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An American Expat in Italy Goes “Home”
As many of you know, I was back in the US from mid-November to late December. This was my first trip “home” since February 2004.
Yes I write it in quotes; as much fun as I had there, you see, I was also extremely excited and happy to get back to P, the pooches,
and the three kids (who, incidentally, we believe may all be pregnant!).
Stateside, I spent lots of time with family and friends, visited Philadelphia, New York City (where I met two online friends for the first time and met up with an old college friend–none of whom are shown in the photo below!)
and Washington DC,
helped my mom make cookies (which she sells for Christmas),
and shopped. A lot. The Christmastime prices in American malls? Worth the price of the airline ticket, quite frankly.
For instance, P was amazed that I could get him a pair of Levi’s for $30 (€21) when they cost, oh five times that here. My other spectacular purchases for myself include a new iPod Touch (to make it easier to read English language books, mainly) and a new external hard drive.
NB: Anything technological/electronic costs *way* less in America than it does in Italy.
My biggest culture shock actually came very early on in the trip when I couldn’t. stop. speaking. Italian. It was the weirdest thing! On the plane over, no matter what language the person addressing me was speaking, I would answer in Italian…and only sometimes catch that I had done it–once purely by the blank look on a fellow passenger’s face.
The two hardest things to stop saying were “Ciao!,” “Grazie!,” and “Sì!” So I imagine I just looked like a really pretentious American for at least the first few days of the trip. Oh well.
The other thing that was hard to get used to? Things being open in the afternoon. So strange to be able to go shopping or *gasp* get something to eat between one and four! Lovely.
I still have lots of photos to go through and post on Flickr (and possibly here), and probably a lot of mental processing of the whole experience. Soon I’ll be publishing my Top 10 Realizations After Being “Home” for the First Time in Nearly Six Years so please check back!
Love Thursday: Rocky & the City of Brotherly Love
As you may recall, on my trip to the States I stopped in my old stomping grounds, Philadelphia, to catch some LOVE in LOVE Park.
But you didn’t think I could come all the way from Italy and *not* stop in to pay my respects to one man every single Italian LOVES, did you?
Just in case you weren’t sure this was really the right statue:
And while I was snapping photos, guess what I spied?
After that, I jogged (Mom as my witness!) up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps just like Rocky so I could check out his footprints:
And stand in them:
FYI: My best guess is that the Italian Stallion wears a size 8.
‘Scuse me…gonna fly now!
Sorry. Couldn’t resist.
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
Psst…World Nutella Day is a Month Away!
More details to come soon from both Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy and me, but in the meantime, be sure to check out:
for lots of Nutella recipes, stories, ideas on how to celebrate World Nutella Day 2010 (February 5), and much much more!
Also on your WND to-do list?
(1) Become a Fan of World Nutella Day on Facebook
and
(2) Follow @NutellaDay on Twitter
You don’t want to miss out on any exciting WND news!
Are yooooooou readyyyyyy?
P.S. Happy New Year!
2009 End of Year Meme
I first saw this Year End meme at Sundry Mourning, who originally copied it from Gwen’s Petty, Judgmental, Evil Thoughts back in 2004.
This year’s version follows, and you can also check out previous ones:
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Bottlefed a baby goat, raised another two baby goats besides, surprised my niece and nephew with a holiday visit to the States, was a finalist in the Bloggies, moved from my first house in Italy, got a blurb in a book, had my most successful freelance writing year to date, met several online friends in person! Yay!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Resolutions aren’t my thing, but I did well with my personal goals, particularly professionally, and yes, I’ll set more again.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, a few. Welcome to the world, babies!
4. Did anyone close to you die? My 39-year-old cousin of cancer in April.
5. What countries did you visit? Italy and the US.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A completely furnished house.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? The dates we got the goats. Why? Because they’re my kids!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Once again this year, the expansion of my freelance writing career.
9. What was your biggest failure? Still not completing a novel. Grr….
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing too bad, I guess, as I don’t remember anything.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Aside from my plane tickets home, my glorious MacBook.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? P’s, for putting up with my six-week absence while dealing with dogs and goats and house issues, oh my!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Joe Lieberman’s.
14. Where did most of your money go? This trip to the US and the house.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Visiting the US!
16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Beyoncé’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer? Happier, fatter (definitely a few pounds more because of the US trip!), richer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Worked on my novel.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Deciding whether to get a Mac. That should’ve been a no-brainer.
20. How did you spend Christmas? Christmas Eve at my dad’s house and Christmas at my brother’s. The whole family was at both.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009? One word: KIDS. Maaaaaaaa!
22. What was your favorite TV program? Uomo vs. Natura (Man vs. Wild)
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Hate is ugly.
24. What was the best book you read? Just one? The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Boh.
26. What did you want and get? To expand my writing career.
27. What did you want and not get? More of the house to be completed.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? The Men Who Stare at Goats. For obvious reasons, I imagine.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 33, and I think we were supposed to have a cookout but it rained. Maybe?
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Immeasurably more satisfying? Hmmm. I don’t know. I’m pretty happy with this year, although, again, I have to go back to having more of the house done.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Same as always but now with sheepskin boots!
32. What kept you sane? Furry friends.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Gotta be the Bear. See also #22.
34. What political issue stirred you the most? Don’t get me started on health care.
35. Who did you miss? Whoever wasn’t near me at any given time.
36. Who was the best new person you met? I met two online friends in NYC–both are amazing!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Mindfulness.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Rise up this mornin’,
Smiled with the risin’ sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin’, “This is my message to you-ou-ou:”
Let me know if you do the year end meme!
Calvin & Hobbes Christmas Eve Poem
As I encourage you to do every year, please do check out my favorite Christmas poem:
by Bill Watterson
See words in larger print here.
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!
And to everyone else, have a fabulous Friday!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
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