We were lucky to catch up with Aubree Mosby recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Aubree, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Well, in order to answer that, I have to start with a brief story first.
2015 is a year I will never forget. It was in November of 2014 that I received the best news of my life: that my university would be covering an entire semester for me to study abroad in Rome in the fall of 2015. I was mind blown! But before I received this news, I have to rewind a little. One night, after a very long day of classes and work, I made a very last-minute decision to attend the informational session being hosted to introduce students to the study abroad programs that were being offered. Walking into the classroom I thought, “What are my chances of getting a scholarship to do this?” After all, what were the odds of a young, inner-city, Detroit-born girl who came from a lower-class family having her dream come true of getting out of the U.S, traveling to another country, and being FULLY immersed in a new culture for several months? “I’ll just see what they have to say,” I told myself.
Needless to say, it was a pretty darn good spill. Because by the end of the night, I had decided that Rome (over Peru and Ireland) was my destination, and I completed the application. Then it was time to wait. A couple of weeks later, I received that letter. And the second-to-last week of August, I all but ran onto that plane to fly for the very first time, solo, into the unknown.
I had to paint this picture first because it was during my time abroad that I was introduced to the masterpiece that is Tuscany (of course, ALL of Italy is a masterpiece!). To this day, I remember the very first moment I fell in love with Tuscany (well, all of Italy really). But it was Greve (located in the Chianti region, and home of the world-renowned Chianti Classico wine) that drew me in with its deep, golden sunlight washing over the rolling hills, stark mountains in the distance, and immaculate vineyards.
Wandering the peaceful pathways of Castello di Verrazzano, in the warm embrace of the gentle breeze, it was then that I knew, Tuscany would always be the place that my heart would long to call “home.” To this day, though I have not been back in quite some time, I still burn with the desire to inspire and connect other like-minded individuals (those who look for ways to blend culture, faith, and personal growth) through immersive virtual experiences that blend the rich cultural heritage of Tuscany with the profound teachings of God.
My purpose then became to find a way to create a sense of awe and wonder, foster a deeper understanding of God’s immaculate creation, and embark on a transformative journey of spiritual exploration with others who maybe have never had a chance to visit this beautiful region, or have been before but felt that it wasn’t quite as personally and spiritually meaningful as it could have been. So I birthed my travel blog, Toscana Dream. My ultimate hope is that people join me on this journey of meaningful exploration and connection as we fall in love with the beauty of God & Tuscany together.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
It’s been a few years since I last ran a blog. I’m a writer, it’s where I feel the most free to express myself. So this time around, I created my travel blog, Toscana Dream, to empower and uplift individuals globally through virtually immersive, spiritual Tuscan retreats, fostering a profound connection with Faith, Culture, and Personal Growth. My blog is only several months old, so it is very much in its infancy stage. But I am super excited to share my growth journey and passion for Tuscany with others, and to partner with anyone who is interested in falling deeper in love with God and Tuscany.
I am currently in the process of planning my first virtual retreat. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I have been carefully scouting for the right partners to help me bring my vision to life. You can follow my journey, updates, and my blog by subscribing to toscanadream.com.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities that were most impactful for me: 1. Being comfortable being uncomfortable – it’ll make you stronger and more resilient in ways you can’t foresee.
2. Being adaptable – adapting to new situations that feel daunting is as easy or as hard as you make it. It really depends on the type of mindset you carry – is it a growth mindset, or is it fixed?
3. Never stop learning – knowledge is priceless.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
As someone who is brand new to this journey that is entrepreneurship, I would love to partner with you if you are also passionate about faith, culture, and personal growth. If you’re a writer, a lover of travel and all things Italy, or desire to help others in their personal faith walk and personal growth, I would love to connect! After all, I am constantly looking for long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships for my virtual retreats.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://toscanadream.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetoscanadream/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToscanaDream
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thetoscanadream
