Italian Rehab

(A hiker's view.)

Let it be known that this rehab did not include abstinence from alcohol or any strict dietary guidelines. Plenty of wine (and beer and prosecco) was drunk. Many pizzas, pastas, seafood and meat of all varieties and bread was consumed. And none of it in modest amounts. It was more a rehab of the soul. Lots of familiar faces in August and then the two weeks back in Portugal that followed were tough. I was transitioning, going through the re-entry phase. So, a jaunt to one of the most beautiful natural spots I've experienced was just right. I took a few days to enjoy Italy by myself -- to hike, walk, run and swim. I couldn't help but stare at the lake at night while enjoying my wine and wood-fired pizza and just smile. From the inside out. You know that feeling? I spent time reflecting on all that I'm grateful for in life. To start with, I was sitting on a beautiful lake at the base of the Alps in Italy...

The rest of the time was spent in hard core class time at a summer school for my PhD work. I met an excellent crew of people. Big hearts and great minds from all over the world. I left with new friends from Denmark, Germany, Austria, California, Taiwan, Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, England, Norway and beyond. We had a great time learning about design, creativity and each other. We spent too much time in the classroom and tried to balance it with late nights, drinks, gelato and espresso. It was like summer camp for creative geeks.

I topped off the trip with a trip to Lisbon and another workshop about design research. Professors from England and the US chatted about the direction (or lack thereof--they only saw three possible PhD topics in my presentation) of PhD students' work.

I was home for 8 days and now I'm in Copenhagen. More soon.

(A decent photo update here.)