Dear friends,

As a new year begins, I think of the Roman god Janus, whose two faces allowed him to look back to the past and ahead to the future. That’s exactly what I am doing.

Years ago I fell in love—madly, gladly, heart-over-heels—and began writing books and blogs about Italy’s language and culture. La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with the World’s Most Enchanting Language, published in 2009, became an international  best-seller and won for me the great honor of an Italian knighthood. Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, an Amazon best book of the year, followed in 2014, then La Passione: How Italy Seduced the World in 2019.

The COVID pandemic changed everything. Locked down on the rugged coast north of San Francisco, I feared being trapped in a claustrophobic bubble. Instead my horizons opened in unexpected ways. In splendid isolation, I began exploring the natural wonderland just outside my door.

Intrigued by this fascinating new world, I enrolled in an intensive University of California course to become a certified naturalist. The most enduring lesson simply condensed scientific observation into two straight-forward statements: “I notice…” and “I wonder…” Noticing and wondering along the Pacific rim, I’ve discovered life in more forms and greater complexity than I ever imagined.

I now serve as a docent and research volunteer at the University of California, Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory and Reserve; a tide pool guide for the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods; and a monitor for the Seabird Protection Network. Whenever possible, I wander with animal trackers, hawk watchers, forest rangers, botanists, photographers, fishermen, and nature lovers of every sort.

In the coming weeks, I will launch a new blog, Wondering on a Blue Frontier, to share stories of life, loss, peril, and resilience from the edges of earth, sea, and sky. The next newsletter will provide a link where you can subscribe and receive posts either by e-mail or RSS to Wondering on a Blue Frontier. You also can follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

Also coming soon: an updated website that will bring together past and future. In addition to information on the books inspired by my Italian odyssey, you will find new content from the current chapter in my life. Stay tuned!

I invite all of you to wander and wonder with me—and I wish you safe and joyful journeys of your own in the new year.

Dianne