Some interviews stay with you, and this is one of them.

In this episode I sit down with Alessandra, the founder of a ceramics studio in Italy who has just been awarded €150,000 in European Union funding to build the business — and the community — she's dreamed about for over ten years. After a life in teaching, she's finally stepping into the art and ceramics work she always wanted, and doing it at 50, the year after losing her mum.

There's a bit of a backstory to how we met. I'd left the UK with £1,500 and a decision hanging over me: go back into a "normal" life, or go all-in on full-time travel. I chose freedom. That choice led me to a volunteer exchange program (Worldpackers), and to Italy — a country that means everything to me, because my own mum passed away in 2022 with a dream of celebrating her 60th in Venice. I try to do one volunteer program a year to give back; coming from South Africa, that's just always been part of who I am. Meeting Alessandra was the win-win I didn't know I needed.

What moved me most is how many women I keep meeting who are reinventing themselves at 50 — and Alessandra is exactly that. I've been holding onto this interview and I owe it to her to finally share it. One day I'd love to go back and record a follow-up to see how far she and the business have come.

Quick note on the audio: I recorded this on an affordable mic I had at the time, so it's not as crisp as my current DJI setup — but the story more than makes up for it. 🎙️

(We go deeper into the Worldpackers decision and the digital nomad side of things in Episode 4.)

This episode is brought to you by:

☂️ SafetyWing — travel medical insurance built for nomads and long-term travellers. [https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/?referenceID=25105548&campaign=youtube&utm_campaign=youtube&utm_source=25105548&utm_medium=Ambassador

📊 Metricool — my go-to for scheduling and analytics across all my socials. Get a 30-day free trial with code LORNAMEDIA30. https://i.mtr.cool/IOQIOS

What's something you'

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