When the South comes to town

Of course, my mind is oriented toward coming home. There's only a week left here to enjoy Italian life and finish up business, then I'm back to the States. But to my surprise, I got a strange preview of live back home this past weekend.

Friday night, I went to a local bar gig to watch some of my friends play in their band called The Last to Knows. (Yes, they're completely aware that the name is grammatically incorrect.) The Last to Knows are a pop-punk country/folk band of six Italians from the district of Siena. The lead Mattia writes the songs and sings...always in English. Have any of them been to the South? That seems to be an irrelevant point, but I'll have you know that they have the heart. Three of the guys also performed live on the radio Sunday--after which we had the most awesome dinner of specialty meat, cheese, and olives which we washed down with some tasty IPAs. Oh, the joys of simple life.

I must admit that I was left wondering during the concert Friday night and then on Sunday as Mattia spoke to the disk jockey, what did Italians understand when they hear their music? Now, don't get me wrong, Mattia's English is great. Sure, lyrics are sometimes hard to decipher, but that's the case with any singer. (I just found out the lyrics to this jem are "Just stay close at hand" and not "Just because I asked." Rocked my world.) Although I still think Mattia should get a tutor with a drawl.... But then there's the question of what do they think of the sound? Italians are pretty used to getting inundated with music from the Anglophones, but this is no Lady Gaga or Katy Perry. I guess all that matters is that there was a packed bar Friday and, I assume, some radio listeners out there on Sunday.

Back to the point: if you want to listen to some of The Last to Knows' recent recordings you can download their newest songs, listen to some older ones, or just watch my poor quality video clip (cut short since the file was so big). Also, I only have a point and shoot and Friday night's concert was at not an ideal location for picture taking, but here are a few anyway.

Not everyone likes to be center stage.

Hardest to photograph. The most fun to watch.

 

Saturday, I bribed Gabriele into driving me to Sansepolcro with promises of lots of good food and company. Upon arrival, we were picked up by Sara, had a wonderful lunch prepared by Patrizio, and were entertained by Leonardo, Ginevra, and Veronica. Beyond the fun that children bring to life and the great warmth I feel when I'm at their home, one of the best things about seeing this wonderful family again was being able to actually "speak." I met them at the end of my first trip to Italy and Patrizio just couldn't believe I was following his point about bike racing in detail. Like I said before, it's the simple things, people. :)

Aren't we the cutest?

I was also able to visit Palazzo Alberti and visit with Dr. Betty Webb, John Rose, and the ragazze from Meredith College. We just happened to arrive on the day in which Palazzo Alberti was celebrating a year in Sansepolcro. As a result there was an open house birthday party complete with cake and prosecco. It was wonderful to see how Meredith has started to become a real part of the community. You could hear both English and Italian floating around the room, along with the most important language, MereCollian (or Meredith-ese? I don't know. I just made it up.).

This one was an exclusive tongue known only by a few of us. For instance, Dr. Webb introduced me to some of the students as 2010's Senior Tall Tale and although I didn't know most of them, I was instantly recognized as being a part of Cornhuskin'. Of course it was a mystery to the other guests because...all toooooogether now: You just have to experience it! But it was nice to find others out in the real world who made "good ol' Meredith, Meredith ol' MC" their home, too.

Coming back soon!

Too much excitement

There's a point in every world-traveler's experience in which she feels too far from home. After all this time in Siena, I've always known that life went along as per usual with the natural ups and downs. I know this fact because I've had them for my own, but it's difficult to remember they go on at home, too. This weekend my little brother Jason (who, in fact, is not so little but a young man in his own right) was pretty sick. Hospital sick. I'm happy to report that he is back to his quite silly self, but I spent plenty of hours in "big sister mode."

My parents and grandparents kept me as informed as possible and reassured me of his general well-being. I appreciate the network and trust their information, but there was nothing that could stop me from having Jay in the back of my mind. At every moment. It didn't matter that I spent a wonderful day in Florence examining the most beautiful art. I couldn't care less about engaging myself at a dinner with Italians. I had no will to celebrate receiving Fulbright recommendations (and therefore nearly finishing my application) or to bask in the glory of surviving my first Nordic walk. I went on with these activities because I was ensured Jason was okay and because I've learned that is what I have to do to live my life: I keep moving forward.

The most interesting realization made during this time was knowing that I still have a desire to move on and away. Whether I'm here in Italy or anywhere else, I am trying to make a life for myself and haven't finished exploring quite yet. Heck, I've just started! My family and I are getting used to this fact and we're all learning how to communicate despite the distance. I'm quite so thankful to them and all my wonderful support system for bearing with me as I bounce around.

And speaking of bouncing around, I'd like to inform you all that I'm officially moving back to the States. That's right, I'm coming home. At least for a while. I'm very happy with the decision if I'm to be honest with you. I feel like I've found everything that I came here looking for plus so much more. As you know, I didn't have many plans about when I was returning or what I was doing here, but hoped I would know the "right time." I think I've found it.

Please don't be mistaken, the life I lived here was real. I imagine sometimes it's silly to hear some of my stories because, as my best friend Alexa says, I live "so cinematically," but rest assured that living here was hard sometimes. I faced some of the same challenges I would have had in America in addition to so many that you maybe couldn't fathom. I'll have you know that I will definitely appreciate some of America's "simple tasks" I took for granted. But then these past two and a half months were also filled with an abundance of great things. I've started learning how to live out of an academic pattern and how to get wherever I want to be. I'm not exactly sure what's up next for me, but I'll keep you posted as the adventures continue to unfold.

Friends Makin' Mems.

...memories, that is. This weekend I had so much fun with friends these past days that I just couldn't wait to share with you some of the things I did! First, I received a wonderful visit from my friend Abi. We studied together here in Siena during the Spring 2009 semester, and since lately I've especially been missing my Siena School friends who made this lovely place even more special, it was a special treat to have her here. She's living in Florence for now and was able to come for a day trip a few weeks back, but this time Abi came on Thursday and stayed for a few days. Slumber party, anyone? We talked and talked and drank LOTS of tea and talked some more. It was really perfect for the both of us.

Friday evening, after some awesome stone soup alla Abi, we went out on the town and shared a Bella Vista. Although I'm not much of a cocktail drinker, this drink is great! The ginger they put in it gives a nice spicy taste that definitely reminds me of being in Siena with friends. We were joined by Deanne, the most awesome Canadian I know, and had some fun girl talk. Can you really ever get enough of that? The three of us joined some friends to celebrate Gabriele's birthday. I usually don't talk about going out because it's mostly the same scene no matter where you are, but I mention it this time for two reasons:

1. Realizing that I can have a conversation in Italian really never gets old to me. I struggled (and continue to fight) with this language. It means a lot that, despite some hiccups, I can get my point across. It was also nice to hear Abi, who is a language genius, recognize how the language is more fluid for me after a year and a half. It's difficult to see my own growth so moments like these are especially sweet.
2. Italians celebrate birthdays differently. I didn't know this when my birthday rolled around, but on your birthday, you pay. Team North America (Abi, Deanne, and I) tried to explain how it works in our cultures, but Team Italy wasn't having any of it. Not that I was complaining. The free drinks were nice. :)

On  Saturday afternoon, Abi and I made a visit to Florence. Shamefully, I had not made a trip up there until then, but maybe that contributed in making the trip so wonderful. We spent the afternoon with the group of friends I made on my first trip to Italy in July 2008 and had a fantastic time, as per usual. I finally made it up to Piazza Michelangelo which offers the best view of the city.  Then we walked around and caught up with each other, played some billiards to pass the time, and I got a ride on my friend Armando's moped. Don't worry, Mom, I made him promise to drive safely. It was SO FUN!!! Abi and I made the trip back to Siena and went to bed early because yesterday we had planned a big day.

We woke up extra early, dressed ourselves in the sloppiest clothes we had, and met Gabriele who drove us out into the country a hour to go grape harvesting! Since there was no one on the road, we were a little ahead of schedule, and so he took us to a nearby town with a Roman bath that people still use. Next day trip, maybe?

 

When we finally got to the small vineyard of Gabriele's family friend Raddichio (or "Radish"--I couldn't figure out where the nickname came from), we jumped into the work cutting the bunches of grapes off the vines. Not very complicated work, but it was a great experience and a wonderful day to pass outside of the city and in good company. 

Lunch time, as usual, was the best part though. Waiting for things to be finished, we toured a bit of the farm and played some with Raddichio's grandchildren and the hugest pack of dogs I've seen in real-life. Raddichio's wife and her crew made a feast for us with their homegrown products which we ate under the olive trees. I had to take a slow pace just to keep going, but everything was delicious beyond words. I wish I could share with you the good food and the warm feeling from being in moments like this one. It's certainly an experience to have. Post-meal, we went back to work which went by so quickly and even got some free wine as payment.

Where all the magic happens.

Real free range chickens.
We ate here under the trees...but there were no birds to be found.

If anyone's interested in renting this cute house it's available. :)

On the trip back, I took some pictures of the view I thought you'd like to see and dragged our tired and sorry selves back home. My sore scissor-cutting hand gives a big wave to all of you until next time!

Revelations According to Me

As promised, I'm writing a post to give you an official update on my life as it is now. I feel like I've settled into a new temporary routine. I'm acting as a substitue for my friend Anya who is traveling in the States, so I spend my mornings at a preschool playing with Italian babies for a few hours. It's interesting how much I've learned there. I'm definitely getting some practice of the imperative tense and have been learning some really fun songs like the one about the round, round watermelon that wanted to be the best in the world and the Italian version of "Ring Around the Rosie."

I've also started hanging out with two lovely ragazze. Violeta is 10 and she's a power house. She knows what she likes and is, as we say in the South, smart as a whip. Gaia, age 7, is a sweet girl. After our first meeting I was a bit nervous about what she'd think of me, but held on to me tightly wherever we went on Friday. She also learned the word "puppy" on Friday. Success. They fall into their birth order dynamics pretty nicely which reminds me quite a bit of Jason and myself. Too fun!

But I have made some revelations lately that I'd like to share with you:

The first is that I'm alone. Now, I could use the euphimism and tell you that I'm living on my own, but I don't think that phrase is sufficient to describe how I feel. Sure I have friends here. Whether I be sick or sad, they have shown over these past weeks more patience and kindness than I could express in words. I feel like I've won the lottery when it comes to them. Still it's difficult to live so far from majority of my network. At times I feel very solitary and, let me tell you, that's a pretty scary thing.

The positive side here is that I feel like I'm learning more and better in this way. I'm finding my own limits, strengths, and weaknesses. Surely this information will be crucial knowledge no matter where or with whom I live. I'm also discovering my own opinions. I've never really been one to hide my opinions when I've had them, but believe it or not, sometimes I just can't make up my mind. I used to say that in these moments I could develop my thoughts after hearing what others had to say first. But as I begin to grasp my own priorities and the process for making decisions, I almost find it refreshing to be alone.

Strangely enough, the second realization I've made is how WONDERFUL the people I have in my life are. No matter where in the world I am, you show me all kinds of support in any manner of ways. I have heard from you when I needed it most and have felt your presence throughout the joyful and trying times. Sure, communication is different these days. It's not so easy to pick up a phone and call someone when you don't even live in the same country code. And if I usually talked to someone twice a week because I would run into them while walking across campus, I realize I wouldn't be doing that now regardless. Despite these differences, I know you're there. And thank goodness for technology! You can say what you like about the evil of technology but Skype is a god-sent. Hallelujah and amen. A very special thank you to Aunt Carol and Uncle Joe: you guys are awesome! And an honest message about what I think of YOU straight from the words of a legend just to say thanks.

In these days I have some important decisions to make which brings us to my final revelation. I've spent countless hours (recently and just generally in my 22 years) fretting over decisions of all kinds. Each one feels like it's the end of the world, despite my recognition that my life will go on no matter what I choose. I've decided to put an end to the fretting--or as much as someone who has nurtured worrying can. I'm never going to know what's "right." I might know 10 years from now that I made a good decision, but then again I might never know. What I do know is that I will make the best decisions for me when I need to in that very moment. Fretting is wasting all kinds of energy and time that I no longer choose to waste. In the words of my wise and beautiful mother, "it's just not worth it." So enough is enough. And that's plenty enough.

Things I saw walking down the street today.

A Spiderman moped that almost made me want to abandon my vintage Vespa dreams.

A chalk artist turning a dark "John the Baptist" Caravaggio into a colorful Sienese fresco similar to this one.

A 13 year old girl kick a 15 year old boy's behind in oversized "Scacchi in Piazza" which, of course, reminded me of one of my favorite movie scenes ever.

And that was just a stroll down the street this afternoon. All in all: I love living here. Better update coming soon.