In November 2022 I had the pleasure of travelling to Rome for the Italian-speaking fellowship’s convention (this is how I describe it, but I believe they called it a workshop). It was held in a beautiful spot, just behind the Colosseum, as you can see from the picture (taken from the gardens of the convention site). About 40 fellows gathered, mostly from Italy but also from Switzerland, Germany, Poland and the UK. The convention is the latest in a series of Italian-language SA events that have taken place since SA started in Italy in 2017.

It was a joy to be able to hear deep shares, have honest conversations, eat the good food (when in Rome…), and see how far the fellowship has progressed since a few fellows started on the journey to SA sobriety and recovery in 2017. I remember attending the first workshop held in Italy, in Verona in November 2017 – fifteen fellows attended, of whom at least six were also at the 2022 convention. I had a wonderful conversation with a fellow from Rome where we realised (surprise!) that SA Italia is now well underway, and that it is the Higher Power (not any old-timer, or any personality) who is in charge. And that this means that we are taken care of, as long as we remain in the SA life raft.

The SA life raft was more than a passing theme at the convention – nautical metaphors were at the centre of fellowship all weekend. Indeed, the talent show was rather memorable, and was organised so that fellows were split into teams, or ‘ships’, engaging in a naval battle through scoring points via talent challenges such as singing, dubbing silent cartoons, and other fun activities. It all helped with that Step which is so crucial – Step Zero, participating in the fellowship of recovery, establishing that connection with other fellows without which it seems so difficult to feel the real Connection. One of my most joyous moments was seeing the lights go on for a fellow who had never been to a face-to-face SA event, and seeing (and hearing) his amazement at how comfortable, connected, and serene he felt when spending time with a bunch of SAs from all walks of life, all trying to live in the Solution. This is an experience that has repeated itself again and again for me as I have attended conventions and recovery days since early 2011. When I was on the outside of SA looking in, I did not understand why fellowship was so important; when I was in the depths of despair and finally agreed with my sponsor that attending a convention might just be helpful, the lights went on for me too.

I hope to be back soon for another Italian-language SA meet-up. It’s not the food, historic cities and great weather….really! It’s because I’ve found that the SA Solution is alive and well and speaks Italian.