Life & Linguini
Bora of the fest
A month ago, when Lent was drawing closer, it was Carnival season. What is Carnival season like in Friuli Venezia Giulia? Just like the Triestine Bora — windy, wild, and [...]
New country, new goals
By this time the last crumbs of panettone (a sweet bread served during the New Year) have finally disappeared from the table. This is probably my least favorite month of [...]
Eating vs. eating
Is there a difference between eating because you have to and eating because you love food? I think there is, and that summer highlights this difference in a way no [...]
The Italian summer we don’t talk about
If you’re a 2000s baby, you probably grew up with films like “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” or “Call Me by Your Name.” Summer flings, Vespa rides, and sunburns are often [...]
A “well-integrated” Italian?
When I first applied for my residence permit in Italy, I signed an agreement stating that I would commit to becoming well-integrated into Italian life within two years. But I [...]
In the city of coffee
Italy is renowned for its coffee shops on every corner. This devotion to coffee, however, is taken to a whole different level in Trieste. Trieste was one of the first [...]
Goodbye, my little princess
My mom thinks time stopped when I took that plane. But it hasn’t. I’m closer to my mid-twenties than to my teenage years. I’ve made sacrifices along the way, and [...]
15-minute connection
The challenge of making friends with people who already have their own group of friends — now, that might be something you thought you wouldn’t have to deal with once [...]
Horrors of December
You may consider the Christmas season a time of fun, and while most Christmas traditions are sweet, especially the ones for little children, like sipping hot chocolate in pajamas while [...]
Spotting Italians abroad
Until last year, I never thought Colombians and Italians had much in common. Then I met an Italian for the first time, in February 2023. I was in Málaga, Spain, [...]
Author
Born in a small Colombian town, Valentina followed her heart and moved to Trieste, where she got a job as a journalist. She has lived in Colombia, Spain, Germany, and Italy. She is the most recent winner of the award “Città di Trieste” in the international women’s writing competition in Friuli Venezia Giulia. She is a fan of Italian cuisine, but she is simply unable to finish an entire pizza on her own!