Purpose through passion

The conclusion of a ten year sentence, bound by contract and governed in fear. The dictation of your every life’s choices; dissolved and dissipated as blissful freedom engulfs you.

Ah the all mighty, so “coveted” government job. Security, fair pay and benefits- confined to the likes of time constraints, your unlimited availability and the incapability to strive for your full potential. With a passion for culture, life learning, the limitless world around us, combined with the power to make a difference and our god given ability to do so, I knew my place was not confined to a 30 or even 40 year stint behind the closed walls and mind of a dictatorship.

This all sparked from my passion for wine- most specifically Italian. After an opportunity to participate and represent the wines and people I held in the highest esteem arose to that on a global platform, I jumped at the chance- off into the abyss of discovery; of self, life and the meaning of it all. “The most dangerous risk of all- the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” – Randy Komisar. A quote so engraved into my mind and framework, it was about time that I turned faith into function. With a $20,000 pension, a little black book of Italian language must knows, in hand and at heart, I ran for my life- with my life to a place so foreign yet so strangely familiar. An experience so unknowingly at the time, would change my life forever.

My first day in the vineyards, in that of a humble, big hearted man; his micro production winery was not without enormous effort. A family affair, and that of an entire community as parents, siblings, spouses, children, and friends all come together to capture the quality and authenticity of the land’s expression they are so blessed and proud to reveal year in and year out. Perplexed at the mystery girl from afar, here to help yes, but seemingly without rhyme or reason- not to mention a limited vocabulary.

Never had I experienced the full spectrum of emotions available to me as I had at this point in my life. Tales of tears, waves of joy, a sense of belonging and contentment, through to feelings of frustration, misunderstandings, revelations and realizations. I grew in ways I didn’t think had any capacity to evolve, I changed in ways I never thought I’d seek consol and comfort in. My little black book of words became rather a large one; a newfound comprehension; a fluency in not only a language, but the deep rooted understanding of life, in all its ebbs and flows. In the months to come, adventures to be had, absorbed experiences and stories shared- I drew within instead of searching outward; as purpose through passion found me before I even knew what to look for.

A desire and commitment to realize the dreams, history and place of the wines and those behind them; their rich past, hardworking present and relentless hope for the future. The end of foreign exploration through the embarking of another; to bring these stories- bottled treasures to tables across my homeland. Importing, distributing, but most importantly- speaking with clarity and conviction in the gravitational pull to carry out life’s purpose and rhythm with our duty to fulfill it.

In Italian it is said “Chi sperimenta puo perdere, chi non sperimenta ha gia perso.” He who experiences can lose, he who does not experiment has already lost. Submerse yourself in what constitutes your beating pulse and trust wholeheartedly in the journey unfolding. With heart and notebook in hand, there is no feat not within your reach.