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!