The End of Year One

Wowser! I can't believe that I'm sitting here thinking about the end of the year and how it is finally here. I know many of my US friends have been out for weeks, but we are still hanging out at school, trying with all our might to keep our over-excitable children contained for a few more hours. Tomorrow is our last day! Thinking back to August, this felt like a lifetime away.

Seemingly, throughout my life I have had challenges placed in front of me and wondered how in the world I would manage through such tasks. I seem to remember a lot of these in particular from my college days, especially when I was finishing my Ed.S. and they told each of us our projects of two years would likely not make it through the committee defense process. That was such a pleasure...Janet Gnann and Christy Lynes, you know what I'm talking about!! I think they told us we each would fail! But, nonetheless, there always is light at the end of the tunnel, and here we are.

I worried about my ability to adapt to a new lifestyle, a new culture, a new language while managing a new job all the while. Certainly there have been challenges, and some days better than others, but, overall, I think that my first year on this adventure went really well.

I've traveled in five different countries, none of which I had seen a year ago. I speak a good bit of broken Italian. It's getting better, thanks to my wonderful friend and teacher, Bruna. I live without a car, a microwave, a dryer, and air conditioning. (Though, at this time of year, the lack of air conditioning is becoming a bit of a HUGE annoyance!!) And, I'm still alive. And, better for it.

I want to thank everyone who has supported me in this journey- those of you that read this blog, make comments, that send me emails, cards, and packages, and have made the effort to keep in touch.

A special thanks to my neighbor and friend, Kate, who has become my traveling buddy, my wine drinking companion (as long as the wine is not from Tuscany), and person I can list as my emergency contact. Those people are hard to come by and are greatly appreciated! We survived the first year...and as a reward...vacation comes this weekend!! WooHoo!

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This is where we're headed!!