FOUR DAYS A WEEK. At Our Fingertips. An Unexpected Place.

CHERISHING THE MOMENTS. AN IMMERSION INTO WRITING, BLISS, AND THE ARTFUL LIFE. On June 24, 2011, a Friday, I arrived at the estate of Spannocchia, seeking time and space to write my MORNING SUN in a beautiful, supportive setting.

I stepped inside with a group of ten writers I had never met, stepping into the light of the Tuscan sun. I hummed with the birds singing their songs from morning to night, took flight with the orange and yellow butterflies. I drew in the scent of fresh herbs and flowers meandering in the air. I touched the sun.

Danced in the delight of inspiration all around.

And when we strolled through the Secret Garden, I dipped my hands into the leaves, tipped my face to the skies and said, "This is happiness."

This was bliss, carrying me around the grounds of Spannocchia.

Magic continued to unfold when we came together, a circle of eleven writers and two teachers from California, Canada, Dubai, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, and Oklahoma. Together in the kitchen, in the living room, in the library, on the terrace drinking, out on the lawn, and in the gardens. Something special was stirring during our two-week stay.

We cooked, ate, shared our dreams (quieting our fears), read and wrote our stories and poems, played storytelling-drawing games. We laughed and cried, the sound of joy and hope deep in our souls, going beyond the rolling hills of Tuscany and into the heart of our lives.

When the hour came for us to leave, we embraced one another and rose with the sun.

In Tuscany. In Italy.

-Mia


WRITERS, ARTISTS, AND DREAMS IN TUSCANY. Summer 2011.

PHOTO CREDITS: All from members of the 2011 Tuscany writing group. The Tuscan sun by fellow writer, Rachel Gellman. Click on any photo above for a full view. ✶ For more photos and moments from our time in Tuscany, follow us here. Grazie mille.

✶ Click here for more information on how to apply for next year's Writing Immersion in Sustainable Tuscany, July 3 - 17, 2012. ✶

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and Discovery Tuscany. September 2011. ✶