I Am Spitting Angry

Well. I’m sitting at Roma Termini fuming because I just missed my train by mere minutes, the next one isn’t for two hours and it’s everybody’s fault but mine. That last part couldn’t actually be further from the truth but whatever. I would have made it, just barely, except that the public transit security pulled me off my bus because I was riding without a ticket. Sorry Mom, I was in a hurry. The fine is typically 50 Euros but I only had 35 on me, which I gave them, they returned 5, probably pocketed the rest and then gave me a valid ticket to get on the next bus. Confusing but I’m not one to question a lesser punishment.

Going back nearly three weeks. The last week in the mountains was really great and very relaxing. Then for the trip home I got bumped from the train to the car for 8 hours with the dogs, luggage and Merci and Edward. I got the back seat and practically had to be packed in. I had enough room to sit. If I tilted my head ever so slightly to the left I could use one of the huge duffle bags as a pillow. Which I did. When I got home my mom was waiting at my front gate! We had such a wonderful time touristing around and I really enjoyed meeting her local work contacts.

One morning we went on a walking tour called Eating Italy. It was so fun! And delicious. On the tour we met an American girl named Katy who was close to my age. We hit it off pretty well and she was alone so we invited her to explore a little with us at the end of the tour. I had told her all about my job and my slightly pathetic, utterly helpless, little lambs. While admiring some impressive ancient ruins she said, “You should tell your kids if their ancestors could build all of this without modern technology, they should be able to manage lifting the fork from their plates to their mouths.” I’ll probably never see her or hear from her again but we will be forever friends because of that comment J

During that time I also got to, very very briefly, see the Harding group (studying in Florence) since they were on their Rome fieldtrip. It was a very busy three days and probably the most outside of work social I’ve been since arriving here. My mom left on a Wednesday and I spent the rest of the week recovering from the late nights she kept me out. Reversal of roles to the fullest.

Since then time has flown by. Cesano (the country house) last weekend. Florence to visit the Harding group this weekend! Cesano next weekend. I don’t know what the weekend after that but then I AM COMING HOME! Just for a week but I think that’s part of what makes it so exciting. Not to mention the kids get a week off for Easter and I happen to be missing 3.5 of their days off and them being home all day. Whoops. That really was unintentional but I can’t say I hate it!