Why I Fully Support the NonnaMaxxing Trend

My Instagram algorithm has started sending me posts about a new trend: NonnaMaxxing. And while I do think that it can be just that: a trend that gets people to look at your posts, I also can completely get on board with the idea behind the trend.

What is NonnaMaxxing?

NonnaMaxxing is simply living like an Italian grandmother. That means connecting with the seasons, cooking wholesome, fresh food, taking time to relax, and exercising through natural labor.

It's how people in Italy have lived for eons, and, in pockets like Davoli, they still live.

The main benefit is that people who live like this, here and in other countries like Greece and Turkey, tend to live longer. Nothing impresses me more than seeing a 90-year-old woman trucking up the steep cobblestone streets of Davoli like it's nothing. Meanwhile, I'm huffing and puffing in her dust.

My Journey to Becoming a "Nonna"

If you've been here long, you've already vicariously experienced me making salsiccia, baking bread in a wood-fire oven, and roving the mountains to collect herbs.

I laugh at how much my life has changed in nearly four years. And yet, this return to simplicity has so much appeal. I've cut down on how much stuff I buy. I reuse containers and try not to waste. And I only, only eat fresh food!

I'm happier and healthier for it. No trend required.

Still Straddling Two Countries

As much as I'm loving learning old-school things like dancing the tarantella or launching my word-of-mouth herbal skincare brand, I'm still American. I still love technology. I miss convenience. And food delivery.

It's a strange place to be. On one hand, I'd be happy to spend my days in a field picking flowers that I will then turn into dinner or a salve; on the other hand, I still need to have a toe in the online world for work. I have to pay attention to things like AI, or I risk becoming obsolete.

I'm finding my way, being a tech-savvy nonna wannabe!