Saturday, November 24, 2012: Bakersfield, California
Yep. I'm back!
I don't even want to recount this day. It was seriously bad. But I will do it... for posterity or something.
I didn't actually fall asleep until about 1:30 last night after I took down the clock in the bedroom and set it in the hallway because it was ticking so loudly I thought I was going to go insane.
Our taxi was scheduled to come at 4:30 a.m. so we woke up at 4:10. It felt like slowly being pulled out of a deep hole: painful, difficult, dark and awful. I lugged my suitcases down the stairs and opened the door to see the taxi driver patiently waiting.
It felt like a dream rushing through Florence in the dark with hardly anyone in the streets and a Muse song playing on the radio. Most of the protocol in the airport is now a blur. I remember frustration over not being able to get all my boarding passes at once, an adorable puppy playing and having to walk back to the check-in counter because I couldn't remember if my bags were checked to Salt Lake City or all the way to Burbank. So I went through security twice and the Italian airport worker noticed.
The flight to Paris was fine until the lady next to me woke me up because she decided it was a good time to start filing her nails.
Paris was stressful and we only had an hour to get off the plane, go through customs, shuttle to our terminal, print new boarding passes and get on the plane to Salt Lake. Thankfully we made it and the 11 hour joy ride began.
To busy myself on the plane I watched three movies, three TV show episodes and slept a lot.
Salt Lake required even more steps than Paris did and I still only had one hour. After border patrol, baggage claim and re-check and re-printing my boarding pass, I was able to make it to my gate with time to spare (thanks for being efficient SLC airport).
The flight to Burbank was in a tiny aircraft and I stuffed my duffle and backpack under the seat, but after the day I had, two hours seemed like a breeze.
And then I finally got off the plane and went to baggage claim and found my mom! I missed America and my family so, so much and I was so happy to see them both. Italy was great and I loved it, but now I'm ready to get back to my roots and appreciate the love and beauty I've always had.
Friday, November 23, 2012: Florence, Italy
Happy birthday to my father today! I woke up and sent him an email because that was the best I could do internationally.
I expected to see Giuseppe and Fiorella at breakfast, but they didn't come down when I was there. I could tell they hadn't left for work yet, but I didn't know when they'd say bye. So I took a shower and just after I had gotten dressed I heard them yell "Ciao" to me. Hair in a mes and no makeup on, I went out to say bye to them one last time. They wished me a good trip, Giuseppe shook my hand and they left.
I rode off to work for the last time. There is a woman who rides the same bus as me almost everyday who has a really distinct voice. I always look/listen for her to make sure I'm on the right bus and if she's not there I always panic and double-check. I listened to her talk in her unique loud, high voice for the last time and thought about how to them I'm that foreign girl who doesn't talk much, but rides out to Badesse on the weekdays and how I would never be there again. It was weird.
At work I translated and recorded and then I gave Antenna Radio Esse a little bag of cookies and a thank you card to show my appreciation for putting up with a silly American girl who wasn't very good at sounding like a professional news reporter. It was sad and I received my first successful European kisses. I don't have a huge problem with change, just with lasts. Since this was the last time I would probably be in Badesses and the last time I would see or talk to these people, I was pretty upset and after I left maybe I sat at the park and clung to my backpack like it was a stuffed animal and I was a little girl.
When I got back to Siena I walked around the town taking lots of pictures I didn't even think were very good, I just didn't want to come home and be sorry I didn't get more photographic evidence to enhance and preserve my memories.
I went home and Amber and I shoved all our luggage (which was not light I'll tell you) to the bus stop. While we were waiting there, Federica came home from work and said bye to us. She was so sweet and also gave us kisses and told us to keep in touch.
We rode the bus to Piazza Gramsci and got on a bus that left almost immediately. When we got to Florence we once again dragged lots of luggage to the guest house and then up the stairs. It was exhausting and I was sweaty and sore when it was all done. After dinner and a shower and some internet use, I'm finally ready to get to bed.
Thursday, November 22, 2012: Siena, Italy
Happy Thanksgiving! To commemorate the holiday I watched two Thanksgiving themed episodes of Friends. It's a personal tradition to watch Friends marathons on Thanksgiving, so I was grateful (how appropriate) for the opportunity and it made me feel more at home.
It was kind of a bummer not being able to celebrate with everyone back in the US. Hearing about all the days off from school and the slew of "I'm thankful for..." Facebook statuses was making me feel really out of the Turkey eating, afternoon napping, family gathering loop.
So, I traced my hand on a piece of paper, added some legs, an eye and a beak and made a gratitude turkey. It included: family, friends, fall, food, panna, pasta, nice Italians, pepperoncini, church, gelato, rain & umbrellas, cheeseburgers ballet, Pipo, running & my iPod, working internet, fireplaces, jackets, Tuscany and warm showers. Basically the perfect blend of Italy and America.
We also had our last dinner with the Taddei family tonight. Since our flight is at 7:20 a.m. Saturday morning, we'll be staying in Florence the tomorrow and will miss dinner. It was basically the perfect meal: lots of pastasciutta, fried chicken, salad and fried potatoes. I don't know if they planned those things because they know we love them, but I wouldn't complain if it was an accident.
We asked them if we could get a picture and even though Fiorella was reluctant, Giuseppe helped me set up the camera for my timer and we huddled on the couch (dog and cat included) and snapped a couple pictures. Then Amber and I gave them the contrada-based present and thank you letter we got for them. We played with Pipo a bit and then said good night. They said they wanted to see us tomorrow before we go, but it was still sad. They were truly a great family to stay with and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to met such nice people.