It seems like just a week ago I was uploading pictures of my going away party. And here I am now. The journey has ended. I am back in Lake Forest. Familiar friends, familiar things to eat, familiar language, and of course my amazing family and boyfriend. Its been a while since I have updated so let me tell you about the end of my journey.
Life is unpredictable that’s for sure. My Dad and I made it to Paris. We were having a good time despite his weird sleeping patterns. One day it had caught up to him. The morning we were supposed to leave for Berlin we made a sudden change to go back to Florence to ease the anxiety, a couple hours later I found myself in a foreign hospital with my Dad. They did all sorts of tests and he was fine, just wayyyy to much lack of sleep which was causing an unhappy popsiedoodle. After 8 hours of being in the hospital making tons of phone calls we were on our way, it was a scary day. In the evening we made a decision to come back early, ending our trip about a week early so that my Dad could get back to familiarity and an English speaking doctor ( we had a nice doctor in France who spoke pretty good English, praise the lord!)
We had 2 days in Florence. I showed my dad around a bit more, taking him to a beautiful look out spot and to the leather factory. There was a Christmas market going on so we got some hot German beer and lots of cookies! He was able to meet some more of my Italian friends and I was sad to say goodbye. I shopped while my Dad slept and soon enough we were on our way to our final destination, Rome. We went to the Colleseum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish steps. He was impressed.
The next morning the journey of living on my own, discovering a new country, meeting friends from across the world, overcoming a language barrier, taking interesting classes, and learning more about myself than I ever have, was over. The plane took off and I started to cry. Italy was beyond what I had hoped for and I was sad to say goodbye. Goodbye to crazy Italian restaurant owners, goodbye to friends from around the US, goodbye to experiences and memories that I will remember forever. Though the way it ended wasn’t what I expected, I cant help but remember what my English teacher said to me one day. This is roughly how our conversation went:
She is very healthy, so I ask:
“Debora do you work out?”
“No, not right now, I did when I was your age”
“Oh, why don’t you do it anymore?”
“Well, I guess, right now I am concentrated on my daughter and my husband, right now my job is to be a good mom and by the end of the day I don’t have time to work out, that’s why I eat the way I do”
“Do you miss it?”
“Oh yes! But in life there is a time for everything, a time to be sad, a time to be happy, a time to learn, a time to teach, a time to work out, and for me, right now it is time for me to focus on my family and being a good mom”
I guess it wasn’t time for me to see parts of Europe that I had hoped to see, it was time for me to go home, take care of my Dad, and start a new journey. I am content with that idea.
I landed in LAX and do to a lot of trickery I was surprised to see only Eric there. Standing around lots of people with flowers and a poster. Just the way I imagined it being. But better. We listened to Micheal Buble and ate In-N-Out. Welcome back with a cheeseburger from In-N-Out is the only way a Californian knows how to do it. I got to my house and was greeted by my sister, who jumped on me and fell over, Greg, and my mama. There was a poster in the living room and Sarah made my bed. Boy o Boy it’s good to be back.
I am not visiting different countries or different parts of Italy anymore. But I refuse to believe that my life is no longer exciting. It is just a new journey. A new adventure.
Thanks for reading my blog and supporting me the last 4 months. The blog is over, maybe a new one will begin, no promises yet. My Dad is better, still not great and he prayers if you have them J Grazie, grazie, grazie!
Ciao J
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