About

My name is pronounced Ja-nan, and it's Arabic. In Arabic, they have many words that describe love — using the word Janan to describe your love for someone would be like saying that someone is "your heart."  I enjoy long walks on the beach... No, really, I go every morning. I currently live in Palermo, Sicily, in Mondello, a charming coastal area that is full of Liberty-style villas and bright blue waters. I'm from Virginia Beach, but I fell in love with Sicily around 20 years ago when I came here (where my husband is from) on my honeymoon. I am almost never not wearing Birkenstocks. My love affair with this shoe started back in high school -- and truly, they are my solemates. I am very much into traveling around Sicily in my free time, collecting interesting historical facts, touring Byzantine cathedrals, seeking out art museums, happening upon an old Arab Kasbah or medina, and swimming in the crystal clear (and mostly shark-free) waters of the Mediterranean archipelago. I am about an Amazon order away from starting my podcast, where I try to spread the news that Sicily is so much more than just wise guys and the Mafia. I have 2 daughters who are now way more fluent than I am in Italian. And last but definitely not least, I am a very proud owner of 2 cats: a Turkish Van named Falek and a Maine Coon named Gaudí.