It's been a little over 4 months since I've been back in California and I can officially say that my time in Italy is over and now just part of the history of my life. Just over 1 year ago I had just started my little adventure- not knowing that the year would go by so quickly. And when I came back I expected an intense reverse culture shock, but it never really happened. Sure the grocery store was huge, and sparkly, and department stores are a little freaky and seem like their own little city that has everything in one place. I still think they're creepy. It is also really strange having to go to work and having to know what day it is. But I didn't find myself fumbling along in wide-eyed wonder staring in awe at the marvels of America- like crosswalks, dryers, and window screens. Just back to life in San Diego. Even if I do have to occasionally remind myself where I am and that, yes, I can go to the store after 9pm or on a Sunday.
As much as I absolutely love being back in San Diego, I also occasionally find myself missing some things from my other life in Italy. And not really the kinds of things I expected to miss. I expected to miss the gelato, the food, the wine, the people, the friends. And I do. But the things I miss that really surprise me are those little things I don't even remember enjoying so much. Maybe it's true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Or maybe distance just makes your heart all funky and forgetful and unable to remember simple stuff like what you used to like and what you didn't. Some of those things include:
~Train delays, strikes, sporadic store hours - delays in general. They happened. All. The. Time. Your landlord says it will take a week to fix something, add a few more and then some. Going somewhere, well maybe not. Train and bus delays and strikes are the norm. No need to wear a watch really, because the shop is open when someone feels like working. But no worries. We're on Italian time, just enjoying every moment. What's the rush?
~Siesta time. I don't if it's the official name for the mid-afternoon breaks, sometimes turning into just taking the rest of the day off, but it may not have a name because that's just the way things are done. And though it sometimes seemed that no one actually has a schedule, somehow shops would function- just on their own time. Who knows what days they were closed, or if they would even open back up in the evening after their wine and naps. They'll eventually have to open back up. Though, I am still traumatized that our gelato shop was closed for nearly a month during the winter- just too cold. But hey, this is also one of the best things because no one really lets their work determine how they spend the day. Sounds good to me!
~Walking 25 minutes to the grocery store. I got to walk through the outdoor museum of Florence. It never got old. I loved waving to the same people everyday and seeing the same old man taking a nap by his paintings or hearing the accordion music dancing down the streets...even if my arms almost fell off a couple times because I picked up too many potatoes. And the vespas, bikes and buses zipping by always kept me on my toes in case I needed a little pick-me-up.
~The mosquitos. Haha. No, wait. I really did despise them. I still flinch when a see a shadow, fearing it will buzz in my ear and bite me.
~Hanging laundry on the line. Since it took a few days to dry, it occasionally kept me from waiting to do my laundry until the last pair of clean socks. It was also a great way to bond with a neighbor while she yelled, "Dai! Dai!" Come on! Come on!, as I leaned over the balcony trying to persuade a fallen towel back up with her string and hook contraption, which worked much better than our brooms taped together…
~Buying fruits and veggies. A strange task that when I first got there I was a little intimidated by, then it became so normal, and now it's a hard habit to break. What I'm talking about is the actual act of picking out the produce at the market. First off, everything is seasonal so if it's not ripe it's not there. A little frustrating at first, but I appreciated the freshness of everything. Though I couldn't buy peaches in April I did learn some of the seasons of the fruits. And grabbing those apples? Well, at first I had to pretend to debate which type of apples to get as I closely watched an old woman put on gloves, pick the fruit, then go weigh it and put a sticker on it. Okay got it. Pshh. What are you talking about? I knew how to do it the whole time. Now that I say it, that sounds so simple, but it was just another of those little things done differently. Today I find myself looking for the gloves in the produce isle and weighing my bananas, cringing when I see people touching all the fruit with their bare hands.
~The Arno River with its mosquito breeding grounds and infestation of river rats. It sure was b-e-a-uuutiful!
Okay, one more...
~24-Hour Clocks. Hated it at first, but today I still haven't changed my clocks back to the 12-hour way. That also goes with celsius, kilos and kilometers too. Those sure took some practice to understand.
~Not having a personal bubble. They just don't exist. Without them, though, I somehow felt more a part of the community with that little old lady talking on her cell phone in the grocery line, standing on my toes. I felt like I knew everyone better. Or at least knew if they brushed their teeth that morning and what their sister was up to. That goes along with cheek kissing thing too. Wait, is it two kisses? Or three? Do we make the kissing noise? Or do we just touch cheeks or now are we giving up on the cheeks and just doing an awkward hug? Ah, who knows! It's good to see ya!
~It rained a lot in Florence, but oh how I love that it made the city shine at night...
Even if some of these things were annoying, uncomfortable and hard to get used to, they became a part of my routine. Sure it was an adjustment, but that's life and I sure didn't mind just a few mosquito bites in exchange for getting to know such a magical place that has become my past and will surely be a part of my future.
