behind the blog – Laura from Ciao Amalfi!

I have been following Laura’s blog, Ciao Amalfi, for some time as the Amalfi Coast is one of my favourite areas in Italy.  Laura is a wonderful writer and her evocative accounts of life in this beautiful part of Italy make me want to pack my bags and return to the area as soon as possible.

Laura settled on the Amalfi coast two and a half years ago, having fallen in love with the area during a visit to research 18th and 19th century architecture for her Masters Degree in Art History.  A freelance travel writer, Laura is forever exploring.   Her blog is full of anecdotes and photos that capture the history of the area, the stunning landscapes, and the quirks of daily life. 

I’m always interested in finding out more about the bloggers on Italy and what motivates them, so I was delighted when Laura very kindly agreed to answer some questions  for my first profile on the person behind the blog.

Laura, you’ve studied in Annapolis, Maryland, and the twin cities of Minnesota, and say you were born right in the middle of America.   Where exactly is the middle of America, and is your family still there?
I was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and most of my family lives in Nebraska still. However, I moved away from Nebraska when I was seven, and while growing up I lived with the roadrunners of New Mexico, among the sand hills on the beaches of Florida, and in Amish country Ohio. My time at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland took me into crab country and America’s Sailing Capital, where I fell in love with architecture. After college I exchanged the charming brick streets of Annapolis for the bustling city sidewalks of Washington, D.C, where I worked as a data analyst and decided instead that I wanted to be an art historian. I miss the National Gallery of Art all the time! From there I went to the Twin Cities of Minnesota where I found the wonderful Art History Department at the University of St. Thomas. I was one of those people who—gasp—lived in Minneapolis and went to school in St. Paul. Clearly I am a rebel with locations! I have lived in eight states, which I believe makes the idea of moving abroad much less daunting than if you have been located in one place most of your life.

Wanting to live in somewhere like Amalfi is one thing, but actually making it happen can be impossible for many people.   How did you make your dream come true?
Everyone comes to Italy for different reasons. Some come for work or for study, some come to explore their family heritage, some come because they fall in love with a place or because they fall in love with a person, and some because they fall in love with a place and a person. I would be in the last category! It is certainly not an easy process to move overseas, but I have come to understand that there is a solution to every problem. That is one of the most important lessons I have learned!  If moving to Italy is truly your passion, work on it and start getting over those hurdles one by one. And when it gets frustrating remember that there is a solution to every problem!

Do you have a favourite place on the Amalfi coast?
You’re not going to make me pick just one, are you? While I love all of the Amalfi Coast, I am particularly fond of Amalfi. Something hit me when I stepped off the bus there for the first time on a beautiful February day two and a half years ago. I knew I would be back, and indeed I was very soon back again! I love seeing the life of the city as it changes from a quiet winter town to a chaotic, tourist-filled summer town. I love the people, the beaches, the architecture, and the Duomo of Amalfi. In fact, I love the Duomo so much that I wrote my Masters Thesis on its stunning 19th-century facade. But I also have my favorite spots that I visit regularly, often by foot since I do a great deal of walking and hiking here. There is a quiet little nook in the gardens of the Villa Cimbrone in Ravello where I go when I need to get away from it all.

You are a very diligent blogger.  What made you start blogging in the first place?
When I first started spending extended time here on the Amalfi Coast I created a private blog for my family and friends. Everything was new to me and I wanted to share it all! The blog format was a great option, and it allowed me to share pictures and videos easily. Ciao Amalfi was a long time in the coming. I thought about starting a public blog for over a year before I finally did this past January. The more time I spend here the more passionate I become about sharing the beauty of this place with a larger audience. The birth of Ciao Amalfi coincided with the beginning of my adventures in freelance travel writing. I wanted an outlet for sharing my passion for this area and for exploring travel writing, and as a way to network with all the great expats and travel writers out there. From there it has grown to mean so much more to me, which is something I write about often on Ciao Amalfi.

You live in a stunning part of the world, which provides a lot of material for you to write about.  But we all need inspiration at time.  What gives you the inspiration for your blog posts?
If there is one thing you can count on about life here on the Amalfi Coast it is that it will always be unpredictable. You might be going about a perfectly normal day and doing the morning shopping when around the corner comes a marching band for no apparent reason. Not a parade, just a marching band. No Saint day and no events taking place, just a marching band. (Yes, that has happened to me!) While I generally have an ongoing list of blog post ideas that I work on, some of the best posts I’ve written were things I came across just by chance. As I mentioned, I am passionate about sharing the beauty of the Amalfi Coast with others, and that is the true inspiration behind much of what I photograph and write about on Ciao Amalfi.

Your blog contains some fantastic photography.  I believe you’re planning to start of photo blog soon.  Can you tell us about it?  And where did you learn your photography skills?
Grazie mille! I am certainly an amateur photographer, but it is something I have enjoyed since I got my first camera for Christmas when I was 15. Right now I only have a small Kodak digital camera, and I love how portable it is. It goes everywhere with me! One of my dream purchases is a Nikon digital SLR camera, which would give me so much more options with my photography. In the meantime, however, I manage to take enough photos that my boyfriend has commented I could rival the Japanese tourists! I am very excited to launch an Amalfi Coast Daily Photo blog. I really enjoy following the many great daily photo blogs from around Italy, and I think so many people would enjoy seeing more photos of life on the Amalfi Coast. At the moment it is on hold until my schedule frees up a bit and I can dedicate some time to getting it off the ground properly. If there are any photographers on the Amalfi Coast reading this, I would love to collaborate with you on this project!

You are very generous towards other bloggers, doing Sunday Shout-Outs, you mention them on twitter, and go out of your way to meet up with them.   Is this an important aspect of blogging for you, and if so why?
Yes, very important! Shortly after launching Ciao Amalfi, I started to realize how welcoming and friendly the expat blogging community is here in Italy. As a blogging novice, I had many questions that were always answered in such a friendly way by fellow bloggers. It helped me immediately feel a part of a community, which is a nice feeling when you are living in a new place on the other side of the world. My Sunday Shout-outs are just one of the ways I like to return the favor for all of the help and kindness I have received since starting Ciao Amalfi. I see how much work so many people do online to share information, recipes, stories and photography, and I believe everyone deserves a big shout-out for what they do. I have really enjoyed getting to know people online and making new friends in person as a result of the blog. It has been a meaningful part of Ciao Amalfi that I didn’t anticipate when I started!

Everyone dreams of being a travel writer, but it is very competitive.  You are one of the few who are successful.  Can you give us any insight into what makes a successful travel writer?
That’s quite a big question! As I am relatively new to the travel writing field, I can perhaps offer a couple of tips for those trying to get started. My first tip is to start writing. I know that seems awfully obvious, but I wanted to write long before I actually started writing. That is one of the main reasons I created Ciao Amalfi, in order to have an outlet for writing as often as I wanted to. Being accustomed to writing research papers, I have found it fascinating to watch my creativity blossom and develop in an entirely new and different way. If you have some free time and the interest, I highly recommend starting a blog. That brings me to tip number two: network, network, network, and network some more. Get out there and start meeting people who do what you want to do, whether it is magazine writers, bloggers, or novelists. Start asking questions! This is the absolute best way to begin learning about how to get started, find jobs, and make connections. I have struggled through periods of up and down, of too busy and not busy enough, and through excitement and disappointment. I have to say that one of the best aspects of becoming a freelance writer is how much I have learned about myself in the process. You often spend a great deal of time on your own as a freelance writer, and you will quickly start to see your own foibles and habits as well as discovering your true talents. It has been an adventure so far for me, and I’m looking forward to what comes next!   Buona fortuna to all the aspiring travel writers out there!

Finally, beautiful Puffy the cat often makes an appearance on your blog.  Can you tell us a bit about him?
With pleasure! One sunny day a little over a year ago, three tiny orange kittens arrived in our garden. Their mother is one of our indoor / outdoor cats, who has her kittens someplace hidden and then brings them home to the garden. (It was her last litter as we had her spayed this past winter.) So these three orange puffballs became part of our garden family of orange cats. One of them took a particular liking to me and started following me everywhere I went—out to the fountain for water, around the garden, up and down the steps. One day I pointed out to my boyfriend, “I don’t know if that one is fatter than the others or just puffy.” I think it was perhaps the first time he encountered the word “puffy,” and when he said it with his Italian accent we both laughed hysterically and Puffy got his rather silly name. As it turns out he is a rather silly cat, so it suits him well. He still follows me around, but now he also comes inside and spends the day with me while I write. He has beautiful long fur in the winter, which is when his name suits him the best. Nowadays he is sporting his sleek summer look, and the only thing that remains puffy about Puffy is his tail. I love my silly little orange cat!

Thanks Laura.  It has been a pleasure talking to you. 

You can follow Laura at Ciao Amalfi! and on twitter .