Hello again. I’m back after a week of recalibration (though it still feels strange to be proceeding with “normal life” when a war is raging). I think everyone I know agrees that we’re all feeling a bit heavy and confused how to carry on given the circumstances…
I’m not in Rome again as the photo above may indicate (I’ve been back in London for a few weeks now). But when I was looking for a photo to use for the header image, which is usually a moment from my previous week, the only thing that felt appropriate was something that involved wine… because that’s what I’ve been living and breathing for the past 7 days.
I’ve always enjoyed wine, but when the pandemic began and travel came to a screeching halt, I became really interested in learning more about it (besides knowing I enjoyed drinking it). What started with online courses, virtual tastings and reading several books soon became completing certification courses through WSET: Wine & Spirit Education Trust, a globally renounced organization. I completed Levels 1 & 2 last year, and this past week I completed Level 3. This last course was incredibly intense (honestly, more strenuous than my Masters!) but I’m really proud of all the information I learned and how much time and dedication I put into completing this. While yes, I think it’s beneficial to my business (being able to incorporate wine tours and tastings into my group trips or offer more planning knowledge for my clients who may want to travel to wine regions) I think the bigger “win” for me was doing one of those things I always said would be fun to do. I know we’re all busy and schedules are different for everyone, but if you’re at a stage in life where you’re able to take a lesson or course simply because you’re interested in it… I think learning is one of life’s greatest luxuries and something you’ll always be glad you did. More about that in a minute…
If you’re new here, ‘This Week in the World’ is a weekly recap of content ranging from around the globe. My hope is that each week, no matter where you are in the world, you’ll be able to feel more connected to it: through news, travel, food & wine… really, anything that appeals to the culturally curious. Let’s dive into the content I sourced for week 10.
TRAVEL NEWS + UPDATES
AROUND THE WORLD
There’s a lot of heavy + important things happening right now… and I don’t claim to be an expert on any of them. Nevertheless, I’ve found these resources to be helpful learning resources and ways to give back where I’m able:
These podcasts have been really informative listens for me this week:
WEEKLY FAVORITES
I love Brene Brown and listen to her podcast regularly… but this episode on free speech, misinformation and the case for nuance was an especially great one.
My boyfriend and I have been watching After Life on Netflix with Ricky Gervais and it’s SO good (makes you laugh, cry and have a heightened appreciation for what a gift life is).
Spring is around the corner and I’m eyeing a few things from THIS COLLECTION that just launched…
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That’s all for today. Happy reading and hope to see you back again next week!
xx
Whitney
