my week

Here are some pics of my little apartment right in the heart of Napoli. We are still trying to figure some things out so tomorrow will be my first night by myself. When I stop and think about it, I feel like it's someone else's life. This time around, being my second time experiencing life here, has brought less culture shock but a little more anxiety with living by myself in a different language than my own.

little kitchen the double doors leading out to the balcony

picture taken off my balcony looking out to Corso Umberto, a well-known street downtown

taken from the second floor where the bedroom is

my huge bed with my new lamp, mirror and bedspread

cute little bathroom

Since Monday, Italia has experienced a string of earthquakes, having the big one happen early Monday morning in a town called L'Aquila, just north of Rome. At around 3:30 in the morning, both Antonello and I felt the earthquake in grandma's apartment and were scared as the whole place shook and lasted for about 15 seconds, which seemed like a very long time. No one and nothing was hurt but almost 300 people have died from the quake and thousands are left without homes. It has been devastating to watch the news; there was a story where a man had lost his mother and son, who were found dead, hugging, trying to comfort eachother as the roof collapsed on them.

On a lighter note, on Tuesday, Antonello and I got on the train and headed to Pompei to meet Bruno and to talk about my possible work with him. The meeting went well, seeing that Antonello and I actually went on a tour with Bruno as our guide, so I was able to experience what I would be doing. I tried to understand what he was saying but, mamma mia, I think I only understood like 30%....which is not enough. He gave me some study materials so I have been doing that but I feel I have such a LONG way to go in my italian. Bruno also mentioned that there may be some good work for me to lead tours to the island of Capri and to lead tours around Napoli, around the region of Campania so it might be another possibility but nothing is for sure yet.

For Easter, we are heading to Bari, which is on the east coast of Italy, and spending the weekend with his uncle and aunt. I think I should start preparing my stomach for the grand feast. :)

Ciao amici! A presto!

my trip in short...

It began while I was checking my bags in at the British Airways counter. There was a young englishman behind me, traveling to London, his name was Nathan, but because of his accent, he pronounced it Nafan; so great. It was almost as if he was speaking pig talk. :) He was heading back after a month-long visit in the U.S. to see his 19 month old son and wife and we ended up sitting by eachother on the plane, well, an aisle separated us, and it was nice to have someone to talk with after such a teary good-bye with my mom.

On that particular flight, the plane wasn't full AT ALL so I had an aisle seat with two seats empty to the right of me so I could lay down, fully. As wonderful as that was, I couldn't fall asleep but the flight felt so short, that it was fine. I definitely felt like I wasn't prepared to fly for 8/9 hours, but somehow my body did it.

At the London airport, after standing in the security line forEVER, I started to talking to this young woman behind me, who I noticed had an Italian passport. We started speaking italian with eachother and since she was studying english, we had that language going too. It was so fun to be able to use what I've learned and also for her. Since her flight for the States didn't leave for another couple hours, she walked me to my gate and we just sat and talked before I left. Her name was Marta, she was 22, and was headed to Philly to stay there for 3 months to study English.

As I said good-bye to her and stood in the line to get on my final flight, I met two older women who were traveling to Rome for a 10 day-exursion. They were so pumped up, their enthusiasm was contagious. Rosemary and Martha were their names and they were so friendly as all 3 of us were able to sit next to each other for the last 2 and half hour leg of the journey.

When we landed in Rome, I got off the plane, headed through customs and picked up my bags with no trouble at all. I headed out to see Antonello and it was great to see his beautiful smile. After we left the airport, we headed to this little town called Fumicino which was right by the airport. It sat on this little river and although it was dark and rainy, we decided to go to a little pizzeria and walk in the rain, eating our little cheese pizzas. I really couldn't have asked for anything more special.

Today, I went and saw my apartment for the first time and met my landlords. I now hold in my hands, the 3 keys that will allow me to have a little more independence in my life. Part of me is super nervous to be on my own, but another part is looking forward to this next step. Who knows how it will turn out, I just know I would have kicked myself if I didn't try at all.

Jet-lag is setting in and I'm hitting a wall. I have to sleep now. :)

Ciao friends!

here we go again....

I am off again to bell'Italia! My mom and I are heading out in a half an hour to get to the airport to see if my huge suitcases weigh-in under 51 lbs. and to collect our strength and courage as we once again say good-bye. These past 3 months at home have been so healing and I just pray that this next step, this next adventure will happen with grace, love and faith in every choice and with every morning.

Ciao with love!

one week left

I grabbed a cup of coffee, a cozy ear warmer, ipod and gloves to sit on my favorite bench overlooking the Puget Sound tonight. This bench, dedicated to a Florence Sterling, says,

"WAVES ROLL IN, CLOUDS PART
SEA AND SKY EVER CHANGING
CALM MY RESTLESS SOUL"

I am leaving for Napoli in a week and will see Antonello after 3 months of a much needed rest at home. I will miss this bench and this beautiful neighborhood I grew up in, but am in need of this adventure and the inevitable 'change' that life holds. Perhaps it will help calm my restless soul.

MAMMA MIA!

MAMMA MIA, what a week full of emotions! Up and down, down and up....

Well, my dear friends, things have once again changed and boy, am I humbled. I am humbled because that beautiful, little dream apartment has once again become a reality. My mom, Antonello, and his family, are all going to pitch in and make this happen and I am so humbled and thankful for all of them. I have felt for so long that I haven't had a family and now God has blessed me, not only with a strong, courageous, beautiful mom, but also with a gigantic Italian family that is generous beyond words. I guess this is what families do for each other and I am so blessed to have all of them in my story.

Here are some more pictures that Antonello took, this time with his real camera. You will see a new white couch, the entryway, my orange Rachael Ray bathroom :), and a view looking up to my place.

I leave in a week to head back to Napoli. EVERY night, I lay in my bed thinking about moving, again, to a new place and about my job opportunity to work as a guide in Pompeii and leaving my mom at the airport again and leaving dear friends again, and being surrounded by a language, again, that is so beautiful but so frustrating to learn......but with all of those "again's", I wouldn't trade it for anything. With this whole Italian adventure and living down in Santa Cruz for 6 years prior, I have learned so much about myself; some things I would just as soon keep locked up in my own little vault but in order to grow and change, they have to be released. For those of you who know me, know I am a very emotional person and that can be a healthy thing as well as a detriment; a stopper to growth.

About 4/5 years ago, I started reading this book that my roommate, Cara (hi Rooms!) had recommended, called 'Girl Meets God' and I wrote down something that rocked my world at that time and even more so now.

"He (God) is calling me to a place where He is truer than
everything else, truer even than how I feel."

As I head back to Napoli, and have started truly releasing/admitting/recognizing how powerful my emotions can be, I so desperately want God to be truer than them; to find a way to make this a reality for my life as I am faced with another life-changing move. I feel like it's more important now than ever.

foolish

I feel so incredibly foolish for believing that the studio that Antonello found would work out. It has gone from 95% sure to 5% possible. He met with the landlord today to finalize rent/deposit and it just doesn't look like it's going to work out after all. I don't want to let money get in my way of this possibility but as I walked outside searching for it, I didn't see any growing on trees.

To go from such a high to such a low is beyond discouraging.

happy tears

Isn't it funny/frustrating/amazing how things have a way of working themselves out? Funny & amazing because it seems impossible and unreachable at first...and frustrating because of all the emotion and worry you spend on thinking if it will work out or how it will work out. I have been thinking/stressing/praying for a place to live when I return to Napoli and it just so happened that today may have provided such a place...about 95% sure. :) Antonello and his mom went and looked at a beautiful (& NEW) apartment today in downtown Napoli, right on Corso Umberto, the street that led to my language school in the fall. The landlord was wonderful and the place was clean and beautiful and it's close to where Marina, Antonello's mom works, and it's SO close to Piazza Garibaldi where the train station is, and it's surrounded by clothes/shoe stores :), and I could go on and on and on!!!!!!!!!!

I feel as though my heart is exploding with joy whenever I think about it. I know when I go back, (in exactly 3 weeks) that I will probably face some culture shock again and that it will definitely take some time to adjust back into speaking italian but with this new place (if it ALL works out), I can have a little of my independence back. I will be able to experience more of 'me' in that beautiful country...I pray.

Here are a few pictures that Antonello took with his camera phone, so the quality isn't that great but you get the idea!

the little kitchen with a brand new little table (with it's cover still on!)

there is an upstairs/downstairs where the kitchen and bathroom are downstairs and the bedroom is at the top of the stairs.

of course every apartment has a little balcony! (taken from inside the apartment)