Goodbye Substack. And Welcome to Our New Home

It took us over 5 years to build. Now welcome to the Local Aromas Family community!

I can’t believe I’m writing this.

I know I’ll be shaking when I hit post. 🥹

I’ve been working on this project for 5 years. FIVE long years! And I’ve torn it down and rebuilt it more times than I can count.

Along the way, the people who said they would help and support me walked away. I was left alone.

Well ... not totally alone. Even though they didn’t fully understand my “project,” my sister and my mom never left my side. ❤️

The truth is, I didn’t even know exactly what I wanted.

Have you ever had something planted deep in your heart — something you just know you have to do, even when you don’t fully understand what it is yet?

Should we call it a vision? A dream? 😶‍🌫️

Whatever it is, it’s that thing you’ll never give up on.

You can’t explain it, but you know it’s where you need to go. And the only way to figure it out is to keep going … failure after failure, lesson after lesson.

In 2018, I felt that Local Aromas needed a YouTube channel. We needed to start a conversation with people who love Italy.

And we did it. I love our channel, and it’s exciting to see it grow.

But after a while, I felt something else. I needed to do more for the people who followed us on social media.

So in 2020, we launched our Italian online cooking school.

My sister and I started creating in-depth video courses about pasta, gnocchi, and wine. Then we added weekly Zoom calls with the people who joined the School to talk about Italy’s food, wine, ingredients, and traditions. We also started filming step-by-step video recipes of traditional Italian dishes for the School.

It became such a beautiful place! 😍

But again, that voice inside me whispered … you need to do more.

So I added a community platform to our School — a space where members could connect and chat about Italy’s food and wine.

It felt like the perfect addition. A place to feel at home. We even named it Casa Local Aromas.

And then … you need to do more.

When our TikTok channel exploded in 2024, so many people started asking for advice and local tips — they wanted to experience Italy like locals.

So my sister and I started offering 20-minute free consultation calls twice a week. A chance for our followers to pick our brains about their trip to Italy.

It’s such an enriching and fun experience to meet and talk to the many incredible people that book our calls!

And guess what happened next? Knock, knock … you can do more.

I thought: More?! How?! I’m already pouring my heart into everything — the YouTube videos, the Community, social media, the consultation calls …

What else is there to give??

And then it hit me.

Rebuild your Community.

💝 Make it valuable for everyone who loves Italy.
✅ Make it accessible so that people from all walks of life can join.
💗 Make it flexible so members can choose how much of Italy they want in their life.
💬 Make it interactive so members become a part of the Family.
🏠 Just make it a place that feels right, safe, and fun!

So back to work I went!

This time, I started from the Local Aromas WHY …

We believe in bringing people together as a family by cooking, eating, drinking, and celebrating the genuine Italian lifestyle together.

Then I focused on our HOW …

We give people the opportunity to experience and learn about the authentic Italian culture in a simple and informal way. We create a place where everyone is welcome, where differences are valued, where opinions are respectfully expressed, and where we truly care for each other as a family. We share how Italians really cook, eat, and drink in a fun, positive, interactive, playful, and creative way.

And this is the result: The Local Aromas Family community!

Now, one last change before everything feels right ...

Declutter.

Over the years, we’ve used many platforms to connect and stay in touch with people who love Italy.

Though TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram will stay, all the rest needs to go.

As much as we love and enjoy Substack, we will stop posting here and eventually delete our account.

But this is not a good-bye. It’s a welcome! 😊

We’re moving our “Stories from Italy” into our Community and, if you want, you can continue enjoying them the exact same way — for free and straight into your inbox once a week.

If you choose to follow us into the Local Aromas Family, here’s the invitation link to become a free guest in our Community.

Plus a bonus! You’ll also get access to our monthly public event hosted inside the Community!

If you choose not to follow us, thank you for taking the time to read Stories from Italy. We appreciate your love and support more than you know.

Grazie! 🫶

We’re now turning off the lights here — and you can unsubscribe from our Substack page.

See you inside the Local Aromas Family. ❤️

Valeria & Benedetta