Ramble on, Rose.

This weekend was a big one for me, personally.

Saturday I turned 26. While I love a good party and understand how much fun birthdays can be, I prefer to downplay my own. Let's be real, there's not much I did to get there.

I lied. I'm actually 116!

But it was a pleasant day: I woke up with no alarm to a sunny day, danced around the house with my parents' pups, and had a wonderful homemade dinner with my mom, dad, and grandparents. I even celebrated from afar as my favorite city Siena had their own celebration!

Sunday, however, I woke up real early and was out the door by 7. My lovely Mom, my cheerleader in all things, joined me off of Main Street to see me off on another crazy challenge: my first triathlon!

The Ramblin' Rose event, a triathlon for women only, tours North Carolina through the race season annually. The first leg is a 225 yard swim, or 10 laps in the pool at the local YWCA. The wait to get to the pool was brutal but I was glad to meet some other participants to take out some of the pre-race jitters. I didn't practice in a traditional length pool so wasn't too sure how fast I was going into it, but ended up at my target.

Next up is the 8 mile bike course, which consisted of 2 laps of 4 miles each. This part was easily the most challenging, not only because I didn't train on the bike (I had to borrow one and got it too late), but also because of the brutal hills, which from observation I can say were horrible for everyone. The worst part was knowing what was coming the second time around. Then, on the big ascent for the second time, my chain came off the gears. After a pit stop, I finished it off the monster calling to mind all the things I lived through that I would qualify as worse than cycling up that hill two times.

Downhills were nice, but they seemed to disappear far too quickly. Yet I couldn't help but laugh, whizzing down the hill at a break neck speed, that in the cemetery I already passed several times, there was a headstone for a person named "Self." Ignoring the fact that I nearly face planted my dismount, I moved into my final transition. 

Finally, there's the 2 mile run. My calves were fairly tight when I moved into this phase (think: jelly legs). Knowing I was nearly at then end, I did my best to enjoy the final leg. But the whole time, there were strangers on the path with me being encouraging who I could encourage too. Half the beauty of this race is the feeling of "You go, girl!" that is inherent to it.

With a few days perspective, I'm honestly very proud.

I got through it all. I swam, biked, and ran the whole distance. Not one bit of slacking the whole time. I walked away that day sure I had given it all that I had. While I know I could've trained better, you can't always be 100% prepared. I'm happy with my performance and have plenty of room to improve.

But the race was full of all kinds of people, not just the typical athlete type. Some women were real athletes and there to compete, but it was inspiring to see so many people be active and doing something different. I hope they use this race as a portal for regular fitness in their lives.

Yet it wasn't just shapes and sizes that varied. The oldest competitor was 77 (!!!) and the youngest was 10. I met, befriended, and cheered on one girl, turning 11 in November, who originally planned to race with her mom. She did the whole thing on her own!

I spent much of the race looking around and imagining myself changing and meeting my own goals, both fitness and not, as I move into my 30s, as a professional, as a partner, and even at 77.

Here's to another year full of uphills and down, pit stops, friends, goals, and accomplishments! Thanks for being along for the ride.

On Getting Things Done and Being Good Enough

Lately I've been interning with the Career Services office at the master's program from which I just graduated. If you can put aside the laughable irony, it's been a pretty neat gig for someone looking for a full-time position. I sit through these sessions a year later, much more prepared to market myself and am reminded of the best lessons I was too scrambled to retain last year.

But let's be real here: the job search is a struggle. I've not met many people who really have fun finding a new job. I feel lucky to have been exposed to such wonderful services and people willing to help me along the way, but it still isn't easy.

After graduating from Meredith in 2010, I wasn't quite sure what I should be doing and where I was going. Plus things were still pretty rough in the job market. I felt like finding a job was a full-time job and I easily got exhausted and burnt out from all the work and, eventually, the rejections--or worse, the silence!

So when I eventually made it to Fuqua as a student, I stumbled into one of the greatest career search sessions that shook up things.

Steve Dalton, the current Program Director for Daytime MBA Career Services, showed up and convinced me that he gets it. From his work with other students struggling to do everything right and coming up short, he developed an easy to follow system that breaks down the biggest difficulties associated with finding a job: making a LAMP list.

LAMP is an acronym and the 4 steps of Dalton's system:

Step 1: List. List out companies you know of or come across where you're searching.
Step 2: Advocates/Alumni. Using LinkedIn, find people you know connected to your companies. The closer, the better.
Step 3: Motivation. How badly do you want to work for them?
Step 4: Position. Do they have any openings you could fill right now?

After Dalton's presentation, I bought his book The 2-Hour Job Search and read it over my winter break. Dalton takes all the uncertainty out of the job search and reminds you, it's just about getting things done and being good enough. When the recruiters and employers know you're there, it makes things easier on them. Their time is valuable so the less work they need to put into finding someone to join their team, the faster they can move on to other things.

Now that I'm working on my own LAMP list, I feel it's a whole lot easier to stay focused and to settle all the doubts.

Full disclosure: No one paid me for this post. I genuinely believe in and recommend Dalton's ideas and book. Need proof?

Finally excited to get back on the job search path thanks to @Dalton_Steve and his #2HJS! Thanks so much!
— Samantha Cibelli (@samanthacibelli) August 13, 2013

Bring me back!

I'm back from a month of vacation, well rested and dreaming about the next time I can go back to Europe. When I scheduled my tickets, I thought a month seemed like a long time, but as always, it was so full that the time flew by and after two weeks, I was already evaluating how I might be able to extend my stay. But here I am, back in ol' NC and I want to share some of the highlights from my vacation to remember living after grad school. To edit the list, because I could go on forever, since my mini-trips worked themselves out like this, I limited myself to highlighting the B's from it all. Buon viaggio!

From one of my manual shift driving lessons with Anna & Ermelindo.

• Breath taking views. In case you didn't know, G lives in Tuscany, where they forget what beauty looks like because it's everywhere around them. I missed the greenest greens of the hills when it was rainy but got to see the green change into gold. On the bus route to the city or out on the country roads, like where I practiced driving (shifting gears is TONS more work), these hills are better than the movies.

• Bologna. I decided I wanted to take a trip alone. Solo travel is a really exciting way to see a new place. 

Bologna's Two Towers. The one in the foreground is actually leaning!

But it doesn't hurt when the city is gorgeous and the food is fantastic! I even got to catch up with my friend Megan from my Fulbright cohort who gave me all the best tips about what to do and where to eat (SUPER imperative) and made a new North Carolina friend at the hostel where I was staying. How does that song go again...?

• Buds. It's always wonderful visiting friends, especially since you don't get to see that often. My time in Italy is full of reunions of this type, whether it's over a dinner with lively conversation, on a stroll through the streets, or sitting side-by-side on the couch, I've learned that it's really my people make the place home. This time I was also visited by one of my very best friends, Filippo. It had been two years since I had seen him last. For offering a bed in his kitchen, I was happy to return the favor.

•  Bold patriotism. Out of curiosity, G and I went to the US Cemetery in Florence the day I flew in. We had talked about it several times, and I'm glad we went then. There couldn't have been more than 4 people there with us and we were really able to soak in the space and pay respect for the lives given. But I returned about a week later with Filippo for the Memorial Day service. The ceremony was done in both English and Italian, there were veterans and active service members from both countries, and even the US Ambassador came from Rome. For such an important day, it was uplifting to see so many people, Americans and Italians alike, honoring the service members to which we owe so much.  

Zia Sam with Sofia--I'm in love.

• Basketball: After I shared the Cameron Crazie experience with G in Durham, he wanted me to see what it's like to be an Italian fan in the curva. I arrived at the beginning of the playoffs and Mens Sana, Siena's team, was ranked #2. We went to the first game together and I returned with some friends for the third. I think an average Crazie would feel pretty comfortable in the middle of the biggest fans--as long as they learned the songs. All four quarters are non-stop cheers, on your feet, for your team with big flags and a drum to keep time. You can see a couple videos here. Mens Sana made it through that series and the quarter finals, and are currently playing their hearts out in the finals against the team from Milan, owned by the fashion mummy designer Giorgio Armani. Did I mention that Mens Sana is going bankrupt after the season? Only in Italy. Forza Mens Sana!

•  BABIES! I saw three newborns in a month and it was heaven! Sean, Sofia, and Samuele. They were all between 3-8 weeks when I visited so it was glorious.

• Budapest. 

This city was one of the most wonderful places I have ever been. It was beautiful, full of history, and a place where you can eat and drink well for sure! If you like art nouveau architecture as much as we do, you certainly won't get bored simply walking around this city! Although we are told it wasn't hot, I was thrilled to finally pull out my shorts and G didn't mind the fountains much.

Plus we met friends, old and new, which always makes traveling the best! Not to mention I knocked off another goal from my bucket list!

• Baths. Budapest is known for its Turkish baths. We went to two and they certainly didn't disappoint.I was surprised how refreshing the 30°C/86°F water was after a day in the sun. But I also redeemed my Christmas present from G and we went to some in Tuscany. Considering how rarely I get to go to a place like that, I certainly had my fill of rejuvenating waters.

• Belly full of food. Culture, art, love, whatever. Don't listen to any of that. The reason you go to Italy is for the food. On this trip--who am I kidding?! Every trip I eat my weight in cheese, olive oil, and the artichokes. But really. Artichokes.

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Professional Sponge

Now that I’m no longer a student (again), I’m on a campaign: Operation Employable.

I believe that my internet presence, including this blog, plays a central role in my professional identity, so why not share my movements towards starting a career here?

I’ve learned a lot in my personal development since I started working on it as a part of my identity. Some of this growth has come from attending lectures, reading voraciously, or talking to professionals. I’m constantly sponging up information and I’m certain that there’s someone interested, whether you’re interested in your own development or you’d really like to give me a job. Yes, you!

But in all seriousness, I have come across some insights I’d like to share and some others that I want to explore.

So I wanted to start the Operation Employable series by sharing the ways that I’ve started collecting and making sense of all this information.

Being a writer of sorts, I used a gift my generous mom left me as we set up my apartment in Duke: a journal. Being a person that loves technology as much as I do, I still have a thing for old-school journals. I currently have three journals, but only one is dedicated solely to career development. My handwriting is a modified cursive and I find that the movement my hand makes generates ideas. Sometimes I sketch out plans or flow charts. I always bring it to a lecture or a coffee chat, so I can write notes but still stay an active listener. While it’s not as easy as turning to a search bar to find old notes, I date and title every event and jot down inspiring quotes or great advice in it.

See, I can be professional!

When I’m not writing, I’m often reading and non-fiction development is a hot genre for me these days. I keep up with what I’m reading and other recommendations with my Goodreads account. If you haven’t heard of Goodreads, it’s a social networking site for avid readers that sends great recommendations and opens up conversation for bookworms. You can organize the books however you like on virtual shelves and I have one just for my development books that way I don’t forget titles when I’m ready for a new read.

I also read a lot of articles I enjoy on the interwebs and if there's one I think I can get something out of later, I save it. I’ve gotten some friendly chiding for it, but I created a board on Pinterest devoted to business related topics of videos or articles that are interesting. Sometimes I review them before an interview or keep them handy to send to others when I inevitably talk about how cool such-and-such is that I read about the other day....

So far these are working for me, but I'm always looking for different ideas. I’m wondering if there’s anything else that I’m missing that might be helpful to collect ideas. Do you have some different methods I might use? Do you have some recommendations I should add to my reading list?

Master's: Complete

I'm alive and have returned to the blogging. I actually never stopped, but the venue was different because I was in grad school, y'all. And guess what? I graduated...!

This past weekend was full of celebrations and Pomp & Circumstance. It's remarkable how I got to Fuqua and eventually settled into its rhythms, but they pull out the stops and surprise me on my way out, complete with ice sculptures and chocolate cherubs. Speaking of surprises, the most wonderful one came in the form of my dear friend Deanne who I met in Italy, flying all the way from Canada, after coordinating with my mother, to attend my graduation.

So even though I've been very absent on this blog, I'd like to reopen the pathway now that there's no more finance or accounting to study. Now that I can return to the hours of a non-student, as the studying schedule was much harsher this time around. Now that I can pursue all kinds of activities, goals, thoughts, and desires that had to be put on hold (not excluding my 25 Before 25, which is desperately in need of a new name now that I'm knocking on 26).

To reinaugurate this blog, I'd like to do a lessons learned post for my 10 month stint as a graduate student in Durham:

• Doing a power pose before big presentations helps, but only in the secrecy of your home or a bathroom stall. Otherwise it's just embarrassing.
• They might not be graded, but soft skills matter.
• You must have empathy and patience to begin to understand another. I have a lot of road to cover on this one.
• Test grades aren't always the best judgment of learning.
• You don't know your limits until you've met them.
• Learning is a process that is determined by the amount of effort you put into it. It has no limits of time or subject.
• Do the right thing always.
• I am not a self-sustaining entity. It takes a community to get through all kinds of situations. Community takes time and effort to grow.
• Love it or hate it, Cameron Indoor is a special place.
• Failure is an opportunity for exploration and innovation.
• You can't always find the time, but making a good, home cooked meal heals, grows, and inspires. Totally worth it.
• It's all relative.

I don't quite know what's coming up next yet (besides a month in Italy where I sit writing this very post while looking over the Tuscan hills), but rest assured you'll be taken along for the ride.

From Angel to...

As an undergraduate at Meredith Angel (with only things like women's rights to avenge), I completed my psychology thesis research in the identity development of young adults, or emerging adults, if you will. This term- now widely used among others like Generation Y, the Millenials- was coined by the researcher J.J. Arnett to define those between 18-25 who are finding-- no stumbling their way from their teenage years into adulthood. This is a period for the privileged middle and upper class of the world, mostly Westerners, to figure out if they are keeping those core values given from their parents or dropping them for any of the endless other choices. I always had a bit of a beef with the age definition because I know plenty of people who are still defining themselves throughout their 20s and into their 30s, and as I approach my 25th birthday (it's merely 2.5 months away) I can't imagine having enough figured enough out to be an adult.

Now, by this point, we all know that my 25 before 25 is not going to be finished. I've worked really hard on these goals, and even completed some big ones, so they'll be upgraded to a 30 before 30. No problem. But also, there are some changes as I continue to work on as I strive to work out some of the uncertainties about who I am and where I'm going both metaphorically and actually. In fact, a huge part of keeping up this blog has been to record and to announce my grand life changes, has it not?

So for a variety of reasons, my Fulbright year helped me realize that I don't want to get into academics. Was I a bit wishy-washy under that kind of freedom and an unclear vision? Sure. But partially I'd like some job mobility, and after some great years of uncertainty, I'm looking forward to any security life can afford. I don't see research or university life rendering these things for me. We may discuss the reasons why to all of these things, but let's just skip that for now and say we're all right. The world is crumbling. Society is changing for the better. Whatever, back to me. (It is my blog after all.)

In exploring the skills and the experiences I had acquired and whatever I could possibly do with them on somewhat my terms, a dear friend Allison suggested I look into consulting over a yummy autumn meal. From there I applied to two great business schools and decided on one as mentioned earlier. This time next year, I'll be graduating from Duke University's Fuqua Business School with a Master's in Management Studies. I'm learning business foundations in 10 months. Think of it like an MBA, Jr. for stinkers like me without the experience to get an MBA.

I'm awfully excited about it. I'm also a bit nervous. In a year (!!!), I'll already be a graduate. And let's be real: I never anything about business studies outside of my half semester of economics as a senior in high school (Many thanks, Mr. David Seidel!). Thankfully, Fuqua's MMS program has set me on a path of pre-program studying, learning how to use Excel's financial functions, calculating future values on investments and profit margins, and other stuff that might bore you to tears if you are one of my typical blog readers. You guys come for the European adventures, I know. I promise, I'll be back there... eventually.

But for now, I'm *surprise!* enjoying soaking in this new knowledge and discovering a foreign side of me. A side that can employ my data analysis skills and creative critical thinking in an unfamiliar atmosphere. Once again I feel like I can offer something to society. I find that I am not reinventing myself, but working on a foundation that's already been prepared with much effort. For some of you, this new career choice may seem like an about-face change, a rejection of who I was. Instead, I delightfully continue to be surprised by another facet to who I am and what I have to offer. What I do as a job simply does not define who I am.

If nothing else, it is a pleasant reminder that I should never be simply complacent, that I can always discover a better version of myself. Passion and opportunities are everywhere, if only we commit to making them our own.

Also, calm down all of you anti-Duke fans. I'm not going to play basketball. I wasn't dealt those cards.

La vie en rose.

It's already ... April! Geeze, I just can't keep up. But after my amazing trip to Europe in February I was welcomed back with a mallet to the forehead, a job offer, and wedding season. Needless to say, it's been pretty busy around these parts. My forehead is fine beyond the unsightly scar that's getting fixed up. I'm on spring break from my position as an assistant in a kindergarten class. It's quite a way to pay the bills, but the laughs are a'plenty. And thankfully I love weddings. My little brother Jason tied the knot with his love (and my new sis-in-law!) in an intimate family affair. 

Then last weekend was the fiesta of the YEAR when my dearest college friend Lauren donned her stunning dress to get hitched with Tim-Bo! SO. MUCH. FUN.

But really I wanna talk about February with my love since I'm finally getting around to looking at the pictures (and posting them on Facebook, naturally). We visited with so many friends while I was in Italy but took a little retreat just the two of us to Paris of all places during Valentine's Day of all times. Back in August when we decided to visit La Ville-Lumière that really wasn't the plan, but it sure was convenient. Anyone who knows anything about long distance relationships will tell you that a little bit of effort goes a long way! Staying in an apartment ended up being so much cheaper than any other options and our home base was in the best part of town: Le Marais. I wanted to go to every little cafe', art gallery, and vintage shop on the street, but without that much time or money (Paris isn't the cheapest city there ever was...), it makes for great window shopping. The first morning we stopped in the Rodin Museum to examine art and think our own thoughts.

Then we visited Napoleon, or really his tomb. Walking into Les Invalides, I couldn't see the bottom of the hole, for far too long, where his 7-times entombed sarcophagus was. You can't fathom how huge it is from this picture, but not being able to see to the floor, my stomach dropped. 

Why? Because this shorty is scared of heights. But we had a nice visit and then headed to the heart of it all: the Eiffel Tower. 

The line was super long so G went to investigate. He had been there before and went to explore. Upon his return, G explained that we can cut our wait time tremendously... by taking the stairs. The Eiffel Tower is 1063 feet (324 meters) tall--which meant nothing to me until I stood under it. Thinking to my 25 before 25, I recognized an opportunity to conquer my fear of heights. I mean, what better way? It was cold and windy and I was moving slow up to the first level. After some hot chocolate, we started up to the second level. As soon as I got there, I felt free! I was practically doing cartwheels (gross exaggeration) and definitely freaking out G. I made it up the 674 steps! But if I'm going to be honest, the elevator up to the tip top was the worst part. It moves so fast and the whole thing is glass. The view is impressive but G and I spent the ride up clutching each other in silence.

Valentine's Day was dreary and rainy. G brightened it up with breakfast and flowers, then we spent all day at the Louvre. The rooms were massive. 

My favorite was definitely the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Canova's Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, but La Giocanda wasn't too bad too, I guess. Ha!

And we fell in love with all the Egyptian stuff. (It surely played into my bid to get Egypt on our travel list.)

My favorite sites were Sainte-Chappelle, the Pantheon, and Musée d'Orsay. Seeing those breathtaking windows on the one sunny day was lucky.

Foucault's Pendulum and the French heroes' graves was overwhelming. I mean, Marie Curie...! (Ignoring the radiation I imagined coming through her tomb, of course.) 

Manet's Olympia and the ENTIRE Impressionist section were real highlights at the Gare. Introducing G to art nouveau furniture was a big win, too, but the old train station museum is full of awesome things!


We really just loved walking around. When we could handle the cold (long johns on, naturally) we explored the streets and feasted on the sights that Hemingway, Stein, Picasso, and Fitzgerald lived. Shakespeare and Co., under the shadow of Notre Dame, was a sweet visit. Plus the French onion soup and fondue I convinced G to share in the Latin Quarter topped off the experience.

 

In all honesty, the Parisians really do dress better and I felt like I could see different styles from one quartier to the next. I had only good experiences with the Parisians which was a pleasant surprise as a child who lived through the Freedom Fries movement. I picked up the tiniest bit of French, all of which I've lost again except how to ask for the check. Their food was phenomenal. I practically lived off of cheese and baguettes the whole five days. And looking back, nearly missing our flight back to Italy for a brunch at Hotel du Nord and a stroll by the Saint-Martin was worth every blister. 

We did a lot more exploring but the synthesis is: Paris is not just a must see, but an experience.

And six months in...

Here I sit, nearly six months after the creation of my 25 before 25, up too early with a cup of tea and a loading GPS, finishing the preparations for a big adventure. So I thought it time to review what's going on in my life.

The main focus for a while was that dual citizenship. I'm now at an impasse, waiting on several documents to go back and forth from New York before I get them all a special stamp and translated. Then I can finally bring them all in tow for a meeting at the Philadelphia consulate. Glad this project was started early because it's likely to not be even finished in time but here's hoping I'm wrong!

I have also been back with Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance volunteering in any jobs they'll take me. This brought me to do some backstage work with Sordid Lives and even put me on stage--in a coffin! I was stand in for a dead lady and laughed hysterically the whole time! Made it on stage! We can knock #17 off the list!

I also just assisted on some costuming for their current production of Legally Blonde. If you can check that one out, do so! It's such a fun production! Here's a picture of some of my work on the lovely Holly.

No full-time job, but that's okay. I've been working three jobs: sales associate at Banana Republic, babysitting (for an Italian family), and subbing for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. As a result, I've been running around like a crazy person, finding a few minutes when I can to communicate in one way or another with G, who has been victim to many late nights from the six hour time difference. I'm certainly getting a better idea of managing money, which I only hope to expand.

Some other things have come up in the meantime:

I'm in a whole bunch of weddings this year and can't wait to celebrate so much love! Who knew how much planning there was going into a big party?!? But if you know me, you know I show UP to party, so this spring is going to be a great one!

I've also applied to a few graduate schools for a Master's in Management. I'd start in July and finish by May 2014! A swift change to some of your knowledge, but to me, it's nothing new. It's so exciting to think about becoming a part of something real and current and changing. And if my blog is any kind of synthesis of my life then linear, predicted decisions should not be what you imagine! I can't say I regret any decisions, but I'm ready to start a career and mold it to fit me. Then I'm sure to learn quite a bit about money, no? But I'm also really proud of the reflection it's provided for my work and choices until now. It got me to really work on the personal branding and mission statement a bit. I can go into details when I have more updates to provide, but for now, I'm just excited for new possibilities!

And now... off to Paris! Rest assured that a post on it's own will make it to the blog. Au revoir!

Bake Sale Update...!

So we had the bake sale. Now, I went in pretty unsure what to expect. I knew there were 88 seats in the theatre and I planned to be there two nights. I decided to sit outside between Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance and Bob's Big Subs and Pub at lunchtime Friday and Saturday. I set a goal of $250 for the whole sha-bang.

Some really great people donated all kinds of tasty treats, many of which I put in my fair share of donations to taste. A bunch of awesome people stopped by to get their own baked goodness. I met so many generous people over two days and WSTA and Bob's were such great hosts. And thanks so much to y'all for the the support!  So many people have been interested in the success of the bake sale and I'm happy to announce that we raised $283.32! That doubled is $566.64! All that for pediatric cancer research!

It's so crazy to think that this money that's going to help so many children came from sending a few emails and talking to some friends and sitting outside (in the most beautiful weekend weather) or at a theatre! So little effort and so much good done. If you were interested in hosting your own bake sale or are going to be a part of a holiday cookie exchange or have a couple of dollars to donate, check out Cookies for Kids' Cancer. They do wonderful work and are super helpful in planning. And now I can mark another event off of my list!

Calling all good cookies!

Alright, y'all! I need your help. Remember that 25 before 25? I'm still chugging along with that. I'm almost done with the second step of my dual citizenship (there are 29384 steps, it seems). I am working on that español, reading my Shakespeare, and working on a few other things simultaneously. But we've got a big one coming up FRIDAY and SATURDAY!

I'm working with Theatre Alliance of Winston-Salem on a bake sale and we are raising money for Cookies for Kids' Cancer on November 30-December 1 in connection with opening weekend of Sordid Lives (get your tickets here). Cookies for Kids' Cancer is a 501 (c)(3) that raises funds for pediatric cancer research. All of the funds will be matched by the OXO home supply and GLAD products companies! (If you plan on participating in a cookie exchange, check out the Cookies website to see how you can get them some money, too!) Our volunteers will be contributing their own goodies (and not just cookies!) so if you're in the area, please stop by!

On a more personal note, some people have asked why Cookies for Kids' Cancer. Well, in making my 25 before 25 list, I wanted a shout out to strong women and my alma mater Meredith College. My graduating class became extremely involved with this non-profit, the story of a Meredith sister and her heroic son, and it was a roller coaster ride I'll never forget. Gretchen Holt Witt gave the keynote address at my graduation and I remember feeling like she had make the most of what was delivered to her and went far beyond anyone's expectations. She and those working for Cookies for Kids' Cancer, formally as employees (who are all amazing to work with if you were interested in hosting your own bake sale!), or as other bakers just like my dear friends, or as donors, have made great strides towards helping children--and in an ingenious manner at that!

Relistening to Gretchen's speech and reading about Liam's all too short, beautiful life made me reflect on where I come from, the community I have around me, and the tremendous opportunities I can make for the better of others in the simplest ways. So back in August, I listed hosting a bake sale on my 25 things in an attempt to not make a completely selfish activities. It was a little gesture, but my how much I have absorbed from this moment in the attempts to serve worthily a cause so meaningful! The opportunities are endless for what each of us can do to improve the world. All it takes is that we have a little responsibility in respect to our neighbors.

I'd sincerely love to see you Friday afternoon from 12:30-3pm and before and after the shows which start at 8pm Friday and Saturday night. If you can't be there and still want to contribute to the cause, follow the link to make a donation on our giving page. A big thanks to Theatre Alliance for helping me cross another one off my list and to you good cookies for being along on the journey!

Update 29 November 2012: HUGE thanks to Robert and Bob's Big Gas and Subs for offering to donate some goodies for the cause. Y'all, those subs and baked pickles are the best!

Puglia

Recently G and I took a trip to Puglia. Southern Italy has always been fascinating to me in part because my ancestors are from there, but then again, it's a whole other Italy from the Tuscan world I've gotten so used to. The rub is that visiting the less-touristy regions is better done with a guide. And by guide I mean someone who has lived there for years. It's the only way to find the very best gems of the place. So when we received an invitation from Antonio, our dearest pugliese friend, and Bonnie, his wife--also American!--there was no way we could turn it down.

English Wiki for Puglia

We had originally planned to leave on the 7 hour car trip before the break of dawn on Wednesday morning, but after an urgent phone call from Antonio, we realized the only option was to leave on Tuesday after G's half day of work. Why? In order to eat at all of the houses and restaurants that we could not miss. At first I thought that was a little crazy, but having returned, I can see now that there really was no other way.

After a road trip filled with the Questions Game, learning tongue twisters, and watching the countryside change, we arrived at Antonio's father's house in time for dinner. The meal prepared for us was marvelous, but this night will be remembered as my official introduction to mozzarella cheese. That particular city is famous for its mozzerella and even has a big production plant where most residents work to send out their goodness to the world. I could not begin to describe how wonderful this snowy white cheese is in it's many forms. Mozzarella in milk, strips of mozzarella in cream, creamy mozzarella inside a normal ball of mozzarella wonder... I'd never had anything like it. Just trust me that it's good. Better yet, it's always fresh and always on the table.

In recovery/preparation, we planned on not doing much eating the next day, and so we started off the day with an espressino. Best. Invention. Ever. It's like a mini cappuccino that's a smidgen taller than an espresso. I usually don't drink coffee because my nerves can't handle it, but I think I had one of these nearly every morning. And so we set off on some sight seeing. Our first stop was to see the trulli. These little houses have been around since the 1700s, much more recent than I expected, but are way neat. You can see them all around the countryside, but we headed to a little town jam full of them.

Antonio, Bonnie, and the trulli!

Inside a trullo shop.

We continued on and kept eating little... unless you want to harp on that gelato I had at a world class gelateria for lunch. We explored this town Polignano a Mare and I fell in love. It's gorgeous! And on a hot day, it had the coolest breeze.

One thing I've learned this summer is that hot weather muddles the brain and makes the world a big foggy. But here, the blue water was so blue it seemed unreal. Tempted by the tons of people on this little beach, we headed to a place we never would have found called Porto Ghiacciolo to spend the rest of the afternoon. I'll let Bonnie's pictures speak here.

Smiles: what other proof do you need?

After a record cold and speedy shower and a swift change, we headed to eat, and boy, did we. This night was fish Dallo Squallo (The Shark's) and we had to go early just in case they ran out, because that's how it works. You snooze, you lose. I've eaten at places like that here in Italy before, but it's a good thing we got there when we did. We were the only customers when we arrived, but had to push our way out to a line trailing from the door only 10 minutes later. Anyway, we chose our food from here.

And they brought it to us looking like this. Although I only got a picture of the fried plate, all of it was great! We ate this wonderful meal in good company and then headed into the city. After a drink, we took a stroll around the city and found a bunch of people waiting. For what, you ask? FIREWORKS. ON. THE. SEA. Gabriele and I are the biggest firework fans and have really specific tastes about what a good firework show is all about: how the build up should go, which ones look good together, how it should feel, and when the rhythm and dissonance should play, and what the ending is like. This show was a real pleaser in all groups and it happened right before midnight... my birthday!

Now, I am not really sure how it happened, but celebrating my birthday is not something I like to do in the traditional sense. I'd prefer that it go completely unnoticed, but spent in company or celebration of something else. Timing makes Italy the perfect place for that as a national holiday is right around the same time. But after the fireworks, G and friends surprised me with a bottle of prosecco and I rang in my new year with good company.

Because we were out so late, we had a lazy start in the morning which was well enough for me. G surprised me, having Antonio and Bonnie transfer some presents and hiding the rest. Two sets of tickets to the theatre, a white board and colored pens for my organizational needs (also known as idiosyncrasies), and 12 American beers. Eventually we set off for Antonio's grandmother's house. My birthday falls on the feast day of the second patron saint of the city. We are in Italy after all, so lunch with the family is the perfect way to celebrate. We had a great meal (with mozzarella on the table, of course), but the general favorite was the eggplant parmigiana: a plate I've had many a-time, but it was just so good.

One of the funniest parts about this scene was that I felt so at home. The food was the same plates I had eaten in my family. The atmosphere around the table, so relaxed and welcoming. Quickly I was teasing and being teased along with everyone else, a quality at every table I sat down to in Puglia. My comfort made Gabriele's foreignness as a Tuscan in the South more obvious. Despite the heavy accent and very different dialect, I was understanding just as much as G, sometimes more. Looking across the table, we would translate for each other. A fun game to even out our skills: his knowledge of Italian language and culture vs. my ability to read people and to see the big picture. It was a great thing, having Antonio--the native--and Bonnie--the informed and experienced "foreigner-no-longer"-- to lead us both around. Through their tag team we were able to see things we never would have found and understand them through our everyday experiences.

After lunch, a walk around the town to see the cousins' new house, and a cool drink in respite from the heat, the four of us hopped in the car towards Matera. One of the other Fulbrighters was there and talked wonderfully of the town. Unfortunately Rebecca had already returned, so no reunion was had, but I was so glad to be able to put a space to her words. Boy, was she right! Now Matera is known for being the place where some film was shot, but let me tell you, it's so much more! We took a tour of an huge underground water cistern, then wandered around the twisting roads of the city. Just a couple of decades ago, Antonio told us, Matera was a wasteland and really dangerous. Walking around you could see some evidence of this time, but that only made the beauty even more shocking. We took a tour underground in the recently reopened cistern, which Matera was known for instead of the rocks. Afterwords, we dropped by a top-notch bed and breakfast worked into the caves. I wish I had taken some pictures, but it was stunning. After a stroll around, we headed back to the car and admired the wonderful and OLD olive trees that pepper the hills at sunset.

The valley was deep and scary!

Underground tour

The lines indicate how high the water was!

Choosing the meat...

After our trip to the sassi, the rocks for which Matera is famous, we headed back and prepared for dinner. Dinner was at a place generally called un forno to have a meat-filled dinner. The process for the oven is that there's a butcher, you tell him what kind of meat you want, he cuts it up, then it's sent to the restaurant's kitchen next door. If you hate meat, you're going to hate the rest of this post, but it's really a different experience to see the fresh meat go from butcher to plate. That trip is one of the reasons to love Italy.

Where some of it was cooked.

The super particular thing about this place wasn't just how the food was prepared, but what we ate. It was horse. Now some of you might just hate me or think I'm cannibal material like my parents did. Italy's not everything you expected, huh? But if you'll indulge me for a minute, the city we went to eat is best known for these restaurants and the meat was very lean and simply well cooked. The first plate however was a bit hard for me to swallow: raw slices of the thinnest cut meat we "cooked" in lemon juice and ate with oil, salt, and cheese. In the end, I give that plate distinction to cross off Goal #15: Eat something really different from my 25 before 25 list. The meal went on with so many different plates. I just barely lost an eating contest to G, but got applause for my American eating skills. But so much was eaten that we walked to the bar across the street for a Padre Peppe, Puglia's pride and joy, to help us digest before dropping into bed.

Our last day in Puglia was spent soaking up the sun at the beach with Antonio and Bonnie. The beach was jam packed with people, going at the heart of vacation season, but we were able to find some sand to lay out on our towels. We even got a pedal boat which we took out into the ocean. The waves were a bit much for me and we had to dodge the windsurfers who zoomed by, but it was a ton of fun! Plus getting away from some of crowds and just hanging with good friends makes any day beautiful.

That evening we had quite a meal: quartered sheep. We went to a bare house in the countryside where people had been cooking all day long in a wood stove. Fun fact: sheep can only be eaten during the summer when grass is dry and the meat is at its tenderest. It was a lot of food... again, but oh-so good. Maybe better than the sheep was the potatoes and the other goodies made by our hostess. Them, on top of the company, great conversations, and hearty laughs, lightened up the night.

We took a trip the next morning to the panificio to grab some yummy southern bread and everyone had a nice laugh when I tried to order some. Who knew how many choices and new words there were all around different types of bread?! These people take this stuff seriously. A lunch with Antonio's aunt and uncle, who graciously gave us a bed to sleep in during our trip, put a nice end parenthesis on our whirlwind Puglia tour. G and I headed back north, stopping to see some of the very best theatre I have seen in my life, Julius Caesar, at our very favorite Globe replica in Rome--a birthday present from someone who knows me very well.

Summary: Puglia is a place full of warm people who justifiably take so much pride in their food culture, but it's important to remember the beaches and other beautiful landscapes certainly add a lot. My trip to the heel, "real Italy" as Antonio calls it, was definitely a trip to remember.