Blogging About Blogging About Italy

Despite my inconsistent posting recently, I’ve been thinking more than ever about what it means to have this blog.

I started Miss Expatria in a vacuum, I suppose, naively assuming that no one else lived like I did. Of course, that turned out to be patently wrong – not only are there a kabillion American expats, but it seems the great blogging majority of them are freelance writers!

While this was disheartening at first, I did come to find that my exact point of view is not represented – but then, is anyone’s? And, isn’t that the point of a blog, after all? Discovering the world of travel blogs, and those focused on Italian life in particular, has not only allowed me to form a circle of wonderful online friends – it’s opened my eyes to the world of travel writing, and has helped me define and refine my own unique voice in that world.

If you’ll indulge me for a moment, I’d like to introduce you to some talented, interesting people who write about living in Italy.

Alex writes Blog From Italy, and he’s my own personal news service. He is brave enough to tackle the issues facing the country, and gives great analysis.

Since I know there are some serious foodies among my readership, listen up! He’s cooked up a recipe contest with some prizes in the form of subscriptions to La Cucina Italiana magazine. And get this – I’m on the taste testing team! So, here is a date for your calendar: Tomorrow, 9/5/08, when you can check out Alex’s blog for details on how to enter your favorite recipes.

Michelle is Bleeding Espresso. I can’t remember who found whom, but read this post of hers and then mine, and tell me we’re not soul sisters. Also, she knows where to find Cheerios in Calabria – this is a woman after my own heart.

Ro writes I Heart Rome? One day, when I move back to Rome, I will find her and make her be my best friend. And that will make her the only American and the second girl I know in Italy!

I thought my Rome-Montpellier back-and-forthing was a big deal – Mental Mosaic divides her time between Naples, the Pacific Northwest, and London. Hello, frequent flier miles!

Martha of Roam2Rome, like so many expats, is a translator. I’m good with languages, but translating is another whole kettle of fish. Her blog is GORGEOUS and makes me feel like even more of an Internet dilettante, if possible.

Ms. Adventures in Italy describes her blog as “My Stomach and the World,” and she delivers. She’s got all kind of mouth-watering pictures and recipes.

Tina Tangos, which is why she has decided to forgo moving back to Florence to stay in Buenos Aires. OK, tango isn’t the only reason. But I love to see people throwing their lives a curveball, and I can relate to her choice of living somewhere other than the Italian city of her heart for reasons still unclear to her.

DivinaCucina just plain makes me hungry, and puts most food writers to shame. She’s always finding the freshest ingredients and doing amazing things with them. I hope one day to join her at the market, so she can teach me a thing or two!  (My dad was a produce manager for years, which you think would make me produce-savvy; but alas, while he brought home only the best, I never learned – my only job was to yum it up!)

And these are only a few of the delightful people with whom I humbly share the blogosphere! There are so many more whom I follow every day, whether by rss feed or on Twitter. I’ll be talking about more of Miss Expatria’s favorite travel writing, travel sites and travel blogs in the days to come!