HERE IT IS A BIT OF ME;

I AM NICOLA, I AM 22 YEARS OLD AND I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN AMSTERDAM, MY ARTSY NEST.

I MOVED HERE ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO AND I HAVE NO INTENTION OF LEAVING!

I COME FROM A MICROSCOPIC TOWN BACK IN ITALY, THAT IS CALLED ´SAN SEVERO´IN THE RAVENNA PROVINCE, I LIKE TO MENTION IT BECAUSE IT IS LITERALLY A STRIP OF LAND WITH MORE OR LESS 40 INHABITANTS AND I WAS THE YOUNGEST ONE UNTIL LAST YEAR SO FOR ME BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL AND LIVE IN METROPOLIS IS A BLESS.

I STARTED SEWING BACK THERE WHEN I WAS AROUND 16, I WAS ALWAYS FEELING SO FASCINATED AND SOMEHOW ENRAPTED BY ALL THE COMBINATIONS AND THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES THAT A SIMPLE NEEDLE COMBINED WITH A THREAD CAN BRING TO THIS WORLD.

I MOVED TO HONG KONG NOT SO LONG AFTER AND I WAS SO DRAWN TO THE CULTURE, THE MATERIALS USED FOR THE COSTUMES AND ALL THE CULTURAL HERITAGE, NOT TO MENTION ALL THE UNIQUE LANDSCAPES AND ATTRACTIONS AROUND THE ISLANDS.

I LOVED SO MUCH ALL THE DIFFERENT COLOURS SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE CITY EVERYDAY AT ANY GIVEN TIME THAT I COULDN'T GET ENOUGH AND WANTED TO GATHER THE MORE TERRITORIAL KNOWLEDGE POSSIBLE.

AFTER THIS I WENT BACK TO ITALY TO FINISH MY STUDIES; I GOT A VOCATIONAL DIPLOMA DISPLAYING TOURISM, LANGUAGES AND BUSINESS AS MY MAIN SPECIALTIES..

NOT LONG AFTER THE BIG FINAL EXAM I BEGAN TO FEEL A BIT NOSTALGIC OF THE ´BUSY ABROAD TIMES´IF SO WE CAN CALL THEM AND DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO TRY SOMETHING DIFERENT AND FAR OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE.

I APPLIED FOR ERASMUS+ AND WON A SPOT IN THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF BUDA, HERE I STARTED AS A TRAINEE IN THE NOTORIOUS ´ARIA BUSAPEST HOTEL´ UNAWARE OF THE FACT THAT I WAS GONNA PASS MY NEXT TWO YEARS IN THIS CITY!

I WAS FASCINATED YET ANOTHER TIME BY THE CULTURE, ALL THE DIFFERENT USES AND HABITS OF LOCALS AND BY THIS NEW CRAZY LANGUAGE I WANTED TO LEARN SO BAD!

TIME WENT BY AND I DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO EXPLORE MORE, SO I TOOK A GAP MONTH JUST TO TRAVEL AROUND ALL EUROPE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT MY NEXT STEPS WERE GOING TO BE..

DURING THIS TIME OFF MY LINKDLN WAS FREQUENTLY VISITED BY PEOPLE LOCATED AROUND THE BERLIN METROPOLITAN AREA AND SOME OF THEM REACHED OUT TO ME SHOWCASING SOME OFFERS.

NOT EVEN A WEEK AFTER COMING BACK I DECIDED TO FLY OUT AGAIN, THE NEED FOR NEW HORIZONS WAS STARTING TO KICK IN AGAIN; I WAS REALLY FEELING LIKE AN EXPLORER THEN!

I WORKED IN A RESORT LOCATED NEXT TO BERLIN AND LET ME SAY THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET THE BEAUTY OF NATURE THERE, EVERYTHING SEEMED UNTOUCHED, LIKE IF THE HUMAN KIND DID NOT REACH THE PLACE AT ALL.

PERFECT SKIES EVERYDAY AND NIGHT, STRONG ACQUAINTANCES AND CORE MEMORIES WERE A DAILY OCCURANCE HERE.

AS I MENTIONED I WAS STAYING IN THE OUTSKIRTISH SIDE OF BERLIN, SO ANYTIME GIVEN WE WOULD HOP ON THE TRAIN AND REACH THE HEART OF THE CITY AND LET ME SHARE WITH YOU HOW MUCH INSPIRATIONAL THIS WAS FOR ME!

BERLIN IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS EDGY LOOKS AND MOST OF THE TIMES CONTROVERSIAL WAY OF BEING; I LOVED IT SO MUCH THAT I THINK IT SHIFTED SOMETHING IN MY PERSONAL STYLE AND PERSONA.

THIS CITY REALLY HELPS YOU COME OUT OF YOUR SHELL IF THAT IS WHAT COULD BE RIGHT FOR YOU.

I REMAINED A BIT HERE BUT MY BRAIN WAS ALREADY LOADING FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURE...

ONE DAY I RECEIVED A CALL WHILE I WAS CASUALLY STROLLING UNDER BERLIN'S TOWER, THEY WANTED ME IN AMSTERDAM!

LET'S START BY SAYING THAT AMSTERDAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVOURITE; THERE'S JUST ART IN EVERY CORNER, EVEN BETWEEN ROADTILES!

I MUST SAY THAT I PREVIOUSLY VISITED THE CITY SEVERAL TIMES AND EVERYTIME I WAS ALWAYS GAZING AROUND LOST IN ALL ITS BEAUTY STROLLING UNTIL THE SUNSET.

AGAIN I DECIDED TO MOVE, IN ORDER TO TRY EVERYTHING POSSIBLE AND UNDERSTAND MORE MY IDENTITY AND PERSONAL PREFERENCES.

AS SOON AS I MOVED HERE I WAS TIRED OF RETAINING MYSELF FROM ALL MY LITTLE HOBBIES AND THINGS I LIKED, AND SINCE AMSTERDAM IS SUCH AN ARTISTIC CITY IT IS POSSIBLE TO FIND SO MANY MATERIALS AND CRAFT STORES WHERE TO ALSO GET INSPIRATION SINCE HERE LOCAL ARTISTS ARE SO WELL SUPPORTED THROUGH WORD MOF MOUTH. 

I WENT ALL IN AND FOUND MYSELF LOOKING SO CURIOUS AT ALL THESE DIFFERENT THREADS, SKIENS AND ROWINGS THAT I WAS INITIALLY BUYING (I BELIEVE SKEINS ARE LIKE WINE BOTTLES; SOME MUST WAIT ON THE HAMPER FOR THE RIGHT TIME) HOLDING MY HOOK AND MAKING JUST WEIRD KNOTS, TOTALLY HEEDLESS OF THE FACT THAT SOONER OR LATER MY FIRST ROW WAS GOING TO COME OUT CLEAN.

I LOVE TO CROCHET SINCE IT REALLY GIVES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS YOURSELF ALL IN YOUR WAY, DEPENDING ON SEVERAL FACTORS AND THE MATERIALS YOU DECIDE TO USE YOUR WORK MAY TOTALLY DIFFER FROM WHAT YOU WERE PLANNING IN YOUR HEAD.

THERE IS SUCH AN INFINITE STUDY BEHIND ALL THE MAKING PROCESS! AND IT JUST DOES NOT STOP FASCINATING ME SINCE THE OUTCOMES ARE UNPREDICTABLE AND INFINITE!

THANK YOU FOR READING UNTIL HERE; HOPE I DIDNT MAKE YOU BORED :)