Fresh from Italy, I am belatedly writing my annual birthday post. We are now back home in London from what has been the most beautiful, intense whirlwind of a month. I watch my Reels and look at my shared albums every day - pinching myself that it was real and OUR wedding. Wedding weekend recaps will come over time here, which I'm already very excited about reliving.
As for today, I will be recapping my 31st birthday in Montepulciano. We spent a few nights in Tuscany following our wedding week in Puglia - and I couldn't have imagined a better place to kick off my 31st year of life. It was also the start of our mini-moon and I just loved being able to relish in this time with my sweet husband. In the Tuscan countryside no less.
Firenze
The night before we spent with my family in Florence. We were treated with the most incredible late summer sunset, which completely made up for the lack thereof on our wedding day. (We were not the luckiest with the weather this period.) It was followed by probably my favorite dinner of the entire trip.
Trattoria dall'Oste is the popular steak house in Firenze and tables could easily be booked out on any random evening, let alone on a Saturday night. Mario booked this restaurant as soon as we confirmed Florence with my family. Tuscany is known for its meat, so it was no surprise that the quality of these cuts were very high. We ordered a bunch of sides, but my favorite had to be the patate al forno. I'm obsessed with how Italians do their roast potatoes: olive oil, salt and rosemary. Simple, yet so yummy!
No evening in Italy would be complete without gelato, which we took on our walk back to our Airbnb. I still couldn't believe that my family was in Italy and we had the chance to spend such a beautiful and special week all together. This was the perfect way to await midnight and welcome 31!
Montepulciano
After saying ciao to my family and Florence, we enjoyed cornetti e cappuccini right beside the Duomo before heading back to Pisa. From Pisa, we drove to the hilltop town Montepulciano - where we'd be staying for a few nights. We booked the honeymoon package at the Villa Poggiano and it was such a relaxing stay. We can't wait to go back one day!
We rested a bit before getting ready for our sunset dinner at Osteria del Borgo in the town center. My husband surprised me with the best table on the outdoor terrace, which called for the most breathtaking views of the countryside. We sipped on our Montepulciano wine as we watched the sun go down, and it will forever remain in my heart as the sweetest birthday yet.
31
If there's one thing about me, it is that I am always thinking about the younger version of myself. How amazed she would be to see the person she's growing up to become, but not without a tinge of pride.
As I reflect on 30 and in general the last years of my twenties, I believe that I have really come into my own. I think my family would said that as a little girl I was very quiet and shy. I was always naturally more introverted, which before was something I really did not like about myself. But now, 'introvert' is a badge that I wear proudly. I thought it by force meant that I was insecure when that couldn't be further from the truth.
Some things that I surely don't give myself enough credit for are my tenacity and bravery. Those are actually words I would never use when describing myself. However, as I consider how far I've come and what I've experienced to get to this point, I am that and even more.
Although it can be quite difficult sometimes, my hope is to continue making the most of each experience life has to offer. I'm a big believer that fortune favors the brave, and I know that I owe it to younger me to keep pushing to create the life we've always dreamed of.
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