Are you a Summer or Winter person

I’m a big believer that weather can either dampen or brighten your mood, so for me, Queensland’s warm sunny days and blue skies that last virtually all year round are perfect. Our never-ending-Summer is why many Aussies relocate to the Sunshine State! There’s an uplifting, bright state of mind here and I love that about Queensland.

Best Christmas Holiday/Memory

When you come from an Italian family, all the best memories are centred around eating together! I have many fond memories of big Christmas feasts, lots of laughter, and loud voices competing to be heard over one another. A familiar scene that comes to mind are the kids in the family playing Monopoly after dinner, while the adults sleep off too much food and festivities. It’s the simple things that create the best long-lasting memories!

Your favourite/secret holiday spot

I find that in Queensland, you’re either a Gold Coast or a Sunshine Coast devotee. While both have their charms, I have a soft spot for the Sunny Coast with its subdued coastal feel and relaxed lifestyle. I love holidaying there so much, I once found it too hard to leave and ended up calling it home for a few years. I still have a strong affinity with Noosa’s pristine beaches and the Hinterland’s bushwalks, and I particularly love eating my way through the lively Eumundi markets.

Staying up on New Year’s Eve?

Yes, I will definitely stay up to see the new year in, as always! This year, I’ll be in Adelaide counting down to 2023 with my children (Rhys, 18 and Zac, 15) and extended family by my side. New Year’s Eve is like a finale to the Christmas family festivities, and there’s something so refreshing about mentally resetting for a new year ahead!

Your new year’s resolution?

Like most of the world no doubt, my new year’s resolution is to get active. Also unsurprisingly, this tends to be my same resolution on repeat each year, but who’s counting! As the saying goes ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’ and I’m nothing if not persistent.

Have you been infected with Covid?

Yes, after dodging COVID for some time and being quite social over the holidays, it felt inevitable when it got me (and my children) at start of 2022. During the pandemic I’ve felt so lucky to be based in Queensland where we’ve fared relatively well with minimal lockdowns and interruptions to our day-to-day lives and business activities.

How will you remember 2022- lessons learned?

This year my eldest son completed year 12 and it reminded me of the tough choices we are required to make as we attempt to navigate the path to our future. Although I do like to plan for the future, I also recognise that we evolve as human beings and we shouldn’t limit our future potential by decisions we make today.  There’s always an opportunity to choose a new path later in life and we shouldn’t be afraid to do so.

 Are you a new year’s resolution keeper?

Not really! Rather than locking it all in at the start of the year, I tend to set various goals and objectives throughout the year which continually evolve. An approach that works for me, is keeping a daily or weekly to do list, which I can eagerly tick off as I go. I find that all the little things add up to the big things and by tackling it day by day, it feels much more manageable and achievable.

Who or what do you think will be a big winner in 2023?

Without a doubt, Brisbane is the Australian city on an unstoppable winning streak from 2023 right through to 2032. Winning the 2032 Olympic Games was like throwing fuel on the fire and the city is the one to watch as it continues through significant change and modernisation. For me, it’s such a privilege to call Brisbane home despite not growing up here – the secret is finally out!