Juliet: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

So, it's time to answer the burning question "what's up with my name change?" I'm going to back peddle for a moment to get some perspective......

As a child born in Canada in the 50's there were unwritten rules to follow. My parents were new Italian immigrants (my mother having arrived just a year before I was born) - keeping my Italian heritage seemed less important than becoming a part of the whole. My given names - Lucia Anna - honored my two grandmothers - Lucia who I never had the opportunity to meet - she sadly died when my mother was 4 years old. The other - Anna - was a fighter, single-handedly raised 7 children and lived over a century.

I'm not too sure at what point my name was translated to LouAnne - I do know that my godmother - Emilia Gobbo - was instrumental in the change to this Anglicized version. This is the name I started school with, the name on my driver's license and passports and any legal documents I have ever signed have this name.

Now...fast forward to January 2009.......For all of my life until then I used the name LouAnne but always felt that it wasn't 'me' and didn't reflect my passions and hopes and dreams. It was like wearing a pair of shoes a half size too small - I could still wear them but boy were my feet sore at the end of the day!

Moving to SC gave me the opportunity to start re-inventing myself --- I have always LOVED the name Lucia --- in my mind it symbolizes freedom, passion, excitement and mystery --- some of the many words that resonate with me. I wanted to break free and this was an easy way to do it.

And, fear not, for those family and friends that still continue to call me LouAnne, I need only remind you 'that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)...ciao for now!