July-August Editorial

I don’t know about you, but I have never longed for a vacation as much as I have this year. Even just to hop on any means of transport and rediscover the thrill of movement, the excitement of a journey, however brief. Immobility is perhaps what weighed on me the most during these past 12 months that we will never forget. But now it is right and healthy to think of ourselves again, to treat ourselves to a little break, and to rediscover—albeit with caution—the beauty of sharing our emotions with others.

What thoughts are we taking on holiday? A bit of anxiety remains, even though the vaccination campaign has worked, making us certainly more protected than last year—when at the end of August we faced a spike in infections due to overcrowding in seaside resorts. But there must also be a healthy enthusiasm for adventure, knowledge, and the desire to start living again. We have all earned it, so let’s try to imagine a small, semi-serious guide for this long-awaited summer.

Let’s re-evaluate our splendid Italy. There’s no need to go far; you just need the desire to discover beautiful things outside and inside ourselves, perhaps even very close by. Our country deeply needs tourism to restart the economy.
Look for travel companions who are compatible with our needs—choose fewer, but better. There is a need for serenity and harmony. And in any case, not to be in too large a group…
We all want to dance, but before returning (especially for the younger ones) to the whirlwind of never-ending nights, let’s remember how beautiful it is to dance under the moonlight with a few people on the beach or in the countryside at sunset. Avoid excesses and try to appreciate, bit by bit, the pleasure of rediscovering the habits that make us feel good.
We have all been very still, sitting at computers, eating and drinking too much (since it was the only thing we could do), and perhaps we arrive at the “swimsuit season” not exactly in top shape. Choose a holiday focused on well-being instead of overindulgence. Our bodies will thank us, and we will return home looking better than ever.
Don’t load ourselves down with suitcases exploding with clothes and accessories of every kind. Bring the essentials (a very important exercise for our minds)—a few things that are easily mix-and-matchable—and instead allow ourselves the pleasure of buying something in the holiday destinations we visit. We will feel more in tune with the local atmosphere and help the local economy with a few purchases that will always remind us of that specific moment of the journey, making them special.
It is time to make new acquaintances. We have been closed off in the circle of family and work for too long without being able to expand our world of relationships. For those who feel up to it, this is the right opportunity to bravely go on holiday alone—not to live like a hermit, but to be curious, interested, and kind to others; to listen to those who are different from us and discover things we don’t yet know from other people. And, why not, to surrender to new loves…
Go on holiday to learn something: whether it’s trekking in the mountains, paddleboard yoga, surfing, or a cooking class. Let’s use this moment to return home enriched by a new experience.
For me, a holiday also means reading great books. In the days before departure, I go wild looking for all the novels that have piqued my curiosity. My advice is not to buy them on Amazon: let’s try to free ourselves from the slavery/convenience of online shopping. Go to the bookstores in your cities, ask for advice from the booksellers. If everyone continues to order online from global giants, those wonderful places that are bookstores will disappear, and there will no longer be the pleasure (essential for me) of entering a place filled with books and getting lost in browsing the pages, reading the plots, and deciding which story will keep me company during a journey.
Listen to good music. Not just the current hits and the summer earworms that will follow us everywhere (the cheerfulness of Jovanotti-Morandi is already in our heads), but discover different music that takes us to other worlds, that accompanies us through memories or emotions that touch our hearts.
Try to make this holiday unforgettable for yourself. The journey must start within us, not when we board a plane, a train, or a ship, and it must be done to discover something that makes us feel good and, possibly, makes us better than when we left.
Have a great summer, everyone.