Leaving the Boot

It seems blasphemous to even think about leaving Italy, much less be glad about it. But seeing as I have 4 days left, I am actually kind of excited to head back to the states. Funnily enough, I know this isn’t going to be posted until after I am home and my sentiments may have changed, but as of right now I can’t wait for “real” summer to start. I want to see my high school friends and work friends, celebrate the 4th of July, and eat Mexican food.
However there are obviously aspects of Europe, Italy, and in particular, Venice that I will miss:
1. Gelato—I know this probably shouldn’t be number one, but seriously there is nothing like it. It is frozen heaven for your taste buds. Why haven’t we figured out how to make it in the states? Well, I know one place they have… And you can bet I will be trekking up to the North end for some icy goodness next semester.

2. Live music in Piazza San Marco—One of my favorite things to do was grab number 1 and head out to San Marco and listen to my favorite bald violinist go at it. He was almost always playing songs I would recognize and it was just the most beautiful (not to mention FREE) experience. And although I am convinced that one day he and I are going to get married so he can sweetly wake me up with his mad violin skills, I am going to miss him until then. :)

3. The language—Italian is seriously the most beautiful language (neck and neck with French, but Italians are so much more fun…) Although I am not always confident in my Italian I do enjoy speaking it and hearing others answer their phone “Pronto” or begin a story with an “Allora…” or just speak with they’re wonderful lilting accent (that gets bastardized by Mario games… but that is another can of worms.) I am determined to bring some of my favorite phrases back to the states. Be prepared for some Engtalian.

4. Long meals—As my sister noted the other day, when you reserve a table in Italy it is reserved for the entire night. They never double book it because they want you to be able to sit as long as you please. I have definitely learned to take my time, and it is going to be a bit of a culture shock going back to the haste of the US.

5. Spritz, Pastries, and Ae Oche—I don’t want too many of these to relate to food (although, its Italy, how can they not?) so I am combining 2 of my favorite Venetian food related entries. Spritz are basically the best drinks ever. My mission when I come home is to find a way to make one. It is sparkling white wine (attainable), sparkling water (also attainable), and either Campari (attainable, but not as good…) or Aperol (delicious, but hard to find…) or Select (my favorite, but the hardest to find…) But even if it’s with Campari I am going to throw a party and have Spritz be the signature drink. As for pastries: they just aren’t the same in the states, the food in general is just so much fresher! And Ae Oche…what can I say. It is a restaurant in Venice that t first we hated, then we liked, and now I love… Tons of pizza and very reasonable prices. Oooh, and table wine, which is another thing I will miss.

6. Having an Island—However much we complained about it being difficult to get into Venice sometimes, for the most part it was pretty cool having an island. I loved the dances in the classrooms, Monday Movie nights, and knowing that Brangelina rented out our island for their kids’ Easter egg hunt.

7. The beauty – The last and possibly most difficult is the general beauty and history all around. I have tried consciously not to take it for granted, but I am sure there have been times I have. I know when I get back to the states although things will look familiar, they will not be nearly this appealing to the eye. It seems that in Italy and most of Europe the sights are all made for beauty. The ugly industrialized areas are hidden, and even if visible, are surrounded by other more appealing sights. Really the only truly unsightly thing is the graffiti. Right now I am looking out the window of the last house we are staying in watching the sun rise and I know this beauty is going to be hard to find in the states. No mountains in the distance, or beautiful canals running through the center of the city.

And of course there are things I won’t miss: Pigeons, inefficiency, hole in the ground toilets, and Italian drivers, but these are vastly outweighed by those that I will. So, Ciao Italia! Even if I am ready to go home now, I am sure I’ll be missing you soon.