one.

Cheers to another birthday and to savouring all the moments. In the end, they are what life is made of and what a great life it is.

Love,

Francesca - Travelista73