We are amazed

We’ve traveled to Italy several times over the years – I would say about 15 times all total. The longest we’ve ever stayed for one trip was three weeks. That was a long time for us and a very long time for most working Americans. Being here for six months is like a wonderful gift.  We keep looking at each other and saying that we can’t believe we live here. It feels so right, which is so incredibly odd. Nothing is like what we’re used to. The shower is tiny, the kitchen is small and dark, there’s no AC, no double sinks in the bathroom, no soaking tub, no back yard, no front yard, no nearby Kroger, no nearby Target, no garage, no closets – well it’s very different from what we’re used to. Why does it feel so right? For one thing, we sold our house and made a conscious decision to downsize and change the way we live.  This is a good way to start that process – when we get back to the US our standards on space and necessities will, hopefully, be very different.

This is our neighbor’s “garden”.  It’s incredibly beautiful and she is very proud of it.  Most Italians are very skeptical of outsiders, but once you make a connection with them, they treat you like family.  This woman was very aloof toward us in the beginning, then we complimented her flowers and always speak when we pass, and now she’s very friendly.  Yesterday morning we heard a little splashing of water outside our apartment and discovered that she had watered the plants on our steps!