Fredi Magazine Special Digital Edition 2017 | Page 29
WRITTEN BY
ROSANNA BONURA
DESTINATION
“That opened my interest into
different customs and ways of
viewing the world, which I was
intrigued by,” she recalls. At
age 23, Spizzirri moved to Italy
where she lived for five years.
Italy was a place she fell in love
with when she was just a young
girl visiting her grandparents
during the summer months. Her
desire to experience their way
of life was an opportunity she
couldn’t miss out on. “While
in Italy, I did a lot of traveling,
visited old churches, art galleries,
looked for new restaurants and
boutique hotels, and spent sum-
mers exploring different beach
towns.” She also taught English
while living there. However, the
most valuable experience during
these five years was interacting
with local people. “I immersed
myself in their culture, which
is very different than being an
Italian raised in Toronto. It was
a different way of seeing life.
In North America, we tend to
put a big focus on what you do
and it is very career driven. In
Italy, people enjoy their life a lot
more.” The time spent in Italy re-
affirmed Spizzirri’s belief to live
life to the fullest and take time to
do the things that fuel one’s soul
and passions.
"My advice
is to follow
whatever
your passion
is and put your
all into it."
fused them together. That’s when the
idea to start a travel blog came about.
“It was an opportunity to write a little
bit about myself, the experiences I’ve
had in life, the things I’ve seen, and the
hotels I love,” she shares. Before she
knew it, Spizzirri started to gain a
following on Travelista73’s Facebook
page that was growing by the hun-
dreds every day. “That’s when I knew
I was on the right path and was doing
what I needed to be doing.” Today,
she has over 260,000 followers on
social media and is fortunate enough
to continue travelling to some truly
exotic destinations.
Francesca Spizzirri was born and
raised in Toronto to parents of Italian
immigrants – both from Calabria,
Italy. Growing up in a multi-national
community gave Spizzirri her first
sneak peek into different cultures.
- FRANCESCA SPIZZIRRI
Prior to establishing herself in the
travel blogging industry, Spizzirri
worked in communications and
public relations (PR). She always
had an ability to write from
a young age, which naturally
led her to create Travelista73.
Shortly after starting her blog,
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