Parting: Such Sweet Sorrow

The first week back has been so strange. It's nice to be back but I wish that I was still in Florence and there's definitely a lot to readjust to here in the States. I also just learned that one of my friends is going to be spending 3.5 weeks in Italy this summer studying music and I am so envious it's disgusting. 

Since I've been back, I have already baked blondies with whipped nutella buttercream (Nutella is SO Italian), made lemon gelato, and prepared fresh egg pasta. Nothing I make, smell, do, or feel will ever compare to the adventures and feelings that I experienced while abroad. 

Homemade Lemon Gelato

Homemade Spaghetti with chicken, garlic and onion

One of the first strange moments that I had when I got home was when I got a diet coke and it was SO HUGE. The bottles here are such a strange size. And when I saw orange cheese at the grocery store, I was like "What is this?!".  I've also had to learn to be polite again. Italians tend to just barge their way through crowds and they never say excuse me. When I was in Italy, I did as the Italians do, so I'm realizing that I have forgotten how to interact with people I don't know. It's all so strange and I keep asking myself a question that is all too familiar to me: 

Is this love or infatuation? Did I really fall in love with Italy or did I fall in love with the lifestyle/experience? Would I have been just as "in love" if I had travelled to, say, Spain or are these feelings exclusively between myself and Italy? Honestly, I can't answer that question at this point. There's no doubt that I love Italy but I'm not sure if I would really be able to live there permanently. I guess I experienced a kind of "honeymoon phase". Yeah, I got a taste of some of Italy's bad side but, for the most part, I relished every moment that I spent there. 

And with that, I am officially closing the cover on this book. It's been a crazy ride these past four months and I want to thank all of you for joining me on my adventures via this blog. I hope you've enjoyed reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them. I will return to my pre-"Four Month Florentine" blog and continue writing about faith, politics, life, music, and any issues that I may find particularly poignant as I live it up in the ATL. 

Go to http://www.pensiveponderings.tumblr.com and follow me if you wish. 

Per l'ultima volta, Ciao a tutti!

~Britt