As my friend scanned a display of handmade earrings, I turned to look out through the tiny pizza storefront window to catch the gaze of another friend who was saving our table outside. I held up a Coke in one hand then a Dolomiti beer in the other. He gestured to the Coke. Va bene. That makes three identical orders.
It was a dinner of kings and queens: Three coworker-friends demolishing three pizza pies and three Coke Zeros. One for each of us. It might sound ordinary, but it felt to me like an intoxicating blend of cool late winter air, savory sustenance and deep gratitude. It was so much more than fresh tomatoes, hand-tossed dough and fake sugars. This was a moment that felt like life. It was joy. It was a sense of being alive.
Just as we finished, we were joined by a fourth friend.
Together, we set out into the Italian mountain village for a group gelato experience like an uneven string of fascinated distracted school kids. We trotted through cobblestoned streets with visions of pistachios and hazelnuts and maybe salted caramel coned treats. Anticipation was high after our carby culinary crusade, and I was already in an elevated state: Great company, delicious food, invigorating winter temps, the novelty of travel and the privilege of fulfilling work. Not only that, we had supportive and encouraging families back home. It was a rare bit of free time in our wall to wall work schedules, and I was one hundred percent on board to enjoy every second of it.
Day was turning into night when I noticed an illuminated shop window that was a jungle of plants and flowers. I followed my heart and walked through the portal into this floor-to-ceiling Eden with one intention: to inhale. I wanted to breathe in the green goodness I glimpsed through the window pane. And with one breath, I was transported. I called out to my friends through the rectangular portal, “Come in! Just come in and inhale.”
The four of us tucked into the tiny shop like cold travelers on a snowy evening. We weren’t cold, and it wasn’t snowing, but still, an enchanting mood burst from every plant and flower, swirling around us like benevolent spirits dressed as floral circus performers. Together it all felt as though we were Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening — the Robert Frost poem that blends the contrasting energies of beauty and duty.
Inside, the shopkeeper welcomed each of us with a warm smile. Her associate reminded me of skier Patrick Halgren. He entered and exited back and forth through the portal, each time nestling another potted plant into this enchanted space.
Two Brits and two Americans, we were in Cortina, Italy, to work at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, so obviously athletes and their stories were front of mind even on an evening of exploration.
The windows we passed by before seeing this window featured mannequins sporting dreamy ski outfits and leathery luxury goods. Prada and Louis Vuitton. Fashion and effortless style were as all-encompassing here as the surrounding Dolomites. I’m telling you, no matter how well you dress, no matter your level of creativity and style, you would have been inspired by the sartorial state of this place. The price tags mostly matched the elevation. I know because I arrived without my luggage. (It arrived a few days later). Shopping for a few basics, I found a single pair of utilitarian underwear for $17 and a pair of brown and white striped socks for $9. A quick scan of the JC Penney website and I found a six pack of underwear for $12.
Anyway, of all the tantalizing souvenirs I contemplated buying in this Aspen of Italy, it was inside this sweet merchant’s shop that I found an imperfect handcrafted metal ornament with the relief of a deer on it. I felt butterflies. No, seriously. Even more than the suede cowboy hats, the leather boots and the cream-colored wide-lined corduroy trousers I coveted in other storefront displays, it was this little piece of art that excited me most. I suppose it’s because it has a soul after being caringly crafted by someone’s hands. The irregular piece of thin square tin is no more than 2” x 2” and is broken only by a narrow leather cord for hanging it somewhere or maybe fastening it to a Christmas tree. I asked the merchant about the price for one piece. The answer: 2 Euros — a little more than two dollars.
This green vortex finally released us out onto the street and into the blissful destination of our gelato desserts. As we relaxed into the deer-adorned gelato shop benches, I was thinking about attention. About joy. About divine guidance.
My life would not be unfulfilling if I’d neglected the pull to enter the flower shop that night. But by following my joy, my curiosity, my attention, I found a little bit of magic. And my friends experienced a little magic too. I wouldn’t have wanted us to miss that. It was a reminder to me to pay attention to where your intuition leads you — especially when nature is involved. It may lead you into a moment of magic.
