Home Really is Where the Heart Is

 After two and a half months of living in Spain, going to classes at G42 every day, and learning more than I could have ever imagine, the time came for the term to end, senior interns to graduate, and the four newest interns (myself included) to have a two week long break before classes started again. The second week of our break was already set aside for our Practicum week (more on that later), so I had one week to spend pretty much anywhere in Europe I wanted.

Naturally, I went to Italy. :)

I worked out that it's been about eight months since I was last in Italy, walking through the quaint cobblestone streets of Foligno, saying goodbye to my host family, and hanging out with other au pair friends in gorgeous cities. Oddly enough, before I considered it, I thought it had only been a month or two since I was there.

At least that's what it felt like.

When I finally gave it some thought, however, I realized how much I've done since my last day in Italy. After getting back to the U.S., I worked for several months in Dallas, moved in and out of a new apartment, visited Ecuador, au paired in Ireland, moved to Spain, studied for three months at a Christian leadership training center, and traveled to London. When I think about things in that sense, it seems like ages ago that I was picking up Maria Vittoria from school, helping Zoila with lunch, and coloring and playing Uno all afternoon with the kids.

But even though I've been in plenty of other places doing plenty of other things in the past eight months, Italy has been on my mind, and most definitely in my heart, frequently and consistently. Consequently, upon stepping off the plane in Italy, I found myself feeling right at home. And when I say "at home," I don't mean comfortable and at ease, as people generally mean when they use the phrase. I mean I felt like I was truly in the place where I belong.

I guess that's why they say home is where the heart is... 

Nevertheless, my time back in Italy was more fantastic than I can even explain. It was incredible to go back to Foligno, walk into my old house, see Zoila and Aurelio, have Cesare and Maria Vittoria run up to me and jump all over me, sit down and eat family dinners together, and basically just spend the entire week being an au pair once again. I loved it. I didn't even feel the need to leave the house a whole lot, because the main reason I went was simply to hang out with my Italian family and be around them. We had such a great time too. The family has a new au pair right now named Jordan, who just arrived in Foligno a week ago. I wasn't sure what it would be like having me, the old au pair, there while a new au pair was adjusting to everything still, but it ended up being perfect. I got to introduce her to some of my old friends and show her the ropes on some of the au pair duties, plus we learned that having two au pairs around is a lot of fun for us and gave us a friend to talk to and hang out with all the time!

In addition to the time I spent with the family, simply being a part of their every day life again, I also made sure to meet up with all of my old friends as well. Jordan and I went out in Perugia one night with the group I had hung out with most frequently (including my friends Andrea and Shaila) during my time in italy. We ended up back at a pub I had sung karaoke at (not to mention totally embarrassed myself at...) back in January and had a great time making a new memory at an old and familiar place. The whole time we were out, I kept feeling the paradox of disbelief that I was actually back in Italy with all my friends once again after so many months, combined with complete comfort in being there and the feeling that I had never left. 

 

 

I got to watch Cesare ride a bike with no training wheels, have a photo shoot with Zoila (along with many conversations to get her up-to-date on my life), and play with the kids on the terrace while watching a gorgeous sunset. I ate pasta, tons of Parmesan, and remembered how much better Italian wine is than Spanish wine. We all went for a walk in town, spent some time at the park, and ate lunch and dinner together with the whole family every day. It was a beautiful, restful, and relaxing week, and I loved getting the chance to be at home :)

An Average Day in Foligno

So what is a typical day for me? Well, it starts anytime I choose, really. My time off is in the mornings, so I have until 12:35 when I pick up Maria Vittoria to spend however I’d like. I can go shopping in town, go for a walk, go sit in a caffé, go to breakfast with friends, go to a nearby town by train, or sleep in! Now, I haven’t done half of those things yet, but at least I have the option. :) So far, most of my mornings I get up around 9 or 9:30. The kids are up at 7 and off to school by 8ish I think, so it’s pretty quiet around the house when I finally get up. Zoila has meetings and business things in the next town every now and then, so when she’s gone it’s just me and the housekeeper, Manuela, who comes to the house every morning for a couple hours. I try to get out of the house by ten or ten thirty so that I can spend some time in town before picking up MV. This past week, I have gone several times to a particular caffé on the main square in town that I really like. I find a quiet corner by myself and sip my cappuccino, or hot tea, and read for a couple hours. I have been reading quite a bit lately and am finding that it is very restoring. There’s so much for me to learn still, and I love having new thoughts and ideas put into my mind each day. And of course, the more I read, the more I want to write. All these new thoughts have to have some place to go! So I take a little time usually at night before I go to bed to make some sense of the ideas swirling around in my head and let them out on paper.

Even though this is what an average morning looks like for me, my schedule does vary at times. On Tuesday, the girl Julia from the caffé came to work a few minutes early and spent her time chatting with me. She asked if I wanted to meet together the next day for breakfast at the caffé. On Wednesday, I met her at 11:00, and we found another cute little caffé down the street to enjoy our brunch in. We spent over an hour just chatting and getting to know each other. She invited me to go to the mall in Perugia on Sunday with her and her boyfriend.

That night, Aurelio came home with great news. He was going to be on TV! He has been working like crazy lately, and hasn’t been around much because he has had a very serious court case that he’s involved in. In fact, he assured me last night that he really does live in this house, although I have yet to see that ;-). Aurelio’s client that he is defending had been a target of some pretty awful hate crimes, so there’s been tons of coverage on the local news channel about it. Not only that, but a national magazine (equivalent to Time or Newsweek) contacted Aurelio yesterday and wants to interview him for an article on the story! He also came home today and showed me an Internet site that he’s on about the case. He’s everywhere! The site is all in Italian, but if you want to check it out, here’s the link: http://www.lanazione.it/umbria/cronaca/2010/11/19/416877-alpaca_sono_pronto.shtml. That night we all crowded around the TV to watch Aurelio’s debut. When the kids saw him they proudly declared, “Our dad’s a famous guy!”

On Thursday, Maria Vittoria was sick with a bad sore throat and a fever. She didn’t go to school that day, so I stayed home to help take care of her. However, Zoila did let me take a couple hours in the afternoon to go out, which was really nice. I found a different caffé (although later figured out how ridiculously expensive it was!) and spent a couple hours there thinking and writing. On the way home, I stopped by Foligno’s public library. I could not believe what I found. If I had ever wondered before where all the people in Foligno my age were, I knew now! The library was absolutely packed, full of college students everywhere! Before I walked in, there was groups of 20-something year olds standing outside talking and smoking, and I realized that this might be the place to find people my age. When I walked in and headed up to the second floor, I discovered two rooms with about ten long tables each, completely filled with college students studying, reading, and writing. I was so excited to finally find people that I felt like yelling out, “Who speaks English and wants to be my friend?!” Don’t worry… I’m not actually that crazy. :) But I hope to come back again sometime and see who I can meet!

Zoila serving lunch to the kids

Delicious lunch with the family!

And now back to my schedule… After I pick MV up, we come home and start cooking lunch. Zoila usually makes some sort of pasta with fruit or bread on the side. Aurelio comes home for lunch (either he or Zoila pick up Cesare from school), and we all sit down to eat together around 1:30 or 2:00. Cesare is always pretty hyper when he gets home, so he and Maria Vittoria play for a while after we eat while Zoila and I clean up. Sometime between 2:00 and 3:00, Cesare goes down for a nap. In the meantime, I play with Maria Vittoria. We draw, play Guess Who, do puzzles, read stories, watch SpongeBob or the Disney channel (in Italian of course), play dress up, and play with Barbies. On Mondays and Thursdays, she goes to swim classes, so I have a little bit of time at home to work on stuff. At 4:00, MV and Cesare (if he is up) get warm milk. Otherwise, Cesare gets up around 5:00 or so, and we usually have a snack around then. Between 5:00 and 8:00, Zoila starts cooking dinner, and we both spend some time playing with the kids. Aurelio comes back home around 8ish, and we all sit down again to a delicious meal. We don’t wait too long after dinner to head downstairs (the kitchen is upstairs) and start the very long process of getting the kids ready for bed. After brushing teeth, putting on the jammies, and going potty, we finally tuck the kids in and I retreat to my room, around 10:00. I use the rest of the night to do things like write this blog, edit pictures, and make phone calls.

My faaavorite food... pesto!!

As for weekends, I’ve only had one so far, so I can’t quite tell you yet what a typical weekend is like. In Italy, kids go to school Monday through Saturday, so a Saturday is not too different from other days of the week, except that I get a little more free time to myself to explore other neat places nearby. This Saturday, I think I’m going to try to go to Rome to find an English version of Harry Potter playing. I have no idea if I’ll be able to or not, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy the sightseeing either way!

Just having fun :)

First Weekend in Italy

Things I did this weekend:

• Walked through a street fair in the center of Foligno
• Attempted to make friends with the only English speaking girl I've come across in Foligno so far. She works in my favorite cafe :) 
• Explored the ancient walls and arches surrounding Foligno
• Listened to a traveling marching band in a piazza
• Hiked through the beautiful hilltop town of Spello to watch the sun set over the Umbrian countryside
• Ate pizza for breakfast, pizza for lunch, made myself pasta for dinner, and then had gelato for a bedtime snack :) 
• Had Sunday lunch at Nonno and Nonna's (grandparents) with the cousins, aunts, uncles, and even the dog! Delicious homemade Italian meal complete with lots of laughing, lots of noise, and of course... good wine!
• Took a leisurely stroll with the family through the city of Perugia
• Walked inside ancient medieval walls of the castle Rocca Paolina, once the fortress for Perugia
• Attended Sunday night mass at Foligno's cathedral of San Feliciano....all in Italian
• Had HAMBURGERS for dinner and have never been happier to eat ketchup and mustard!!

So, as you can see, I had a very eventful and fun weekend! It was really great to get some time off and have a chance to relax and explore. I'm very much looking forward to the fun adventures I'll get to have on the weekends while I'm here!

Benvenuti in Italia!

What a day!!

I do believe I have had my full Italian experience today.

I woke up fighting a sore throat, so I slept a little longer. I don't think long plane trips, jet lag, and being around kids all day is benefiting my immune system all that much.

Anyways, Zoila was working all day today, so I was scheduled to pick up Maria Vittoria from school at 12:30 again. I went out around town for a little while beforehand and explored some. I found a shop called Water and Soap and bought a few things there. After wandering around a bit, I found myself back in the main Piazza, where Aurelio's law firm is. Zoila had told me earlier that there was a cafe right underneath his office that had really good gelato, so of course, I went in to go get some :) I also grabbed a piece of pizza and some water, all for about 5 euros. I couldn't believe how cheap it all was. Gelato alone is like four bucks in the U.S.!

With a stomach full of pizza and my gelato in hand, I headed towards Maria Vittoria's school to pick her up. I was freezing (who eats ice cream in the middle of winter??) - and completely content. Pizza and gelato. Now that's what Italy is all about :)

And the day only gets better.

Maria Vittoria and I walked home from her school, only a couple blocks away. We headed into our apartment complex and got in the elevator. We live on the fourth floor, so I pressed the button, and up we went. Well.... up we sort of went....and then BUMP. The elevator shook and we stopped. Not on the fourth floor. Maria Vittoria starting balling and, to be honest, I was a little scared too. But you can't be scared when you're telling someone else not to be, so I had to suck it up and try to figure out what to do. We pressed the alarm button and called for help. I heard some people coming and Maria Vittoria was yelling to them through the door. I didn't have a clue where we were. I didn't know if we were on a floor or stuck in the middle or hanging by a thread about to plummet to the ground (maybe I've watched a little too much TV). Unfortunately, all the communication was in Italian, so I had no clue what was going on. One of the ladies helping us spoke a little English and directed me to "Up my hands and the iron." Yeah... not a clue...

So, a little yelling, a little crying, and a few minutes later, and we were bravely riding on up to the third floor where we were able to get out and set our feet on solid ground!

We caught our breath, waited for our hearts to stop racing, and then walked into the house. And there was poor Thea! The family's little miniature schnauzer had her face at the window as we walked in and Maria Vittoria yelled, "Thea! Thea's stuck in the fountain!" We ran outside to the wrap-around balcony to find poor little Thea shivering on her hind legs in about a foot of water, trapped in a small fountain on the side of the house. We rescued her, wondering how long she had been stuck in there for, and then dried her off with some towels and warmed her in some blankets.

Once we finally had everyone safe - Maria Vittoria, me, and little Thea - it was time to make lunch. Today was my turn to make lunch. I made the house favorite... you guessed it... pasta!

Now I don't think I've mentioned yet what Zoila's job is. She is an entrepreneur and has several business ideas that she's started. One of them is a company called Italy Loves to Cook. (Check out the website: www.italylovestocook.com. Doesn't the food look amazing??). She and a business partner hold cooking classes for travelers coming through the Umbria area. They work at a Villa in a nearby town and teach the delicious Italian technique and cuisine to anyone who wants to learn!

That being said, it's a little intimidating to try to cook Italian lunch for kids who are used to their mother's expert cooking. I kept thinking I was going to overcook the pasta or put too much sauce or who knows what... But when I gave Maria Vittoria her bowl and waited for the complaints, they never came! Success! Now, I clearly still have a long ways to go. I don't think I can really count pasta with a little red sauce as gourmet Italian food, but at least the children were happy! Zoila told me to expect lots of great recipes and dishes to come though, so I'm very much looking forward to all the delicious food I'll get to experience during my time here!

To sum up the rest of the afternoon, I spent a little time playing with Cesare before his nap. (If any of you are wondering, it is pronounced CHAY-sah-ray). While he was sleeping, Maria Vittoria got into my closet and decided to have a little fashion show in my high heels (I'll post pics once I get the chance to edit them). Later on in the evening, we surprised both of them with books that I brought from the U.S. Maria Vittoria got "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," which she seemed to really enjoy. Cesare got a Little Golden Book called "I'm a T-Rex," and I think it made his whole week. We've spent the last couple days playing with his book of dinosaur stickers. Every time he picks a sticker out, it's a T-Rex (and there are a LOT of different dinosaurs to choose from!). He really likes the big sharp teeth and the scary, mean faces they make. It's quite ironic that I just so happened to buy a book for him about his favorite subject right now! I don't think he put the book down for the rest of the night!

So that was most of my day today. Tomorrow is Saturday and is probably just as busy. But I'm always excited for the next adventure that is waiting for me!