Hello Kate

I came across your piece while surfing the internet trying to find out more background on the Italian phrase Bel far niente. This because I am trying to find some appropriate meaningful words to have tattooed on my body. It is quite hard trying to find the words that are meaningful now and will always be meaningful and that won't be misspelled or make people in Italy laugh when they see it scrawled on the top of your spine.

However, I am interested in this preoccupation with being able to do nothing with time. I think it is not something we are quite as preoccupied with or guilty about if we do it in the UK. Apparently we work the longest hours in Europe here - I think that is quite possible - but even so, we don't entirely buy into the work ethic that Americans perhaps do. Maybe there are fewer Protestants. Or it may just be that we are wedged in all senses between Europe and the US so we get a bit of both influences.

It's interesting that in looking up bel far niente I found a number of related items on the Elizabeth Gilbert book. I confess I would like a conversation with her. I am also going through a phase of self-discovery and admire the way she took a period of total desperation and turned into something transformative. I imagine that is what you do when you have a choice between life and death. I agree it is easier when you have a book paid for in advance (!), but I don't think we should let that hold us back.

I appreciate your concerns about the expense of education in the US - but in the end we only have ourselves to please don't we? There are so many years to work and to perform and then we die. And I'm pretty certain there is nothing to look forward to afterwards except, precisely, nothing (not of the pleasurable kind). I hope you find your own year (as I hope to - well, okay, maybe a few months) to take a journey of self-discovery.

Best

Kylie Johnston