2024 was an insane year of so much learning and experience. I’m so grateful to have traveled to so many places, met so many people, and learned so much about life and myself. Now that I’m back home and settling into my routine, I’m excited to return to Statement Piece to continue the mission I started, which is to inspire, express, and embrace the connection between health, wellness, happiness, and fashion (all that makes me happy).
I’ve been having trouble lately figuring out what to write about and what I want to focus on. After traveling the world, seeing so many things, experiencing so many different cultures, and then adjusting back to normal life, it’s like my mind is overflowing with ideas, but at the same time, I’m struggling to figure out what direction I want to take.
Adjusting to life back home was hard. I couldn’t just walk down the street to grab groceries, pick up a coffee, or go shopping like I used to. Coming home to the standard American lifestyle of a 9-5, with barely any socialization on the weekdays, was a huge contrast from our experience abroad. I’ll never forget walking around Florence on a Tuesday night, seeing the streets filled with people—socializing and enjoying each other’s company without the pressure of running home to wake up in the morning for work. Here in America, we live to work, and in Europe, people work to live, which completely reshaped my perspective of what success and happiness really mean.
I’ll never forget my walks in the morning to my favorite coffee shop along the river, passing the Church of Santa Croce daily, and just being present, knowing that I’ll never be able to experience that exact moment, at that exact point in my life, ever again. I would constantly observe people—what they were wearing, how they carried themselves, and how they approached their day with a sense of ease and intention. I watched people sit along the river in solitude and enjoy their lunch or pray in the small hidden chapel built near my coffee shop. These seemingly simple moments held so much meaning, and they showed me a different rhythm of life—one that valued presence, slowness, and finding something good in everyday life.
It was so enjoyable, especially on the weekends, to find different markets and trinkets from each country and such unique fashion finds that I’ll remember forever. I found such beautiful coats, jewelry, and bags from all my travels, which I’ll remember and treasure forever, taking me back to those places that I absolutely adored.
A memory that has stuck with me is the time I spent what felt like hours in a small vintage shop in Florence where I found and purchased a beautiful, unique drop-neck blouse with ruched sleeves, featuring extra fabric that draped down and fastened with hooks near the wrists. The boutique owner was an old man who had to have been in his 70s, dressed in such a funky and unique way: a custom suit and hat that he told me he created himself. After purchasing the top, I spoke with him in Italian for about 20 minutes, discussing how he made every product in the store by hand and has been creating and designing for 40 years of his life. He talked to me about fashion, his path, and his whole life leading up to that specific moment, and I was so engaged in his story and captivated by the passion he poured into his work. It was one of those rare, intimate encounters that reminded me why I love fashion so much—because it’s not just about the clothes we wear, but the stories they carry and the people behind them. That blouse wasn’t just a purchase, but it became a symbol of creativity and connection. Every time I wear it, I’m brought back to that little shop, hearing his voice and remembering his unique story of his style and the beauty of creating something truly one-of-a-kind.
I want to start writing about the new pieces I found and the lessons I learned because I feel like I came back with a whole new approach and mentality to not only fashion but life as a whole. Each coat, bag, or piece of jewelry I brought home holds a story—reminding me of the places I’ve been, the people I met, and the conversations I had.
Thank you for reading <3