Changes & Challenges

Yesterday during lunch Rosa and I had a really great conversation. I don’t know how we got to the topic, but we started talking about my experience as an Au Pair. I just passed my 5-month mark, meaning I’ve been here for almost ½ a year now and my time here is almost halfway over. I can’t believe how time is flying!

So we were talking about the experience I’ve had so far and what it means to be an Au Pair in general. I’d like to write about what ‘being an Au Pair’ means to me. A lot of people think I’m out here in Italy living some kind of ‘dream life’. Yes, I’m in Italy, and yes, it is amazing, but it’s far from glamorous! Unless you consider cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, and butt wiping glamorous! So I’d like to give you guys a peek into my life as an Au Pair…

What a typical day is like for me…
I wake up around 7:45, get the girls ready for school, and bring them to school. I come back home, have breakfast, and usually go to the gym and run some errands. When I get back home, I take a shower and have lunch, do whatever else I need to do, then go pick up Vittoria from school. An hour later, Vittoria and I go pick up Chiara from school. Then we usually play or do some type of arts & crafts until dinner time, which is around 6. After dinner I tidy up the house, wash the girls, put them in their pajamas, and we usually watch a movie until Rosa gets home from work. Rosa gets home at about 7:30 and Bruno at about 8:30, by which time the girls are normally asleep. Then the three of us have dinner at around 9. After dinner I help with the dishes, relax, watch TV, or get on the computer, and try to get to sleep by 11. On Tuesdays and Fridays Chiara has swimming lessons from 4:30 until 5:30 so I take her (and Vittoria) to the pool. On Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, the cleaning lady comes in the morning so I try to stay out of her way. Keep in mind, I don’t have a car here, so all these places I’m going and all these things I’m doing means walking. For example, on Tuesdays I pack Chiara’s bag for the pool, walk with Vittoria to get Chiara from school, then walk with both girls and their pool bag and Chiara’s bookbag and whatever else all the way to the pool. You don’t even want to know about the days when it’s raining and we have to incorporate umbrellas into this routine…

Learning Patience…
One of the main things I’m gaining out of my year as an Au Pair is a ton of patience. It’s not that I’ve always been an impatient person, it’s just that I’ve been on my own for the past 4 years, have had my own car since I was 16, etc. etc., so I never had to wait on anything or anyone and could usually do what I wanted, whenever I wanted. Being here has taught me to slow down and be patient and wait my turn. For example, the month we were on holiday at the sea, the house we were staying in had only one bathroom, hence, only one shower. After a long day in the sun and sand, I’m usually sprinting to the nearest shower. Well, this was not the case. First dibs on the shower went to the girls of course, which was a long process in itself. And then Rosa would shower, and then Bruno. And then whoever was visiting us would shower…one week it was Rosa’s sister, another week it was Bruno’s parents. And then, finally, almost two hours later, I could take a shower. I was miserable sitting around in a wet bathing suit covered in sand for that much time, so eventually I resorted to the ol’ baby-wipe method and cleaned up that way! Another example is meal time. Living on my own for the past 4 years, I’ve been able to eat whenever I wanted to. Basically just whenever I was hungry. Now, I have to wait for dinner. Not such a big deal, but definitely a bit of an adjustment. Another thing, I always get stuck with what I like to call ‘the dirty work’. You know, the things you usually run from doing because you’re too lazy or you just don’t feel like it. Yea, that stuff all gets laid on me. It’s okay though – it’s part of my job and it’s forcing me to grow up. If we get dressed up and go out to a fancy dinner, it’s guaranteed that Chiara is gonna have to use the bathroom (so I take her), and it’s guaranteed that as soon as I get back, Vittoria will have to go (so I take her.) It’s guaranteed that they will get restless and start running around the restaurant, so I have to go chase them down while my food is getting cold. And another thing: public transportation. I’ve grown to absolutely despise it, but I deal with it, because I have to. I’m so used to hopping in my own car and driving whenever I want. Now I have to go buy a bus ticket, and wait for the bus, which can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour. And once the bus finally comes, it’s jam-packed with old women who look like they hate their life or old men who secretly try to rub up on you. Sometimes I take a taxi and pay the extra money just to spare myself! I’m not complaining about all of these things, I’m just making a point that this has all made me more patient. For the past four years I’ve grown so accustomed to doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, without having to answer to anyone or take responsibility for anyone. Those times are long gone and the situation I’m in now is teaching me more patience, more responsibility, and more conscientiousness than I ever thought I could have!

The ‘Pros and Cons’
The last little ‘peek’ into being an Au Pair…
When I was looking into becoming an Au Pair and talking to different families, I knew I had to make my choice based on the Pros and Cons. How much money I would get paid, how many kids were in the family, the ages of the kids, the personality of the family, what was expected of me etc. were all things I took into consideration. I have been so lucky with the family I’m with, because things have worked out perfectly. I had to give up some things in order to gain other things, but it’s all about compromise with a job like this. I don’t mind sharing a bedroom with a 3-year-old because I’m getting paid really good and don’t have any expenses. I don’t mind living with a young family because they’ve provided me with a cell phone, bus tickets, food, and I even get to go on vacation with them. However, there are three things that have made my experience very challenging, and they are things that I never even thought about before I came here. They are things that I was only able to realize once I got here. The first is the language barrier. I thought nothing of it because I studied abroad in Florence in the summer of 2008 and was able to get along just fine. There was literally no language barrier; everyone I met or came in contact with spoke at least a little bit of English. Well, I didn’t realize it, but in Naples, virtually nobody speaks English. It’s not an ‘international city’ like Rome or Florence, it’s not touristy, and the general population isn’t very well educated. They don’t have a reason to speak English. Thankfully, Rosa speaks English. But when we go to family events, she’s not going to talk to just me the entire time; that’s just not right. Yes I am learning Italian, but besides the basics, I can’t get into a deep conversation with anyone. It’s also been very hard to find an Italian-language course that I could attend in Naples; something that would be a lot easier to find in Rome or Florence. But, I’m getting by. The second thing I didn’t realize was how hard it would be without a group of friends. It's definitely a struggle not having a peer-group to lean on.  Actually, not having a peer-group is a major risk factor for depression (says the psychologist in me.)  My brother always says "how hard can Italy be? I was in freakin' Iraq" and I think "Yes, you were in Iraq, on an American base with all your American products and all your American buddies to hang out with."  Even if you join the Peace Corps and go to some 3rd-world country, you still have your friends.  Even if you're a soldier in Iraq, you still have your support system.  I don't.  I thought I’d be meeting all these people and going out all the time. Well, it hasn’t happened. People ask me why. It’s kind of hard to answer that. Why? Because during the week I’m busy with the girls, so that’s out of the question. On the weekend I’m free, but what am I supposed to do, go to some bar or nightclub all by myself and just start talking to random people? I guess I could do that, but then again, it’s not very common for people here to speak English. When you really think about it, all the friends you have right now are people you met at school, at work, or through another friend. Well, I don’t go to school, my ‘work’ is the girls, and you can’t meet friends of friends when you don’t have any friends. I’m not asking for pity, and I don’t feel sorry for myself, but when people say “OMG I bet you’re going out all the time and meeting so many people”, they don’t understand why I don’t and why I can’t. Now, with all of that said, I do have a couple of friends here in Naples. The first is Rosa’s sister Mary, who is close to my age. We went out one night in Naples and had a decent time. When we were on holiday in Gaeta she stayed with us for a week, and we went out every night. It was with her that I might Mario and his group of friends. However, they all live in Caserta and barely ever come to Naples, and I’ve only seen Mary once since Gaeta because she is busy with work and her own friends and her boyfriend. My second friend is Lucia, who I met in Gaeta through a cousin of Rosa. Lucia is my age and attends university here. We exchanged numbers and have hung out several times since Gaeta and I’m so thankful to her! (Lucia, if you’re reading this, HI!). She has introduced me to areas of Naples that I didn’t know before, like Piazza Vanvitelli and all the great shopping around there. We’ve gone for coffee in a great little café. We like the same music. She’s introduced me to a couple of her girl friends, and this past Sunday she invited me to come to the movies with her and her friend Marco. And best of all, she (and her friends) speak English! I am so grateful to know someone like Lucia here in Naples. Sometimes I feel bad because I’m a little clueless about the city and I don’t want her to think I’m relying on her or that she has to hold my hand through everything, especially since she is still in university and is busy a lot, but it is SO nice to have someone to hang out with on weekends. The final challenge that I’m facing here in Naples is that sometimes I feel like I’m losing a year of my youth. By that I mean, with my job comes a lot of responsibility, so I feel like I can’t enjoy being young. I go all week without fixing my hair or wearing makeup, because the only people who see me besides the family are the cashier at the grocery store and the girls’ teachers. I want to buy all these fabulous clothes and shoes but I don’t because I have nowhere to wear them; during the week I’m usually in jeans and a t-shirt or a sweater. I can’t update my Twitter and Facebook from my Blackberry or iPhone like all my friends do. I can’t lay around the house all weekend in my pajamas. I can’t hop in my car and just cruise with the windows down and the music up. I can’t go out to lunch with my girlfriends, get drunk on a random weeknight, or flirt with a cute guy in class. I can’t do these things because I don’t HAVE these things. It’s a lot of things that I’ve always had or always been able to do, but took them for granted while they were there. Now that they’re gone, I miss them.

I haven’t written this post to complain. I don’t want people to pity me or feel sorry for me. I just want people to see what I'm actually doing over here and understand that the experience I’m having isn’t some glamorous amazing dream. It’s actually a challenge that I’ve been happy to take on, and it’s made me grow up a whole lot. I’ve been completely out of my comfort-zone for the past five months, but it’s made me a stronger and hopefully a better person. With all of that said, being an Au Pair in a foreign country is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. If anyone has even considered doing it, I can’t scream it loud enough: DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! PLEASE! It’s such an amazing thing. If you need help or advice, I can walk you through it. It seems so crazy that last year at this time I was signing up on the greataupair.com website…and I slowly started talking to families…and Rosa and I started making plans…and here I am, in Italy, actually doing it. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s really happening. I love Italy and I love the Italian culture...the European culture.  I'm embracing it and learning as much about it as I can and familiarizing myself with it.  It’s been such a great opportunity, and even with all the ups and downs, I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

The Art of the Vespa

I’d like to call this…
‘The Art of Riding the Vespa’

In Italy, as in all of Europe, the moped is a very popular vehicle. It’s a lot cheaper than a car, probably a lot better on gas, and when there’s a traffic jam you can maneuver through everything and get where you’re going a lot quicker. Mopeds are a new concept to me, as my dad has a Harley Davidson and I’m used to having to get really suited up to go on a ride, and I’m more accustomed to the size and strength of the Harley.

At one point this summer, my goal was to ride on a Vespa – that’s all I wanted to do, was hop on the back of some cute little moped with a cute guy and fly through the city. Well, it finally happened! The guy I met in Gaeta, Mario, had his car with him but he also had a Vespa and we rode it everywhere. In a little sundress and sandals, usually without a helmet, we’d fly along the coastline going from bar to bar. On my last night in Gaeta I had an extremely embarrassing moment: we were leaving a bar to head home and as I was climbing onto the back of Mario’s Vespa I lost my footing and FELL. Not just a stumble, but literally fell straight onto my back, in the street, giving everyone a nice little view up my dress. And no, I was not drunk, as in Italy it is not normal for a girl to have more than two drinks in one night. I was absolutely mortified but Mario kept reassuring me, telling me it’s more common than you might think. And of course, I had my little Vespa accident while in Florence with my parents. You can read all about it in my last post!

I’ve noticed some pretty crazy things on mopeds while I’ve been in Italy. You would think you would only see one or maybe two people riding on a moped. Oh, no. It gets a lot more advanced than that. Try 3 people at one time. Or dad driving the moped with mom on the back, holding the newborn baby. Or mom driving the moped and dad on the back with their two toddlers sandwiched in between. Or businesswomen driving mopeds with briefcases and purses balanced on their lap. Or an old guy driving a moped with another guy on the back, balancing a huge piece of plywood or glass. Or someone driving their moped with their dog in their lap, paws on the handlebars. Every day I see a moped fly by and think, “Well, that’s a new one!”.

To experience the thrill of riding a Vespa through Naples, check out this video

Me on the Vespa in Florence

Week with my Parents!

I can’t believe it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve written! I apologize to everyone and especially to myself, because I feel myself starting to slip off the blog bandwagon and that is something I promised myself I wouldn’t let happen!

I’m trying to remember what’s new since my last post…

The week of September 28th went by relatively quickly, compared to how excited I was about my parents coming that weekend. I spent the week running errands, working out really hard, and following a strict diet so that I could look my best when I saw my parents. I hadn’t seen them in over 4 months, which is the longest we have ever gone apart (besides my dad’s military deployments.)

On Saturday October 3rd I spent the day organizing and packing my things, got a hair cut, got my eyebrows done, nails and toes done, the whole nine yards. Being that I’m home all day with the girls and never really leave the house, I really jump on any opportunity to get dolled up! That night I surprisingly fell asleep pretty easily, but woke up at about 5 in the morning (my alarm was set for 6). I knew there was no way I’d be able to fall back asleep, so I just got up and started to slowly get ready. A taxi picked me up at 7 and before I knew it I was on the 7:45 train heading to Rome. The entire time, I was checking my clock, thinking “where are they now? Okay now they should be landing. Now they should be heading to the hotel” etc. etc. When I got to Rome I hopped on the metro and got off at the first stop, Cavour. It was then that my excitement and anxiety started kicking in, and all I wanted was my mommy and daddy! I don’t know how I got myself and my luggage up the steep hill leading to the hotel, but all I know is, as soon as I walked through the door I heard my mom gasp, as I dropped all my bags to the floor and flew into her arms. I was laughing and crying and out of breath from walking so fast and it was honestly the happiest moment I’ve ever experienced in my life. I don’t know and I don’t even care who else was in the lobby or what everyone thought of us – we were all being so loud and crying and laughing and hugging we probably looked so strange, but who cares! I was so happy to be with my parents. My daddy gave me a great big bear hug, something I have been craving forever. Of course I hug the girls all the time but any daddy’s girl will tell you that nothing compares to hugs from daddy! We recollected ourselves and chatted for a while, then put our luggage into a holding room (we couldn’t check in our room until 2pm) and then went out for a walk. I was so excited to be back in Rome and absolutely ecstatic to be with my parents – I probably looked childish not wanting to let go of their hands! We walked right over to the Colosseum and gazed in awe at its size and history. This was my third time in Rome and my millionth time seeing the Colosseum but I don’t think I could ever get used to seeing structures like this around the city. We walked a lap around the Colosseum and snapped some pictures, then stopped at a little outdoor café for a beer. The entire time we were chatting and catching up. I was probably talking their ears off, as I was so excited to be able to speak English again! Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to talk, and it’s torture keeping my mouth closed all day every day (or attempting to speak Italian)! I could tell that my parents were super jet lagged and tired from traveling, so we walked a little bit further to Piazza Venezia and the Vittorio Emanuel Monument (the ‘Wedding Cake’) and then headed back to the hotel. We decided that it would be best to eat lunch first, and then take naps and showers. At lunch I was able to impress them by conversing with the waitress in Italian. After lunch they took naps and showers and were immediately recharged. Later that evening we visited the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps and then had a great dinner. The next day we did all the sightseeing stuff, including the morning market in Campo dei Fiori, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Tiber River, St. Peter’s Square, and St. Peter’s Basilica. We had lunch at L’insalata Ricca (definitely recommend it if you are ever in Rome!) and later I talked them into going to Scholar’s, an Irish Pub, for a drink. Scholar’s was me and Cara’s nightly spot the week we were in Rome because it stayed open until 4, while all the other bars closed at 2. Cara introduced me to Scholar’s because it was her old stomping grounds when she lived in Rome for 4 months. We had another great dinner that night, then organized our stuff in preparation to leave for Florence the next morning!

The next morning we caught the metro to the train station and got on a train to Florence. I was so excited to be returning to the city that first inspired ALL of this. I studied abroad in Florence in the summer of 2008, and it was then that I fell in love with Italy, the Italian language, the food, the culture, and more. It was also there that I began thinking about returning to Italy after I graduated college, which prompted me to look into being an Au Pair, and, well, here I am! I do love Rome but I am a little biased to Florence and it is definitely one of (if not THE) my favorite cities in the world. As we rode in our taxi from the train station to the hotel, I couldn’t believe how much I remembered about the city. I knew exactly where we were at all times and I knew what was coming up around the corner. We got to our hotel and got settled in…Hotel Fiorino, another recommendation if you ever visit Florence. It was so small and cute, I think it used to be a house, and of course it was family run. Only 10 rooms and I think for the first night we were the only ones staying there. The receptionist spoke perfect English but spoke to me only in Italian, which made me feel special! As soon as we got settled we went out sightseeing. I didn’t need a map at all and we literally did all of the sightseeing that afternoon. We visited Piazza Signoria, my old apartment, the Duomo, Piazza Repubblica, the Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Trinita, and the leather market with the little statue of the pig. We picked up some sandwiches for lunch at a little café near my old apartment. After lunch, Mom was ready for a nap, but me and Dad were wide awake so I took him to my old stomping grounds: The Lion’s Fountain! It’s an Irish pub that me and my old schoolmates used to go to all the time. We had a beer and I found where I had written on the wall over a year ago. We walked around some more and then bought a couple more beers and went and sat on the Ponte Vecchio and drank and talked for a while. It was getting late and we thought mom might be up from her nap so we headed back to the hotel. By then we were all in the mood for some coffee and maybe some sweets so I took them to my secret spot that no tourists know about. Now I will tell you how to get there, if you are ever in Florence. Go to the Piazza Repubblica, and stand in the middle, facing the arch. Turn around and there will be a big department store directly in front of you. Go into the department store and all the way to the back wall, where the escalators are. Take the escalators all the way to the top (5th) floor, which I think is the home decorating department. Walk to the other side of the department where there are a set of stairs. Go up the stairs into a small café, and then take the stair case to the right, which will bring you to an outdoor café on the very top of the department store, overlooking the Piazza and actually overlooking most of Florence. It is an amazing spot! Later we had dinner at the Golden View (another recommendation) which is across the river on the other side of the city. The Golden View was definitely my favorite restaurant when I lived in Florence. It was a restaurant we could use our meal plan at, it has amazing food, and best of all an amazing view (hence the name!). After a great dinner and lots of wine, we hung out on the Ponte Vecchio and listened to some live music. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. But I was even more excited for the next morning: We had plans to go rent Vespas! The next morning we were up bright and early and ready for our Vespa excursion. Riding a Vespa is something I’d wanted to do for a really long time. I had ridden on the back of one before, but never driven one. And I knew it had to be super easy – if you’ve ever been to Naples you’re used to seeing 2 or even 3 kids riding one, without helmets, not even paying attention, and whizzing through the city streets. How hard could it be? It seemed more like an electric bicycle than an actual motorcycle to me. We got to the rental place and went through all the paper work and planning. We got 2 cute black ones, one for me and one for Dad and mom. Dad got me set up on mine and I waited for him and mom to get set up on theirs. I yelled over to my dad to go slow at first so that I could get a hang of it, maybe do a few laps on the street we were on, and then we could take them away. When I started to go I faltered a little bit, and had to back up and try again. Dad gave me some really good advice (he has a Harley) so I was finally ready to go and felt like I knew what I was doing. I got started going good but before I knew it, I lost control and heard my dad yelling “Stop! Stop!” and I hit a parked car. Yes, I hit a parked car. The handlebar jabbed into the stomach, ripping my shirt and breaking skin, and I fell to the ground, banging both knees and my right hand. The bike was on its side and sounded like it was revving up, so I crawled off and away from it as fast as I could. A few guys that had been nearby ran to my rescue, turned off the bike, and helped me up. My mom ran back to the shop to tell them what had happened, as my dad calmed me down and looked me over and looked the bike over. To make a long story short, I walked away with some pretty bad bruises and scratches and most of all a hurt spirit, but it could have been a lot worse. I’ll have to pay for the damage to the Vespa but hopefully it won't be too much, as it wasn’t totaled. Now, one week later, I’m still dealing with some pain but I’m almost 100% better. I guess I learned my lesson that it’s definitely not as easy as it looks, and that you need lessons before trying to drive one of those things. It would be like renting and trying to ride a bicycle without ever having ridden one before. After everything was settled, we walked back to the city center, me leading my parents with my head hanging and not speaking a word. I was in a lot of pain and really embarrassed, but most of all, frustrated and mad. I told them right away that I would pay for all the damage, as it was my idea to rent them in the first place and it was me who got in the accident. We reached Piazza Repubblica and kind of regrouped, and thought of a different plan for the day now that our plans had changed. We decided to get tickets for the Hop On – Hop Off City Sightseeing Bus Tour (you know, those red double decker busses that are in big cities all over the world with all the tourists on them). I have always made fun of those things when I’ve seen them and always swore to myself I would never do one, but it ended up being great! We chose the line that would take us up into Fiesole, where we had a great lunch. Being on the bus gives you a break from so much walking, allows you to see all the sights quicker, and when you put the headphones on you can hear great information about everything you’re seeing plus listen to some great Italian music! That night we had dinner at Danny Rock, the perfect place to find burgers, Heinz ketchup, and ranch dressing if you’re missing American food. I was craving a burger with the signature ‘green sauce’, something that my old roommates thought was disgusting but I loved! The next morning Dad and I were in line at 8:00am to climb the Duomo. It was something I always wanted to do, so I thought it would be a good way of saying farewell to Florence before heading to Naples. We were first in line and first to the top (after 400+ stairs!). My dad timed it and it took as 12 minutes to get to the top. It was a bit of a workout, but the view is so gorgeous and so peaceful at that time in the morning, it was worth it! Afterwards we had a big breakfast at the hotel, checked out, and got on a train heading to Naples!

I was so excited to be coming ‘home’ to Naples but nervous about what my parents would think about it. As we were getting closer on the train I kept warning them. I wanted them to expect the worse so that maybe when they actually saw it they wouldn’t think it was that bad. Actually, Naples isn’t that bad, but we were staying in a hotel that was right across from the train station, which is probably the worst area in Naples. This piazza, Piazza Garibaldi, has been described before as being worse than a 3-world country. The trash everywhere is unbelievable, the traffic, the gypsies, the stray dogs. I felt bad that this would be their first impression of Naples, but as soon as we walked through the front doors of the hotel it felt like we were walking out of chaos and into paradise. If you ever come to Naples, I definitely recommend staying at UNA Hotel Napoli. Rosa and Bruno know the director so they gave us a suite at a really cheap price. After settling in we went for a walk and had lunch at the famous and historical L’antica Pizzeria da Michele. This pizzeria is featured in the book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert and Julia Roberts was just here to film scenes for the movie adaptation of the book. It is recommended by almost every travel and tourist guide book. It’s probably the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life, which is saying a lot as I’ve been in Naples for 5 months now and Naples is the birthplace of pizza. There are no menus because there are only two types of pizza you can get. We each got a pizza margherita and let the beer flow! In addition to that, it's super cheap.  For three pizzas, four beers, and a coke, our total was less than 20 euro.  After lunch we walked all the way down to Castel Nuovo, which is where the Hop On – Hop Off City Sightseeing busses for Napoli meet. We got on a line that would take us along the sea-side, and it ended up being absolutely gorgeous with the sun setting in the background. My mom kept saying that Naples was her favorite – because there weren’t any tourists and it seemed like this was the ‘real’ Italy, and the part of Italy that her parents came from so she felt more familiar with it. It was really a great tour. That night I left them at the hotel and headed back to the house. I unpacked my stuff and got settled in back ‘home’, but had plans to meet them the next morning. Rosa dropped me off at the hotel the next morning on her way to work. I had breakfast with my parents and then we headed to the port to catch a ferry to Capri. The day in Capri started off cloudy and overcast, but after a couple of hours, the brilliant sun came out, making everything look 100% more beautiful. We went all over the island, up both sides, took lots of great pictures, and had a nice lunch. Before long we were on a boat heading back to Naples, because that night was the cap of the whole trip – my parents and I having dinner with my second family!

We got to the house at about 8:30, and when I rang the bell, the girls came screaming and laughing and running and jumping into my arms. My parents probably thought it was the cutest thing! I introduced my parents to Rosa and Bruno and the girls and Rosa’s mom. They all got along great right from the start and we all talked non-stop the entire night. We had a delicious dinner, made by Rosa’s mom, of a couple different types of pizza and eggplant parmigiano. After dinner, my dad and Bruno smoked a cigar outside on the terrace. The girls really took to my parents as well, in fact they really loved my dad, who would play with them and toss them up really high. Somehow we got to planning a trip for the Pinci family to come visit North Carolina!  The night came to an end all too soon and I rode with Bruno to take my parents back to their hotel. Me and my mom had been debating whether to say bye that night or for me to come to the hotel the next morning and we could say our goodbyes then. I opted for the latter. So the next morning I woke up bright and early again and hopped in a cab back down to the hotel. I had breakfast with my parents and we hung out in their hotel room, talked, watched TV, and they slowly packed up their stuff. My mom brought me a lot of stuff from home that I needed and I had a lot of stuff to give her that I didn’t need anymore. Before we knew it, it was time to check out of the hotel and head over to the train station. I walked with them to the train station, helped them get their tickets, and walked all the way down the platform with them. They found their seats and loaded their luggage onto the train and then came back down to the platform so we could all say our goodbyes. I was pretty emotional that my parents were leaving, partly because we had had such a wonderful week, partly because they are truly my best friends, and partly because I didn’t know when I would get to see them again. We were debating me coming home for a week in December so it could possibly be until next summer that I would get to see them again. I couldn’t help but cry and didn’t want to let go of their hugs. Eventually they had to get on the train and take their seats, but I still stood on the platform until the train left. Right before they got on the train, daddy said they would book me a flight home in December which made me feel 150% better. Standing on the platform all alone watching their train pull away was a pretty emotional moment, and it definitely felt like I was in a movie. I felt a big surge of tears coming but before anything happened I got myself to calm down. I walked out of the station, into the chaos of Naples, hailed a cab, and headed home.

My parents’ week in Italy was probably one of the best weeks of my life. I have such a deep passion for Italy and the Italian culture, and I was so glad to be able to share that with my parents. I think they were impressed by my knowledge of the history of all the sights we saw, impressed by my Italian-language speaking, and hopefully impressed that I have grown up and matured a lot. I remember when we were on a public bus in Capri, I gave up my seat to an older lady and afterwards glanced at my mom and she looked very proud of me. That’s something I wouldn’t have done half a year ago. Their visit definitely recharged me for the months to come, and I think it was a good idea to come back to the house instead of staying at the hotel in Naples with them. That way, it was an easier transition for me to get back into my life routine here. I didn’t want to have a huge breakdown like I did when Cara left, so I was mentally preparing myself all week and made sure that the transition went very smooth. I think it helped a lot to have my parents come to the house, see where I live, see all my stuff, see my bed. And it worked; from the moment they left I was absolutely fine. There were times when I would get emotional about having to say goodbye to them, which really upset my mom, because she didn’t like seeing me that way. But I reassured her, just as I’ve told Rosa, that I’m fine here. It’s a wonderful experience and a great challenge but it’s natural to be a little homesick once in a while. And of course it’s hard being away from my parents, because I am so close to them. But if I really thought I couldn’t do it…if I really was just absolutely miserable here, Rosa and Bruno and my parents all know that I would be on the next flight home. But I’m not. I’m having the time of my life and learning so much and have already been here for 5 months…half of my time here is almost already over! Before I know it, it will all be a distant memory, one that I’m sure I will get emotional about and miss terribly. So although I do miss home and my family and friends, I know that it is all part of growing up and in the long-run it is making me a better person.

Arrivederci!