Time for reflection:

3 months. Well, 12 weeks to be more exact. As with everything, all good things must come to an end. And by good, I mean not having to work for 12 straight weeks!

Of course, it wasn’t all good.

Some of the “not so good” was learning to balance personalities with a language and culture barrier. I’m sure I took some of it more personally than I should have but the bit of personality clash really made some of my days quite miserable. But I learned to blow off most of it and make the best of my days here.

Not so good was the complete sense of loneliness I felt sometimes. I reread the journal I kept while here and that seemed to be a common theme. While there are days you can feel lonely in NYC, it was different here. I didn’t have outlets to help with it. I was expecting it on some level, but I don’t think I was expecting it as much as I felt it at times. I’m just hoping that helps build character! And possibly lead to liking my own company even more. :)

But there was good.

Good was not having to wake up at the crack of dawn! I really enjoyed getting up a bit late and going for runs in town. Some days took a bit more motivation to put on the running sneakers than others, but each time I went, I felt that much better about myself.

Good was the 4pm gelato time! I was trying to tell myself I can only have gelato on the days I run. But I couldn’t figure out if that was making me run more or eat gelato less! :)

Meeting the Santori family was also good. We had some good laughs together! I enjoyed getting to know Irene more and I think after awhile she liked having me around.

Even Luca and I had our good times. Like who can make the longest R when saying car. Like this: carrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I think that’s a word he’s sure to remember!

Good was enjoying a few hours on the beach during my last two weeks in PSG. It was only good because it would have been great with some good company. I don’t mind my own, but after awhile….

Of course there was some weird.

For a country not shy in terms of skin exposure, they do like to be covered most of the year! I had many looks that displayed the thought process of “What are you doing not wearing a jacket and scarf? It’s only 68 degrees outside!”

And then just the outright staring. I don’t mean in an “Oh, hi pretty girl” type of way. I mean from every end of the human spectrum with an expressionless face. It really didn’t help my self-esteem!

And the good weird when Italians asked me where something was in a town. It helped balance out the “you don’t look like you belong here" feeling I was getting accustomed to having. Granted I never knew where they needed to go, but it was still nice they thought to ask me!

And then there was the great.

Switzerland was just what the doctor ordered to get my spirits up and blow off some steam. I can’t thank Leslie and Donal enough for being such amazing hosts!

Of course who can forget Croatia with Afshin and meeting my parents in Paris! It couldn’t have gotten much better than that! (I’m sensing a theme to what was great)

But the great were also the people I met.

Valentina – the girl who worked in what became my favorite store in PSG. I hope she follows her dream of coming to NYC soon. I’d love to take her around!

Benedetta and Rik – the couple who lived in NYC for 8 years. They have 2 adorable young children. They are coming to NYC in June and we’re going to meet up again. It was great seeing familiar faces as I walked around town!

Pat and Gary – what can I say about this couple? I never would have thought meeting them at the train station would have made all the difference in my time here. They took me under their wing and provided the support system I so desperately needed. They were a bit of my home away from home. I’m truly thankful for that. I’m looking forward to many more good times with them! Whatever country that might be in. :)

12 weeks. And here we are at the end. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not that long of a time period. It’s not as if I packed my bags and moved to another country for years in the same manner a lot of my friends have. I give them a lot of credit for doing so. It’s not to say I still don’t have visions of doing that someday, but for right now, New York is next on the list.

Sometimes I forget that the big, busy city of New York is waiting for me.  I hope reading about my experiences here has been as much fun for you as it’s been for me to write. I wasn’t sure how I would fair in this world of blogging, but I found it to be good company on the days I really wanted to share things with the people in my life.

However, there is the disadvantage of just being able to read about things. I can write until my fingers hurt but I could never recreate the sights, sounds, and smells that surrounded me throughout my time here. Like the musicians in Parc Guell. There was a new group every 10 feet capturing emotions of happiness, longing, and down right good times! Or the fragrance of the nearby gardenia or the incredible smell of garlic cooking as I walked through local streets. There truly is nothing that can take the place of actually being somewhere.

I’m sure I’m missing so much of what I experienced here and as the next few days go by, I’m sure I will think of something here or there that I should have written about. But I think this gives a fairly good overview!

I have mixed emotions about leaving. I’m counting the hours of when I’ll be seeing family and friends, but I feel like I’m just starting to get adapted, adjusted, and be comfortable here. But I suppose that can’t come as a complete surprise. I always seem to want more of the place I’m about to leave!

I have no regrets about pressing pause on my life and career to come here. It’s something I will look back on many years to come as a time that allowed me to truly go out of my comfort zone and learn more about myself. I’m forever grateful for that. 

Side note observation:

I think it will always fascinate me to watch the reaction of people when the answer is "New York" to the question "Where are you from?” And as I discussed with my friend Katie, thankfully I come from a place most people in the world recognize. A place they even might have visited and haven't forgotten. Unlike, say, Alabama.

It's a city that from the second you enter, native or foreigner, it does something to you, changes you even.  Its heartbeat can be felt instantaneously and starts to work its magic. It's a city that can bring you the greatest joys and the deepest heartaches. But you wouldn't change any of it. It's a city that allows me to explore the person I am and learn more about who I want to be.  It's a city where I am free to stand up for what I believe in and know to be right. It's a city filled with concrete, brick, and mortar yet feels as if it’s alive. And it can be loved and hated in a New York minute, depending on the day.

I saw this article in the NYTimes the other week. There are some good points in it. However, I'm not sure I agree with the end. I for one think New York City IS the greatest city in the world and even though I haven't kept my feet in one place for too long these last few years, I know in my heart it will eventually be the place I settle. Besides, my list of restaurants I want to try isn't getting any shorter!

However, this is not to forget the state that raised me. (Hollah Jersey!) My roots are pretty well tied to the beauty of the Garden State. Who knows, maybe it was being the butt of all those jokes growing up (and those that still continue) that have given me what's needed to make it in the Big Apple. Clearly the ones telling the jokes haven’t really gotten to know New Jersey and all it is.

Any way you slice it, I'm proud to call these places home.

Thank you for sharing this adventure with me. There were times I felt like you were all here with me!

Until next time.

There were two reasons I wanted to head to Pisa during my last few days here.

The first, I’ve wanted to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa ever since Katie, Zack and I made the attempt last year during vacation/Kara and Giuseppe’s wedding. We had, let’s say, issues finding it and decided it was best to head on to our villa. But the woman walking in front of our slow moving car with her iPod and shopping bags was lovely!

The second, I haven’t seen Pisa in its best light the last few times I’ve been there and I wanted to remember it differently. I felt I wasn’t giving it its fair shake. Turns out it’s a very nice town! And really quite quaint and pretty. As long as you go when the sun is up and people are around of course.

But I was on a clear mission today. I had the directions of how to get there from my favorite train station and was off! I only took one picture on my way as to not waste time. I needed to see this damn tower!

About 20 minutes later, I saw the duomo from a few blocks away. I was close. And then there it was. I got a bit of a thrill from it! These days, it doesn’t take much. :)

I had a perfect sunny day with blue skies. Those against the white of the tower and duomo were really pretty.

I wandered off for lunch and found a small place for a good plate of pasta and some red wine. On my walk back to the train station, I stopped for some gelati. It had been so long!

Even the train station was a pleasure to be around today. There were musicians playing, people out and about, the fountains on. It looked like a new city compared to the one I kept having images of. I’m happy I changed that.

The outing lasted about 3 hours which was just enough. I headed back to Empoli for some pre-dinner snacks and what’s become pretty much a daily nap. Not sure if I’ll be able to manage a full day when I get back!

One more full day before I board the plane back home. 

In all the excitement of my Barcelona travels, I forgot to mention the Giro d'Italia passed literally down the street here in Empoli. I can best describe it as the Italian version of the Tour de France. Except they aim for a pink shirt instead of yellow.

It felt like the procession of cars with spare bikes was longer than the cyclists!! Eugenia, Pietro and I waited outside for about 40 minutes for them to pass. Once they got to us, it took an all of 4 seconds to finish! But it was a pretty cool moment. Can't say I'll be seeing that for quite some time!

Here's a nice image from my wandering around Empoli. Simple: Peace

Yesterday I took a trip to Milan for a meeting/interview at the American School of Milan. I sent out an introductionary letter to the director when I arrived in Italy and he wanted to meet me! I was better off coming from Empoli since the ride was only 2 1/2 hours versus the 4 1/2 from PSG. The meeting was at 2pm and I was all done by 2:30pm. Lots of time to kill!

I had the taxi driver take me to the Duomo so I can do what I do best - wander!! I've seen that church so many times and each time I do it's incredible. 

This is the taxi ride I had a bit of a heart attack. When I went to go pay him, my money was not in its usual place and I thought it had fallen out on the ride to the school. Panic mode!! But he turned the car off and told me don't worry if I don't have the money. He was so great about it! Granted, I wasn't fully concerned about him, but more for the fact that was all my Euro!! But it turned up in another part of my wallet and I was able to breathe again and pay him. But it was not a fun 5 minutes!

I stopped for a bite to eat and a glass of wine (ok, maybe two) in the area. I know it was touristy, but there's really only so much you can avoid. Besides, I wouldn't have gotten this cool pizza had I not! Not sure what they would have done if I ordered the margherita! 

I got a bit lost after lunch but definitely had time to kill before my train back. Of course I got a bit stubborn and didn't want to ask where I was! (And I didn't have a map!) But I went in what I thought was the right direction and it eventually led me to what we consider "after theater" cafes. Which meant I was close to La Scala! Which meant I'd be back on familiar territory! Turns out I was right. Problem solved! One of these days I'll actually get to see an opera there.....

I made my way back to the train station from the Metro at the Duomo. As I walked down the stairs, I thought I saw a familiar face. Could it be? Could it really be the same guy I would give a few euro cents to each time I passed four years ago?! Sure enough, it was. This wasn't a guy who is in need of shelter, food, or clothing. He was born blind and just couldn't make it. Or, he's been on some great vacations thanks to me! But my heart still went out to him. So for old times sake, I gave him a few more euro cents. 

But it made me think. Have I been in NY too long to even realize the same thing happens? Are there the same people on the corners and on the subways years later still asking for help? I suppose it wouldn't be out of the question but I can honestly say, my sense of time does not come into play in my home city. 

Milan doesn't have that quaint Italian feel that other cities here do. However, I loved the pulse of it yesterday. Everyone out and about. People out on lunch breaks or heading off to another meeting. Granted it's far from NY, but still a really interesting and vibrant city! 

I'm down to my last two days in Italy. I can't believe it! Off I go....

Barcelona!

The fun weekend was pretty much sandwiched between two pretty miserable traveling days. The first you know about, the second we’ll get to in a bit. Sit tight, this might be a long one.

This statue at the Pisa Airport pretty much sums up how I feel about all of my travel to and from Barcelona!

I finally made it to Barcelona after the travel day from hell. Throughout the night, I gave myself a countdown. “In 6 hours, you’ll be napping in the hotel.”  Of course, in between landing and getting settled, I had to head to pick up the tickets for the concert. I received no less than 5 emails from Ticketmaster telling me to be early, get my tickets! I was on a mission! I arrived at a pick-up point to find I was the only one waiting. Guess I beat the crowds. :)

I got back to my hotel, showered and finally took that nap. All an hour earlier than my mental countdown!

I didn’t do a lot of the tourist things while there. Thursday I wandered around the neighborhood my hotel was in and then eventually ended up at La Rambla for a drink. At the bar, I met a group of French guys away for the weekend. We hung out for the rest of the night, ending up at some random club near the beach. I eventually headed home at 3am on a night that I was meant to catch up on sleep. It was looking like that wasn’t going to happen.

The next day I had intentions of seeing some sights, but when you leave the hotel around noon and have a concert that night, chances go way down. So I did the things that were close to me, which were two of Gaudi’s buildings: Casa Mila and Casa Batllo.

Casa Batllo

Casa Mila

Of course, I headed back for a nap before the concert. At this point, I still didn’t have anyone for the extra ticket. There was a group of 3 Irish guys at my hotel, but by the time I had thought to ask, they had left the hotel bar. I left a note for them with the hotel, but didn’t hear back by the time I left.

When I got to the stadium, I learned 1. There were still tickets available 2. I wasn’t the only one selling tickets. And as you can guess, selling one is a bit trickier. Being I paid for them months ago, the amount I got wasn’t all that important. I finally found a man on line to buy a ticket, Ian, and asked if he wanted mine instead. It took a good 5 minutes convincing him it was a real ticket and he eventually gave me some money. It really wasn’t a lot but it was something and the ticket wouldn’t be wasted. When we both made our way to the seats, we got to chatting. He was kind enough to buy me a few beers to make up for the good deal he got on the ticket!

He turned out to be pretty good company.  He “loves to dance” however I don’t think he would know a beat if it smacked him in the face. He was dancing and clapping away to a beat that was only in his head. But gotta give him credit for the effort!!

The concert was great!! Bruce, as always, was fantastic. Still has it at his age and played for 3 hours. A downside of seeing him in a non-English country is the minimized story telling. He read from his “script” in Spanish but I was missing his diatribes in between songs. But outside of that, it was so fun. The Spanish had their groove on all night and everyone was dancing in the seats and aisles. (However, I think I was the only one singing at the top of my lungs for each song!) :)

I traveled back down to the center of the city with Ian and we went for one last beer. It might sound like we had a lot, but I think that was only beer #3, so not bad. The night ended yet again at 3am.

I forced myself out of bed on Saturday to head to Parc Guell. I stopped by La Sagrada Familia for a few pictures on my way. I didn’t go inside the church this time because the line was crazy long and I had already been.

I wandered around the park for a bit and then made my way back toward the city center. I did some shopping on the way and headed back for yet another nap and shower.

Before I came for the weekend, I decided to treat myself to a fancy dinner. I ended up choosing Comerc24 and got all dressed up. It is the type of restaurant that each time you get up, there’s a new napkin, chairs are pulled in and out for you, etc. I mention this because the first time I asked where the restroom was, I was escorted to it. In my mind, once I know where it is I’m pretty sure I can make my way there again. I was on my way back and one of the waiters comes running up behind me to get to the door before I do. I looked at him with the expression “Are you coming with me?” and couldn’t help but laugh. I kept them busy because after the two huge bottles of water and glasses of wine, I made a few more trips! :)

OK, now to the main focus of the restaurant – the food. The food was very good. You had the option of doing a la carte or a tasting menu. I did the tasting menu as I think most people do. It was 7 courses (versus the other option of 12) and you tell them what you like and what you don’t like based on the a la carte menu. So you weren’t exactly sure of what you were getting. But all of it was really good. It was mostly seafood, raw fish in the beginning and a few meat dishes toward the end. Then an assortment of 5 desserts after! However, you had the option of a cheese round before dessert. As much as it looked amazing, I just couldn’t do it. And I couldn’t just get one piece; I would have had to get 4. It wasn’t going to happen.

After I rolled myself out of the restaurant 3 ½ hours later, I headed out on the town. Yes, I was by myself and managed to stay that long, but I did strike up conversation with a couple next to me at the bar. So that made up for the last 30 minutes or so.

I wasn’t exactly sure where to go so I went back to what I knew. All dressed up and at an Irish pub!! That’s how I roll. But while there, struck up conversation with 3 Spaniards and headed to a bit classier place. I eventually got back around 4am. It’s definitely a city you don’t realize where the time goes!!!

Sunday was a struggle getting up and out of the hotel by noon. But somehow I managed. I did more wandering and eating before getting on the bus to the airport. At that point I didn’t mind the hour bus ride – I got in a bit of a nap.

My flight back to Pisa was at 10:30pm landing at midnight. We left a bit late but still arrived on time. I already head my train ticket so headed to see the times. There was one coming at 1:03am to Pisa Centrale where I would catch the next train out to Empoli. But for some reason, I wasn’t confident about the 1:03am train. My gut told me to get a taxi to the main train station just so I didn’t miss the 1:12am train out. That would have sucked!

The 10 Euro was well spent because while I got there around 12:40am and had yet more time to kill, I spent it putting two and two together that the 1:12am wasn’t a train, but a bus!! I would have pulled into the station waiting for the binario (track) number to be posted and never happening! So I figured out what and where I had to wait and proceeded to wait.  

According to the schedule, I would arrive in Empoli at 2:20am. That’s what I had to go by as to what stop was mine. The buses don’t announce stops and most of the time, there’s no sign when you get to one.

The bus wasn’t crowded obviously and had some interesting characters to say the least. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep. I wanted to make sure I got off at my stop! But it’s funny what your brain does to you when you’re in an unfamiliar situation at 1:00am. Around 1:40am, we got to what I know was the second stop (Empoli was #3) but it was at a train station, just like it would be in Empoli. Logic told me it wasn’t Empoli because 1. It sure didn’t look like the train station I know 2. We couldn’t have been there because even if the schedule was a bit off, it wasn’t 40 minutes off. But even as we pulled away and drove on, I couldn’t help but feel that panic of “What if that was my stop?” I relaxed a bit and tried to calm my brain. To top it off, it was raining so I couldn’t really make out the street signs as we went on. But I eventually saw what I wanted. And just like last year (almost a year to the day!) I was very excited to see a sign that read “Empoli”!!! We got off the highway and pulled into the station at 2:20am. It was a very welcome sight!!

And just to add a cherry on top of the fun adventure home, I walked the few minutes back to the apartment in a light rain. Why should it have been easy?! On the walk home I vowed I wouldn’t fly back to NY until they made a transporter of some kind. The idea of getting on a plane again was painful!!

I was completely spent when I got back but it was a great weekend!  

My plan for today is to do absolutely nothing. And I’m off to a good start. I woke up around noon and it’s now 2:15pm and I haven’t accomplished much other than a shower. :) Food is probably not a bad idea…..

So now is the countdown to home. I’m down to my last four days here, which is completely crazy. I’ll see what I can get myself into between now and then! 

I made it to Barcelona! After what I think might have been the worst 3 hours of my life.

 The issue with getting was time. My flight was out of Pisa at 6:30am. Not like I haven't done that before, but going from a small town to the airport takes a bit of a dance. I didn't schedule a taxi with enough time in advance so I had to find other options. Marta, Giuseppe's mother, was kind enough to offer to take me should I really be stuck. But we checked out the train times and she thought I'd be good with getting there just after 6. This made me a bit nervous so I took the route of "how bad can killng 3 hours in an airport be?" Again, not like I haven't done it before! So off I go at 11:45pm and get to Pisa Centrale at 12:30am. Marta also mentioned she had walked from there to the airport so I had directions just in case I couldn't find a taxi.

Well, I didn't find a taxi and at that time, I didn't want to be anywhere near the station. Off I go again. The walk was about 25 minutes and was really rather easy. Just not sure if I'd recommend it at 12:30am!

When I bought my train ticket earlier in the day, the guy told me once you are in the airport, you can stay, but if it's closed, out of luck. So I wasn't sure what to expect at 1am. I walked up to the doors and they opened!! This meant I would be inside, warm, and able to get somewhat comfortable for a few hours. This lasted an all of 5 minutes. Security said everyone had to head out. Off I go once again.

I killed an all of 3 minutes getting a ticket for my return and lost the bench I was scoping out in the meantime. So I ended up on a stone bench with no back and read. After awhile my neck hurt so I tried laying down. But the stone was so cold! It was a chilly night but I was so lucky I thought to put on my coat before I left. So I ventured off for a place out of the wind a bit. I came across the outdoor seating of a cafe but the sides weren't really covered and I was trying to avoid sitting up the entire time. I walked a bit further and found a place that had an awning and some faux side walls. Score! I took the lead of someone already in there and lined up a few chairs to lay down for a bit.

During this time I learned I cannot survive being homeless or the Hunger Games. I was freezing and miserable. Not prepared to sleep outside for even just a few hours. Under my coat, I had on leggings, long dress, no socks and fully covered shoes. My feet got cold fast. So did my nose! At one point, I moved my hand and realized I had a HUGE bite on my knuckle and it hurt. My finger even was swollen already. But the scary part was that finger was so close to my face. I got very freaked out very quickly. But I didn't see anything in my search so laid back down. I don't think you can call what I did sleep. I was just less awake at some points in the night. Added to it, the guy closest to me had noisy track pants on and with each movement and scratch by him, that's all I heard. With an hour to go, I didn't think I could do it. My feet were just too frozen. It was then I got the idea to use another pair of leggings to cover them. Why I didn't think of tht before is beyond me! But I got through the last hour (the airport opens at 4am) still unable to feel my feet. I'll spare the details of wearing 2 pairs of leggings to fix this problem!

It might not sound so bad in the written word but it truly was the least fun thing I've done in quite some time. I'm still trying to think of something that compares. Cold, way underdressed, and sleeping on plastic chairs is not fun. As I got up to head inside, I realized Mr. Track Pants didn't have luggage and the guy laying down didn't really have proper shoes on. I think I did end up sleeping with the homeless.

The rest of the morning was uneventful. Flight on time, slept, bus to the city. But then I headed to the fnac and got my Bruce tickets. It really helped make up for the last 12 hours! I'm laying low today, time for a nap actually, and will plan my weekend a bit later. A drink tonight will feel quite nice I'm sure. It's not too late to get on a plane and meet me for tomorrow!! I can't wait to post about that. Something fun, entertaining, and what's sure to be amazing.

I’ve officially left Porto San Giorgio behind.  I arrived in Empoli yesterday via a just over 3-hour drive. It was a really nice drive – turned up the tunes, opened the windows and I was off!

However leading up to that, I was totally mad at myself. Mad because I haven’t fully acclimated to the Italian “eh, it’ll still be there when I show up” attitude. The night before I left, Rosanna asked if I could get the car at 1:30pm instead of 12pm because of our departure time from PSG. So, I made the changes online. Which cost me an extra $50 and no guarantee of a GPS system. I had to change car companies within the online booking system and that company was more money. Had I arrived to pick up the car at 1:30pm, I would have been a bit more OK with the extra $50. However, I was at the car pick-up at my originally scheduled time of 12pm because plans got changed back again. I was so annoyed!! But thankfully they did have a GPS system so I guess it didn’t all turn out bad.

Keep in mind this is after Rosanna said she in fact couldn't take the 10 min train ride with me to meet the aunt and uncle that were driving me to Ancona to pick up the car. So I had to lug every suitcase I brought to the train station in PSG (thankfully there were helpful hands to help me get everything on and off when needed) and head to Civitanova. The uncle met me on the platform so I was able to avoid a bit more lugging. This just added to the whole atmosphere for me. I could't wait to get in that damn rental car! 

I got mad at myself again when I realized I forgot to take a picture of the car when I was heading back to the house. Here’s what it looked like though…..

After I settled into the apartment, Eugenia (Giuseppe’s sister) invited me to have dinner with her and her family. Which was so nice of them! It was great to have a full conversation again. Of course, the prosecco was also very much welcomed! :)

I’m just in town for a day before I leave very early tomorrow morning for Barcelona. Off to see Bruuuuuuce! But I’m looking forward to wandering Empoli more next week during the last of my days in Italy.

Helpful tip: While completely lost in a new and unfamiliar town while running, just follow the train tracks back to something a bit more familiar! Thankfully I followed them in the right direction. :)

Last week I ventured back out to Pat & Gary's house.  Thank goodness for public transportation. I was able to take a bus that brought me close to them and only took 1 1/2 hours! But the ride wasn't bad - there's some beautiful landscape to look at during the trip. I met two of their friends, conveniently both named Cathy. Or maybe it's Kathy. Or one of each. Not sure. The food, wine and company were all great! It was so nice to sit around a table of friends and enjoy the evening.

This vegetable was termed "grass" all night but it would be great to know it's real name. Anyone? It was really good.












This week marks my last full week with the Santori Family. While I'm still returning to NYC on May 25, there's been a slight change of plans. Thanks to the generosity and support of great friends, I'm heading to Tuscany to spend the last 10 days. While the experience here has been, let's say, interesting, I needed a break from living here and taking some time to just....be. I'm looking forward to it!

However the last week here has been great given it's been in the low 70's with clear skies. I've managed to get to the beach about 5 times! I can see how the summer here is a lot more fun.

I arrive in the Tuscany area next Tuesday and then head to Barcelona that weekend for the Bruce Springsteen concert. From the reviews I've read, it's sure to be an amazing concert! And I still have an extra ticket if anyone wants to visit for the weekend! Hotel and ticket already paid for. :)

After that, back in Tuscany for a few more days before heading back home. It's crazy to think in just over 2 weeks, I'll be back. But after a few months I'm sure I'll be thinking of another place to venture off to. Suggestions welcome! :)