Italy! I’m finally here. I’ve wanted to come for years, but somehow it never happened – except for a day trip to Venice from Croatia back in 2014. Now I have three weeks here on my own, in Umbria, near the town of Terni.

A good rental deal in exchange for looking after two cats while the owner is away. I wouldn’t really call it a holiday – more like living a quiet life in Italy. And that’s exactly what I need right now. A bit like when I was in Bali in February – just with cappuccino and paper-thin pizza instead of coconut water and smoothie bowls.

My days have a calm rhythm: yoga and light exercise in the morning, then a good breakfast, and a few hours of writing. Sometimes at a café, sometimes out on the balcony. The room I’m staying in is really more like a small apartment – with a double bed, a dining table, a sofa and two armchairs. I have access to both the kitchen and a car, so it really feels like I live here. And I suppose I do. For now.

And yes, I’ve been driving around a bit, exploring the area. Green valleys, hills and mountains – at times it reminds me of western Norway – until a little stone village appears on top of a hill. Then you remember you’re not at home after all. These tiny, often walled towns from centuries past are everywhere here. One of them is Collescipoli. That’s where I live now.
(Main photo)

I’ve had the chance to explore several small gems nearby: Narni, San Gemini, Stroncone, and Piediluco. The last one has a lake, and that’s where I was sitting with an ice cream when I suddenly thought I saw a statue of Jesus up in the hillside. I had a little Rio de Janeiro moment. But it turned out to be the Madonna dell’Eco. The feeling was the same – as if someone was watching over me.

And I just have to say: the pizza here is amazing. The crust is so thin that it’s the topping you really taste. La Genga – just around the corner – makes an absolutely fantastic one. I’ll definitely be going back before I leave.

But the biggest moment so far? That was Assisi.

I’ve had a sense for a while that I was meant to go there, without really knowing why. So last Friday, I drove the 59 kilometers over the mountains to get there. All the places I’ve visited have been lovely, but this was different. Assisi is beautifully kept – probably thanks to the tourists, if I’m honest – but that doesn’t make it any less atmospheric.

I wandered around without a plan. In a small side street I came across a café I recognized from a blog I’d read the night before: La Lanterna. I sat down, had a fantastic lunch, and stayed for a long while. I still hadn’t decided what else I wanted to see, so I did what I often do – I asked my trusted digital friend: ChatGPT. I typed, “Knowing me, what should I see in Assisi? Two or three places?”

The suggestions were:

• Basilica di Santa Chiara – where the relics of Saint Clare are kept.
• San Damiano – the place where Francis heard his calling, and where Clare later founded her community.
• The third suggestion was too far away, so I ended up visiting Chiesa Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the one closest to where I was.

The third was a church built over an old Roman temple to Minerva.
As I stepped inside, something hit me – a kind of energy. Tears welled up. It just felt good to be there, though I can’t really explain why. There were churches everywhere, but none of them affected me quite like this one.

Afterward, I sat for a while with a gelato on the main square. I didn’t really want to leave, but I decided to try to make it to San Damiano before they closed.

I arrived just 10–15 minutes before they shut the gates and just managed to get in. Again, I had that same feeling. As if I’d come home. Tears streamed down my face, and I don’t know why. Only that there was something there. I found myself thinking – if there’s such a thing as past lives, maybe I once was a Clarisse. A female Franciscan. It didn’t feel strange. On the contrary, it felt familiar.

It was hard to leave Assisi, and I knew I wanted to return someday.

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If you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll share a little secret:

The book I started writing in Bali is on pause. I’ve started something new – and Italy is part of the story. It feels so good to enjoy writing again. And strangely enough – while working on this new one, the outlines of book number three are starting to appear too.

Churches and a bit of mystery will probably show up in that one as well. They seem to follow me.

So… maybe one day I’ll live part of the year in Assisi.
When the dream comes true. When I can make a living from writing.

Or maybe I’ll just keep writing from this balcony – with sunshine, stillness, Louie and Faye for company, and pizza from La Genga just around the corner.

There’s still wifi here, after all.

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