The faces behind PASTAMADRE – Manuela Prandini

We thought you might be interested in finding out who the people are behind PASTAMADRE? That's why we're starting a little series here. Today we'd like to introduce you to Manuela Prandini. Anyone who has ever booked a course with us has had dealings with Manuela – but who is Manuela?

"Who the heck are you?” (as they say in Berlin) = Who are YOU? You're Manuela, that's clear – but what's behind the name?

Manuela: "Not an easy question: If you ask me what I do for a living, I can tell you that I have held many different professional positions over the years, but the common thread running through them all is management. I've worked in various, very different fields, but in all of them my job was essentially organization and administration. Since becoming a mother, I've further specialized and professionalized in this area!

If you want to know who I am as a person, it's harder for me to give a simple answer. When I look back on my past, I see many different people in many different lives. But I also recognize a certain pattern. About every 10 years, something happens that gives my life a new direction, and this change leads me to say goodbye to my previous "life." When I look back, I feel such a distance that I see myself more as a spectator than an active participant.

Today, I am a person who still has many challenges to overcome, especially with myself. But one thing is certain: I am finally where I want to be, with the people I want to be with. I am a happy mother who has the luxury of being able to spend time with her children. To achieve this, I have stopped seeking fulfillment in professional success. I attribute all of this to the fact that I don't feel like I'm getting older, but rather continuing to grow. I still feel as alive as I did when I was 18. Thanks to this, I continue to have a great enthusiasm for life, feel curiosity, and am eager to learn. In addition, over time I have developed an awareness—a conscious being—that makes it much easier for me to live." 

PASTAMADRE: Where are you originally from?

And why did you come to Berlin? What did you do here?

And why are you back in Italy now?

Manuela: "I was born in Modena and studied in Bologna. In 2011, I moved to Berlin without any specific goals, but with a great desire to immerse myself in the vibrant cultural life of this metropolis. I loved art, music, and culture, and this city had so much to offer compared to my small hometown! It was also my wish to work in this field. But first I had to devote myself to learning the language. That took me more than a year. In the meantime, I gained some interesting professional experience in art galleries and booking agencies. In 2013, I met my now husband. This unexpected and intense relationship made me temporarily forget my career plans: our encounter resulted in my first son. After motherhood, I decided to take a new direction. I invested in my own project, based on the idea of having more freedom in how I organized my time. 

Together with two friends who are also mothers, we founded a relocation and real estate consulting agency. We support people who live and work outside their home country temporarily or for a longer period of time, so-called expats. In other words, people who were confronted with the same difficulties that we ourselves had to overcome.

In 2020, another turning point came: during this time of personal and general crisis, I realized that I was not actively living my life, that I was not really in control of my decisions. Life in the city forced me into a rhythm that prevented me from spontaneously deciding how I wanted to spend my time. I saw my (now three) children for two hours a day. Otherwise, I spent a hectic day full of appointments, activities, traffic, waiting times, and hustle and bustle. ... In short, I felt like life was slipping through my fingers. 

Together with my partner, who also comes from Apulia and, after 30 years in Berlin, was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with city life, I thought long and hard about how we could make our lifestyle more humane and healthier for ourselves and our children. In 2021, we decided to spend more time in Italy. More specifically, we were drawn to the countryside of Apulia. We wanted to see if we could make our dreams come true by reconnecting with nature, its rhythms, and our culture. We had both moved away from our homeland many years ago, so we proceeded cautiously. But we quickly realized that this was the right path for us.

PASTAMADRE: What are you doing in Italy now? Where do you live now?

Can we visit you there? 

Manuela: "Berlin is still our second home. We are here often because about a year ago we moved permanently to Italy as a family, to Cisternino in Apulia to be precise. Now we live in a house on a hill from which we can even see the sea! 

It's a magical place that came to us rather than us coming to it, thanks to a series of coincidences (or perhaps providence?). It's as if it had been waiting for us! Here, there is wild nature, sun and wind, time and space to work and play, peace and quiet, and above all, countless possibilities, opportunities, and options. In addition to the space for us as a family, our house has two separate small vacation apartments. We use these to accommodate tourists and hikers, as we are located directly on the Matera hiking trail, which connects various places in Apulia with Matera in Basilicata! We also use these apartments to connect with numerous international cultural projects that are being launched here in the Valle d'Itria, the Itria Valley – also known as the "Valley of the Trulli." 

My husband is a professional musician and music therapist, so we have also set up a studio in the house dedicated to music and sound healing, e.g., the healing vibrations of singing bowls, individual and group meditation, or deep listening. The two apartments can then accommodate those who want to reconnect with the rhythms of nature and are in search of inner well-being."

PASTAMADRE: One last question to finish: What is your role at PASTAMADRE?

Manuela: "At Pastamadre, we value direct contact with those interested in our courses! We refuse to leave this to automated functions. We respond to all messages sent to us personally and devote our attention and care to each and every one. And that's exactly what I take care of😊 .

PASTAMADRE: Thank you very much, Manuela, for these multifaceted and profound insights into your life!