The Roma Diaries #4

I can't believe my 90 days of living in Rome have come to and end. My time here flew by so fast but I cannot be more grateful and happy for how it turned out. It was definitely a tough and somewhat scary decision to leave my job but I am glad I did not let the negativity or fear stop me. One of my goals in life was to live in Europe and experience the lifestyle before I turned 30. Though I was only there for three months, I can say "I did it". I soaked it all up, took as many adventures as I could on my budget and created memories that I will cherish forever.

Today, on my last full day in Rome, I went walking around the city for one last time, listening to the street sounds and music playing, and really taking it all in. Kind of like saying "see you soon".
It has truly been one amazing experience, to have been here for so much time living "la dolce vita". Of course, I never got tired of seeing the Vatican, the Pantheon, the Colosseum (and other landmarks) but also living the Italian way of life. The majority of the experiences were fun, besides a few, like when I needed to mail something out from the post office (such a hassle!) or having to leave my house by 10am everyday to walk about 4 blocks from my house just to leave the trash of the day (plastics: Tuesdays and Fridays and paper: Wednesdays & Saturdays). But overall, it was definitely wonderful and I will have stories to tell for a lifetime. I was endlessly inspired by all my surroundings. I met all types of people that took me in, became my Italian family, and I will forever cherish them in my heart. I am thankful for all their teachings, company and can't wait to return for another adventure.
Until next time....  baci

{ out + about } Lanificio Cucina

I came upon this place thanks to a new friend I made on the train ride back home from Torino (a 5 hour ride). My plan was to sleep the whole way since it was the last train of the day and I was exhausted. The seats around me were empty until we got to Milano when the one next to me was taken. After sitting next to each other for a while, we ended up making small conversation and it turned out that we had a lot in common. He was coming back from an Architecture conference in Milano and well, I am a designer that loves anything that has to do with design. After a long chat about art culture in Rome versus art culture in Miami, we ended up exchanging business cards and went our separate ways. 

A couple of days later, he called to invite me for coffee and a tour around the city from an architectural point of view. I was hesitant to say yes at first (you know, all the traveling and meeting alone with a stranger thing) but why not?  I told my roommate where I was going and to make sure she had her phone with her, just in case. Well, it turned out to be an amazing adventure and I am so glad I went! He took me to the industrial side of the city where many old factories and warehouses have been remodeled and given new uses. The images above are fromLanificio Cucina which is a restaurant inside one of the warehouses that sits along the river. Such a beautiful space! High ceilings, tall windows and furnished with vintage artifacts that can be purchased. Each piece is completely different which makes you fall in love with all the little details of the place. Since the area is located a little outside of the city center, not many locals (or tourists) know of it. After, we went to my friends office, which is in what used to be a wool factory. There were other studio spaces within that building and they happen to be having an open house that weekend, so the studios were open to the public to tour. We spent the day exploring the spaces (images below), all so unique and inspiring. 

Nemesi Studio

dance studio

artist Lofts

L'Atelier Creativita, Arte & Consapevolezza

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* All photos and text by Katty for Xiokat. 

The Roma Diaries #3

Living in Rome has given me the opportunity to travel to far away places that I never would have thought or planned to go, since I have to take advantage of proximity being here. As you read in my previous post, a couple of friends and I traveled to Israel for a weekend trip. What a dream come true. We arrived and spent the night in Tel Aviv and took off the next morning to explore a bit.

Mornings // We rented a car and from Tel Aviv drove to Jerusalem, then to the Old City and spent a whole day there. What a beautiful city it is! Definitely not what I expected but the history there is very powerful. We spotted many tourists around the city and a lot of the locals also speak English. The picture above was taken at the Mount of Olives where you see all the olive trees overlooking the city. Our mornings were pretty busy given the little time we had, but our exhaustion at night was so worth it.

Afternoons // We spent them shopping at the markets and enjoying the local foods. There are streets and streets filled with so many things that I wanted to buy everything. Beautiful colors, textiles and so many handmade items that you can really see the time and effort the artisans took to create each one. 

Evenings // We made sure to eat very well for dinner. The guys researched and found the best restaurants in the area since who knew when would we ever be back. If you are in Tel Aviv, MantaRay is a great one to check out. It's right on the water and, during the day, you get a great view. The food and dessert were amazing!!

* Not a sponsored post for the restaurant. Visit their website here.

* More Roma pics here.

* All photos taken by Katty for Xiokat and edited with Norma and Jean actions from A Beautiful Mess's Mini Collection. 

More travels....

I have been living out of the states for a month now and it has been an amazing experience. The opportunity has now come for me to travel outside of Italy, so today we are off to Israel for a couple of days and I couldn't be more excited! It's one of those places I have always dreamt of going but never really thought I would actually go so soon. A group of friends were planning this trip and one of the them invited one of our friends and she invited my roommate and I, and of course we couldn't say no to that. We will be visiting Tel Aviv, Nazareth & Jerusalem. Having been raised Catholic, I am most excited to see the culture, history and roots of where it all started.  I don't know how the internet will be there but I will try to post some pics up on my instagram. Follow along! 

baci
Katty

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The Roma Diaries #2

Mornings // Whether you are a coffee drinker or not, here you will become one. Not only mornings but anytime of day is the perfect time for coffee. I love how the bars (over here they call coffee shops, bars; and bars are called pubs) are always filled with people of all ages getting their shot glass coffee to go on their day. It's a good break from whatever you are doing to just relax. So every now and then I go and ask for a macchiatto to fit in and feel more "Italian".  

Afternoons // Living in the center of Rome has just been a dream. So much to do and see and every little corner has a new shop to explore. Like this one above. I fell in love with the layout of the store, especially the walls. Maybe a future idea for the xiokat studio? I got their business card from, but can't seem to find them online or anywhere. It was decorated semi industrial with thread spools and pipes everywhere. The changing rooms shown in the image have a vintage feel with all the old sketches as wallpaper. And of course the clothes are so beautiful, but I didn't by anything since I can't get into the habit of buying something in every store. There are too many cute little stores around here, it would be dangerous on my wallet. So before going to class or a bar, I take a walk around the neighborhood just to look for something new. 

Evenings // Ahhhhhh! the FOOD. YUM YUM YUM! Its impossible to not gain some pounds here. The food is amazing and so fresh that I must try it all, but since I don't eat red meat it helps me just a bit. Almost everything has meat in it and well, I make up for it by eating and trying EVERY cheese ever made in the world. There are a million cheeses here, so when my roommate and I go grocery shopping we always try a new one. So far they are ALL to die for. Usually during the week we cook at home and go out to eat on then weekends. At least that's the plan, but since I have only been here for almost two weeks, all her friends have wanted to take us out so they can meet me. So nice of them. 

The Roma Diaries #1

As I mentioned in a previous post here and also here, I have decided to go on an extended trip. That's right, 1/2 of Xiokat will be living in Rome for 3 months! So how did this come about?

Over winter break, a friend who is living in Rome came into town and invited me to go visit her. And well, I couldn't say no. I decided to leave my job, pack my bags and go for 3 months, so I can really soak up the city and have the living abroad experience. I will be leaving this Thursday! 

In keeping with "Our Happy Closet" series, I have packed very lightly, taking only the essentials - a couple of jeans, already existing tops and the only long sleeve shirts I purchased recently to wear under sweaters. Living in South Florida, I don't own too many "winter clothes", so this purchase was necessary.

I am really excited for this trip and even though my sister and I will be on two different continents, Xiokat will not be left behind. In fact, I am taking a small sewing machine, sketch books and lots of books to work while I am over there. I will post as much as I can and keep you updated here on the blog. You can also follow my journey via my personal blog here or instagram.

ciao ciao!

Kat

Credits // Image by Kat of our latest bag design, available in the shop soon!