Ciao from Sicily! It feels so good to be on the sea where my ancestors fished for centuries. It’s healing. It’s inspiring.

This morning, as I was snorkeling over Le Formiche, an underwater rock formation near Porticello, Sicily where my grandfather grew up, I thought about the guts it takes to emigrate and start a new life, as he did when he left for The States in 1913. If you know my work as a singer and songwriter, then you know I have contemplated this before on my album, “A Braver Kind.” Today, once again, being here at Capo Zafferano reminds me of this fortitude. Because now, after 18 very difficult months for Experience Sicily and me personally, I am at the proverbial edge preparing to jump in.

Through my snorkel mask, I watched the multicolored fish swim among the coral, star fish, and sea urchins. Schools of sardines moving in synch. Such beauty under the surface! You wouldn’t know it is there unless you looked. Unless you made the effort to swim away from the boat to see it. I imagined my grandfather as a teenager swimming in this stupendous place, and then leaving what he knew behind for the unknown. With the pandemic, we are all being pushed into the unknown, whether we like it or not. You can embrace the novelty of it or stay aboard with what you know.

I am here in Sicily this August to show you that one can still seek novelty and adventure, yet do it safely. That if we are smart, then we can travel safely. So, come with me to Sicily, and together we’ll prudently discover the treasures below the surface. They are here for you to discover. And they will make you feel alive. Jump.