Dear AAs,
My name is Giordano C. and I am an alcoholic. I am the committee chair of Italypaa 5.
This year, after the various restrictions due to the pandemic, we will finally meet in person in Bologna on July 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The venue is a fantastic hotel with a swimming pool, sauna, gym and a large gorgeous park where we will organize walks and morning jogs.
Italypaa is the only convention presenting two parallel meeting programs: one in English and one in Italian. The big meetings, on the other hand, will be in English with simultaneous translation into Italian, in order to convey the message even to those who do not speak English.
We will all join in our spiritual path, and in addition there will be several activities to entertain all the participants in our great party of sobriety. From dawn until dusk we have prepared many surprises for you.
I am proud and grateful to be part of the host committee. I joined the Italypaa convention in 2017 in Milan at its second edition, where a friend took me. I did not even know what Italypaa was.
I met many great fellows who gave me a clear and strong message of their wonderful recovery. After two years in Alcoholics Anonymous, I finally found out what the Big Book was and that you have to read it with someone … your sponsor.
All my fellows became friends and travel companions and one of them became my sponsor who guided me through the steps.
This is how I came to life again, and this is the theme of this year: “We were reborn”.
I am very excited in telling you that my Higher Power wanted me to take care of this convention this year. After serving in the previous Italypaa conventions, this year I took a huge step towards spiritual growth, in taking the responsibility in organizing it, along with the fantastic host committee. I have faced my fears and gained self-confidence, believing that I can too.
This convention will be beautiful, everything will be for the best as we trust our Higher Power will help us carry the message to the alcoholics who are still suffering. Thank you all for reading this. We look forward to seeing you at Italypaa 5 on the 1stweekend of July in Bologna, a beautiful Italian city rich in art and history with many records of good Italian cuisine. We look forward to embracing you on the road to a happy destiny.
With Love in service,
Giordano C.
