Italy Begins

Almost exactly ten years ago I was sitting on a plane, heading to Italy, embarking on my very first long time stay away from home.  I was sitting in my airplane seat thinking "holy crap am I ready for this?!"  I didn't speak a lick of Italian, did not know a soul on the trip, and was an EXTREMELY picky eater. I'm talking basic veggies, pasta, no red sauce (gasp), and really no meat at all.  At this point in history iPods and Digital cameras were such a new invention that most of us students had neither.  I definitely lugged my disc-man and several well loved CDs in additional to extra rolls of actual film. Staying in touch with people at home was do-able, but way less accessible as it is today. You can ask my dad, but I am pretty sure I racked up a phone bill of close to a thousand dollars in the short three month span.

Me, Sarah, in my favorite spot, Piazzale Michelangelo, Firenze, Italy - 2003

 
I happened to be placed with a host family that lived right next door to our school and they couldn't have been nicer.  My host mom, Judith was a fantastic cook and one of my only regrets was not trying her famous rabbit dish when she cooked it.

I still dream about Florence and its city streets.  I've challenged myself to be able to get from the Duomo to my school building by memory. In my head I can do it, we'll see how it goes once I get there.  My memories of Florence feel like home, which always amused me considering my family heritage is just about everything except Italian.  I joked I'd have to marry one so that I keep that connection. (Check!)

Now, ten years later, Justin and I will be celebrating our first anniversary and joint 30th birthdays in Italy. While Justin and his family have been to Italy several times in the past few years, I have not been back since my semester abroad.  I am so excited to go back and revisit the old haunts and the favorite places and to share all these with Justin.  Hopefully a few things will change, (certainly I have upgraded on my choice of sunglasses) this time I will eat everything I did not try before, the arugula, the cheese, the meat and the wine, wine wine, wine, wine!

Our little adventure will cover the basics, Venice, Rome, Florence and the Tuscan countryside. We don't have much planned, but we wanted it that way.  I just want to go back and hang out, eat and drink wine to be honest.  We leave tomorrow evening, so I better be off to packing!  Stay tuned!