I became
My life has been an interesting journey, unexpected if I look back with my eyes of a teen.
Yet, around the age of 25, I embarked on a profound reimagining of my life.
I transformed
Enrolling in a fine arts college in Milan, despite my artistic talents being questionable at best, marked the genesis of my transformation. Concurrently, I embarked on ballet classes—a pursuit that led me to dance schools in Cannes and Paris, an unexpected odyssey that spanned five years. While I didn’t possess an innate balletic aptitude, the passion fueling my endeavors surged with dopamine.
I transformed into someone quite different from what first impressions might suggest. Reflecting on my journey with the hindsight of my teenage self, it’s been an unexpected and riveting adventure. In my youth, I harbored aspirations of becoming a professional tennis player, although reality allotted me a mere two hours of tennis per week. I found myself making mockup furniture, peddling jewelry by the seaside, crafting treehouses during summer, and just driving my father’s car under age. My initial ambition revolved around architecture, envisioning myself as an architect, only to forge a path as an economist, following my father’s influence, to put it mildly.
I re imagined my world
As life seemed to settle into a Parisian rhythm, where I juggled architectural studies, a pivotal voyage to Barcelona redirected me to San Francisco. There, I delved into the world of design and architecture as an intern. Returning to Paris to conclude my architectural master’s journey, an astonishing chapter awaited: New York.
My grandfather’s evocative tales had painted an illustrious portrait of America, an America with a capital ‘A’. Nurturing my dreams in solitude, I clung onto a postcard from a friend during our adolescent days in the 1970s, bearing the words “Greetings from New York.” The image featured the Twin Towers, and merely fathoming standing there was an audacious reverie.
From day one, New York enveloped me in its embrace, becoming my abode, my life, and my second passport. Beneath its skyline, I nurtured and raised two daughters in the heart of Manhattan. As I’d often muse, New York undertakes certain parenting responsibilities on your behalf. I lived out the quintessential American Dream, carving my own path within the vibrant tapestry of New York. I actualized my creative visions—designing residences, interiors, hotels—crafting my existence with an artisanal precision. Admittedly, New York’s dynamic was akin to a roller coaster, as my driver would jest. Its highs and lows coalesced into an enlightening journey.
A poignant trip to Munich in the summer of 2016 took me on an unexpected trajectory, not directly to Germany, but eventually to Greece. Summer excursions to Greece with my daughters, etched into our hearts since their tender years, instilled a deep-rooted connection. The essence of Greece—its breezy air, luminous light, vibrant hues, and the redolence of oleanders—stood as symbols of our ancient heritage. As I pen these words, Greece has become my second home.
I designed my life…
Had my 14-year-old little Leo been informed that this narrative would constitute my life’s tapestry, I would never believed it, deeming it a dream beyond the realms of possibility.
