As you may have noticed, a lot of new things have been happening here at italyMONDO!. From an all–new theme for the Our Services page to compliment our unique menu of services to the redesign of the About Us and Contact Us pages, there’s an air of change at italyMONDO!—and this is just the beginning! As our company continues to grow and prosper, it seemed only natural that we add a blog to our homepage. However, I envisioned something more than just a standard “service” blog to boost search results. I envisioned a single online publication that would bring together some of the top Italian writers from the blogosphere so they could write about what they love most—Italy.

Over the next few Saturdays, I will be introducing our new team of enthusiastic and talented writers for The italyMONDO! Blog. Coming from all over the world—from Nebraska and Upstate New York to Rome, the South of France and beyond—the common bond uniting these writers is a deep passion for sharing their knowledge, experiences and love of the Italian and Italian–American culture, as well as Italy’s regional cuisine, wonderful wines, travel destinations and lively traditions.

So it’s with great pleasure that I get to introduce to you each new member of the italyMONDO! family. Read on to learn about what inspired their love of Italy, their backgrounds, talents, and what makes each one a great addition to our family.

Laura Thayer from Ciao Amalfi

Laura Thayer is a travel writer, art historian and photographer who calls southern Italy’s Amalfi Coast home. Born in Nebraska, Laura has studied Liberal Arts and Art History and has a deep love of art and architecture. While working on a Masters of Arts in Art History, Laura visited the Amalfi Coast on a family vacation and knew immediately that life would never be the same again. The warm southern Italian charm, friendly people, and, of course, those jaw–dropping views stole her heart at once. She finished her Masters specializing in southern Italian architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries, even writing her thesis on the façade of Amalfi’s Duomo that had captivated her so.

After graduating (and countless trips back and forth!), Laura made the leap overseas and settled on the Amalfi Coast. She now focuses on freelance travel writing, learning the rhythm and romance of the Italian language, and discovering all she can about Italian foods and the regional cooking of the Amalfi Coast and Campania. When not writing or experimenting in the kitchen, Laura is out walking the narrow streets and climbing the ancient stone steps between the towns and villages of the Amalfi Coast. With a curious nature—and camera and notebook in tow—she loves exploring the twists and turns of the Amalfi Coast one step at a time.

Completely smitten with the beauty of the Amalfi Coast, Laura shares her passion for her adopted home through her blog Ciao Amalfi!, where she writes about the area’s history, architecture, stunning landscapes and the adventures of daily life in Italy.

I am really passionate about what italyMONDO! does. I see how much it means to people to come here and to uncover their roots and reconnect with family, and I am deeply moved by that.

– Laura Thayer

Laura loves the little pleasures (and sometimes challenges!) of daily life in Italy, and knows that she’ll never tire of learning about and exploring Italy. Her experiences in Italy turned her life upside down, both deepening and strengthening her passions. Knowing from personal experience that a single trip to Italy can change your life forever, Laura is proud to be a part of the italyMONDO! family—where she can share her enthusiasm and love of Italy to inspire others to follow their dreams to Italy, uncover their Italian heritage, and let the wonders of Italy speak to them and change their lives forever.