My flight across the Atlantic was rather uneventful, if not mind-numbingly dull. My first seat mate was Turkish but spoke English and was very nice. I think at first he very much wanted to engage in conversation but I was uncharacteristically nervous for the flight and was not having it. I learned later that his flight had been delayed because of the snow storm and his bags wouldn't be in Turkey for the next few days. It reminded of how lucky I was to have clothes waiting for me in Italy and not have to worry about such things and really to just enjoy my flight.
When I landed in Istanbul I had to go through security again which was a real pain in the tuchis but I reminded myself repeatedly to take my time (because I had plenty of it, four hours actually) because I was traveling alone and wanted to make sure to not make a mistake and to keep myself safe. I made it through the airport fine after I found a Starbucks and free wi-fi. (Thank you 'merica!)
My flight from Istanbul to Milan took forever (really only three hours but after a 10 hour flight and a four hour lay-over I was ready to be there) but they fed me so I really can't complain. The drive home from Milan was about an hour and half but went by quickly for me because Stephen, Jessica, and I had a lot to catch up on.
Let's see what else? Friday was low-key spent at the apartment with a nice dinner out at La Tana del Gufo which translates into the "the lair of the owl" on Google Translate but my friend told me that it more likely means "owl shelter". I ordered pizza which was a little disappointing but I think only because I still didn't have much of an appetite from the stress of traveling and all of the airplane food. At dinner Stephen asked me what goals I had while I was here and that really threw me off guard. Not because I don't have goals but more because I couldn't tell him in a concise way. Essentially how I feel is that coming back this time is different in the sense that I have no expectations. Last year, like most youngster who visit Europe I think, I had these finite events in my head that I thought I should experience simply because I was in Europe. While I can't remember all of them, and while I can say some of them actually came into being, I have no such standards this time around. Not because I want to debase my experience to a banal level but because I already know I love it here so my only goal from here on out is to enjoy the ride and adjust to whatever is down the road because, honestly, I can't tell you what's coming next. In more finite terms, I want to improve my Italian, learn more about the local and national culture-i.e. food, wine, festivals, traditions, etc., I want to open myself up more to a different cultural identity to learn more about others and my own background, but most of all I don't want to take myself too seriously that I stop enjoying myself because I can get in my own way an awful lot. So there ya go Stephen that's my answer.
After dinner on Friday I met up with my friends in the piazza for an hour or two. It was so good to see them and I really didn't want the night to end, but the cafe had to close at some point I guess. They are all in school and I loved listening to there stories and catching up on everything we've missed together these past few months. A sad aspect of this trip that I knew I was going to have to face is leaving everyone and everything again. I'll handle differently this time around, I won't hang onto everything for so long, but it's going to be hard regardless.
Saturday was a super duper long day. For some kind of work the water in the apartment was turned off from eight to 12 which made brushing teethe and other morning routines a little challenging but we managed. Jessica tutored an Italian girl for about two hours in the morning and then by twelve we were headed to the base to do laundry and work out. I had a lot of fun in the gym because I had copious amounts of energy to burn and did like 50 minutes of cardio and 20 of weights so I felt uber buff after that even though it's the farthest thing from the truth. When we got back to the apartment we ate a late lunch, Jessica made a delicious vegetable lasagna and then we headed to Padenghe for dinner with some Americans. The evening was great and filled with lots of laughter and too much wonderful food. We got to light fireworks off the balcony which was...scary and fun. But it was just nice to enjoy each others company in the end.
Overall, Italy is still beautiful and I'm still in love with it immensely. It's been raining since I got here, which I know is frustrating for Stephen and Jessica because it's been like this for much longer for them, but for me the street lights reflecting off the wet cobblestone at night only make it look more beautiful.
A domani!