Hopping Back on the Train

Well, the only way to get this blog back in action is to start writing in it again. I have about three half-written blogs about my Moroccan/Roman, Tuscan, and Greek adventures, but I'll get to them when I get to them.

I just got back from a wonderful trip to the U.S., complete with family, friends, food, baseball, birthdays, and boyfriends. Laurel was down the first weekend, so we spent Fourth of July together (oh, KFC chicken!). The next few days I spent with my Jess from Uno's, and every evening I was watching the Reds game with the family. Also, during this time, I did a huge amount of shopping: since Europe is so expensive, and the Dollar-Euro conversion rate is total crap, I bought everything I could possibly need in the next year, including but not limited to: shampoo, deoderant, makeup, facewash, mac'n'cheese, clothes, medicine, cake mix and peanut butter. [However, the peanut butter and cake mix need replenishing, so don't come to Italy to visit me without a little of both!] I also got a lot of necessary errands run, such as doctor's appointments.

On Wednesday, Sean came to visit and we enjoyed a couple hours together (if it's possible to enjoy a couple hours with Seanic. God, what a douchebag). Friday, my old roomies and I rocked out at Shannon's dad's fantastic house, swimming, hot-tubbing, playing cards, and chatting up a storm. Saturday, the Uno's crowd had a party to celebrate all of the out-of-towners being in town. (I was in from Italy, the past-general manager was in from India, and a server was visiting from Pittsburgh)...(who's to say which place is the coolest?). Sunday, Jamie and her man-friend drove in from Illinois and it was great getting to hang out with my sister and meet her quasi-boyfriend. We had a lot of fun having another birthday celebration (for moi), including another birthday cake (for moi), lots of ice cream and s'mores, and time with my Sama-pie (who is a friend of mine, not some sort of sugary confection...although she's delicious roasted over a fire and garnished with chocolate).

Unfortunately, not everything was confetti cake and cookies-and-cream ice cream. Life tends to catch you wherever you are living, but I guess that's how it goes.

Coming back the U.S. was a bit odd after 4 months abroad. First, I continually forgot that the people around me understood English perfectly. So, yeah, that could have gotten me in some trouble. Also, whenever someone spoke of their relationpship with another person, I was constantly hit with the thought, "wow, relationships must be so much easier when you speak each others' language." [However, we all know that couples don't tend to speak the same language anyway, so what's another language barrier or two?] Furthermore, I'm coming to see how Americans are different from Europeans: unsurpringly, Americans tend to dress more casually, but they also consistently have more open expressions on their faces. I can confidently peg an American in a crowd of Europeans and am sure that I, in turn, am quite peggable.

Going back to Italy was also strange: whereas my first trip from the U.S. to Italy was shrouded in mystery and a flurry of excitement, this time I knew exactly what awaited me and why I was going back. (Those reasons? you ask. Well, I have a fabulous job working for a fabulous family, I really enjoy learning the language and being able to hop away to another country for a few days, and I'm seeing a great guy with whom I have a lot of fun. Yup, Italy = totally returnable).

Now, the returning kind of sucked. It took me two layovers/three flights in economy class, an uncomfortable train ride, and over 24 hours of traveling without sleep to get me alla mia casa. I guess that still beat the outbound travels, when I was stuck at Charles DeGaul airport for a couple days on a standby ticket, wondering if there would ever be an extra seat on a flight to the U.S. (CDG is not a great overnight option, as their hard bucket seats all have armrests). With the help of a retired-Delta employee from Texas (ie, angel), I got home in one peice.

And now I'm back in Italy! Still a little jetlagged, though it probably has to do more with my inability to sleep in this heat rather than the time change. Oh Italy and your incredibly hot and humid summers, I love thee.