I was greeted at Harrisburg International airport by my Mom and brother's Mike & Dave. Mike even made a huge sign - it was a great homecoming... We went out for dinner and spent some time catching up with one another. It was a very good time. I hadn't slept on the flight, nor that much the night before, but I was still not tired. I felt strange. My body feels different. My skin feels different. My ears are confused by all the sound. Everything around me is different. I feel like a tourist on my own home turf... I figure that's the jet lag talking.
I stayed up as long as I could, almost making it to midnight. I slept the entire next day...
9/18 -
It is taking me a long time to adjust to my surroundings... I am in a familiar place that is also strangely unfamiliar. Everything feels different. My skin. The air. It's loud here... My ears are flooded with American noises. TV's, radio's, cell phones.....car's.... I am wondering what the heck I am doing here. Why aren't I in Italy? Where are the real fresh tomatoes? Where did all the color go? What happened to the air? What is all this English?
My body and senses are messed up. I am kinda glad to be back but kinda not. I don't know what that means... Living in Italy for over four months - I fell in love with it and with the people. And the last five weeks I got used to seeing and speaking to the same small group of people every day, over and over and over again... I drank coffee all day long, sat on benches and watched the town go by. I went to the butcher and baker every day or two and I drank a river of wine. I made friends... I ate vegetables!!
My last week here, I started dreaming in Italian. I still couldn't understand it, but they were. I'd wake up laughing because I had no idea what was said in my dreams. It was wonderful...
But now I am here and reality is trying to break down my outer Tuscan wall. I don't want to lose what I have discovered. I don't want the noise of who I was before the trip to alter who I am now after the trip. I don't want to forget who I have become.
My environment will soon be getting louder as I am moving back to Chicago. I have a great opportunity there working for Abbott Labs as a Business Systems Analyst. The office is north of the city so I will be looking for a place in da burbs. I was not planning on Chicago, but I am happy to be going back. I have friends and family there and good things happened to me there. So it is a good re-entry step. I am excited for the job, nervous - - as I have been out of step for a while and right now noise is a problem - - but I am excited for the opportunity. It's a new adventure.
But this one, the 2012 Italy tour adventure is now officially over. I am so sad about that........ I had such a great time. I loved every day - didn't love every hotel room but loved every day! I can't believe I did that!!!!!!!!! It was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To my readers - - - - thank you! For coming along, for telling me you were reading, for telling me you were having fun with me... I was reluctant to do the blog at first, who wants to type when on vacation? But then I enjoyed the idea of knowing someone would read it later and I wanted them to know everything so they could see the day as I saw it. I'm so glad you enjoyed it...
Go to Italy. Or to Hawaii. Or to China. Or to Alaska??? Wherever YOUR Italy is, go there. Do that thing that you've always wanted to do but have let go of because you had other responsibilities. Living the dream, your dream, IS one of your responsibilities. This is it - you get one shot, one chance, one... Life IS a banquet, and I have the tight clothes to prove it!!!
Ciao ~ ciao, ciao, ciao, ciao...
xoxo
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