La Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita

 

Guest Blogger: Dominique

 

 

 

Anxious. Excited. Happy.

Those three words clearly sum up the feelings that I had when I stepped into Newark Airport one week ago to fly to Rome alone. I really could not believe that I was returning to Rome to visit Maria and take part in a small piece of her wonderful adventure. Once I stepped onto the plane, my anxiety disappeared and the excitement/happy feelings took over. I was ready to get to Rome and begin what I knew would be an incredible trip.

Rome is an amazing city that has so much to offer every person. It is truly mind-blowing how this one place seems to hold the history and cultures of several different groups of people. Each day as I walked through the city with Maria, I realized more and more how this place is one that channels a deep stream of past events that have helped to shape the modern world. These feelings that I experienced as I walked the quaint Roman streets full of Vespa's and 'toy' cars were realizations that I was not surprised by. Living in Rome for two months almost four years ago prepared me for the feeling of wonderment I felt as I took each step throughout the city of Rome. Although I was familiar with each feeling, the beauty of Rome still took my breath away.

I cannot explain in words how beautiful this city and the country of Italy is. It is a type of beauty that stops you in your steps and forces you to look around and appreciate the world that we live in. Every person here is warm (except for the gypsies) and wants to help every visitor see the gifts that Rome has to offer. Like every city, you must remove the rose-colored glasses and realize that there are people within this historic oasis that want to rip you off. Even with that risk, to me, Rome is perfect.

During this trip, I have been extremely fortunate to experience things that most individuals dream about. Learning to make home-made pasta in a Tuscan home that is over 1,000 years old, wine-tasting fine Italian wine with the Tuscan breeze kissing my neck, and roaming around a foreign city in order to find its hidden treasures that only true Romans know about. Each day was full of excursions that resulted in the formation of life-long memories. I am thankful for each new experience and memory I have made and cannot help but feeling blessed to have such a wonderful experience along side one of my best friends.

I'd have to say, the one thing I may change about Rome in the summer is the un-godly heat. Let's just say, I have been covered in a heat rash for the last 4 days but that has not stopped me from loving and appreciating each moment in this city. As I have discovered, Rome is not for the weak or faint of heart.

As I sit here on my last full day in the city that I love, my first two feelings have faded and I am left with a feeling of pure happiness. Yes, I am sad to leave this amazing place, but I cannot help but realize how this week has been one out of my dreams. For that reason, I cherish each memory I have made here and have an overall feeling of happiness as I prepare to head home to the people I love. I once read the quote, "travel is the only thing in this world that you buy that makes you rich." It was something that stopped me in my tracks. Travel is the only thing that we can buy that makes us a better, more well-rounded, individual. So I urge you all, travel. Even if you do not have the means, drive somewhere new (near or far) and open your mind to a place that sheds light on the beauty of difference. Allow yourself to be uncomfortable in a new place. It is in that moment when you will be able to see the world through the eyes of another and find a piece of  "La Dolce Vita", The Sweet Life.

To Maria, you will do wonderfully here. You are strong and can do this. What you are doing, takes courage (and a male body part lol)- you, figuratively, have both!! Remember the feeling of home as you walk down the streets of Trastevere and our rules for Roma when you are feeling homesick. And when in doubt, go left ; )

Tuscan Heaven

Picture this:  Eating lunch in a medieval Tuscan farmhouse, in a well-decorated kitchen around a long rectangular farm table, looking out the big windows seeing rolling Tuscan hills, watching the curtains move as a cool breeze enters the room....Eating homemade focaccia, fritatta, bread salad---for starters. Followed by homemade ravioli with olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese, homemade tagliatelle pasta with San Marzano tomatoes, spicy peppers, sage, and parmesan cheese. Hearing "That's Amore" playing softly from the room next door.

Tuscan Heaven.

Rewind 8 hours to the beginning of our day.  Dominique and I waited outside a cafe in Florence for our tour van to arrive.  We didn't know what we would be expecting for the day- other than the fact that we were going on a wine tour and cooking class.  We drove in the car with four other people who were so friendly and just as excited as we were.  There were good vibes from the start.  Our tour guide, Steve, made us all feel comfortable and welcome.

We drove through the hills 30 minutes outside of Florence and found ourselves in the beautiful country. As we took pictures through the van windows, we felt in awe of the beauty we were seeing.  We saw abundant olive and grape trees.  It was slightly overcast, but still so perfect and picturesque.  We arrived at the 15th century medieval Villa Grignano.  My first thought was, "I want this".  Obviously knowing this grand estate was unattainable,  I laughed as I thought about how much of a fantasy world I felt like I was in.  We were being transported into a somewhat celestial environment---where we all must've been dreaming all day of how amazing it would be to actually own a piece of property like the one we saw.  The villa overlooked acres of olive trees and grape trees.  Steve showed us step by step how all of the Grignano wines are made, and how olive oil is made.  He took us through the part of the villa that is the factory- it was amazing to imagine millions of grapes or olives going through these machines.

After our very informative and inspiring tour, it was time to taste the wines.  The wines we tasted were paired with a local Tuscan bread- made without salt.  Steve doused the bread in homemade olive oil for us.  The taste was---heavenly.  We tried six different wines.  My favorite was the Grand Reserves Chianti Rufina- made from the finest grape on the vineyard.
 
At this point, we were all feeling like we were officially in a different world.  Feeling buzzed from the wine tasting, reflecting on all that we had learned and seen from the morning, and looking at the view of Tuscany from the high hill that we were on. 

Little did we know that the best part of the day was to come.  Steve drove us to 1,000 year old farm house.  We drove to the medieval house that was located on the top of a Tuscan hill- surrounded by hundreds of olive trees, green grass, trees, flowers.  We arrived in our white tour bus, driving slowly up the winding gravel driveway. As we got out of the van, we saw the incredible views of the hills around us.  We looked at the property of the Belli family and were in awe of the rustic, picturesque, scene we were walking through. It looked like we were on the tallest hill around us. 

We were greeted by the friendly owners of the home.  They spoke English well.  The man, Giovanni, looked like he was out of an old Italian film.  He was proudly wearing his cargo shorts and boots---he was in the army for many years. He grew up in the house that we were looking at.  He was aged- probably in his 70s.  Yet he looked strong, and happy.  He had dark olive skin and thick wrinkles on his face.  He was in shape, and his personality was clearly younger than his physical age.   His wife, Anna, was also a character I felt like was out of a book.  She was hospitable and peaceful.  She also spoke English well. 

We had our cooking class with Steve in the cement basement of their house, which we accessed through a door on the side of the house.  It looked like it was made for cooking classes.  We all took our place around a large table that had a typical looking Italian plastic table cloth on it, designed for cooking pasta.  Steve led us through the process of making homemade ravioli and homemade tagliatelle.  We must've been cooking for about 2 hours but it felt like 15 minutes.  Steve put on traditional Italian folk music that created an environment of fun and creativity, as we intricately folded our ravioli and ran the dough through the pasta machine.  Steve, a professional musician, sang along to some of the songs and humbly showed us his opera voice.  As I looked around the room seeing all of us with our aprons on, and homemade pasta in the middle of the table, I thought to myself----this is an experience I will never forget.

We went back upstairs to the kitchen to reap the rewards of all our hard work laboring over the homemade pasta.  And now we are back to the beginning.....in the kitchen, with the breeze flowing into the kitchen across the room, and soft sound of Frank Sinatra and other Italian classics coming from the CD player in the room next to us.  All of us were in awe of the seemingly endless food that Anna kept providing us.  We watched Anna as she cycled through the process of cooking, serving, eating.  She ate standing as she knew she had little time before she had to start on the next course.   She talked about her life and made herself vulnerable to us.  We learned about her and Giovanni's recent wedding and we all congratulated them.  They were together for 20 years before they got married.  They showed us pictures from their day- and the love and joy that was written on their faces in the picture was unmatchable.  It was the real deal.  Giovanni and Anna were a beautiful couple, and it was so apparent their love ran deep. 

When we said our goodbyes to the family, and we got back in the tour bus, we all were exhausted.  It took me a few days to really process the priceless day trip.  Dominique said to me, "Do you feel like that farmhouse in Tuscany is like heaven?"....I answered, "Yes".   Obviously not knowing for sure what heaven is---- it was probably one of the closest times I've felt to it.  The joy of meeting new people, seeing new places, sitting around a table and enjoying life, love, and good food.

 

 

 

 

Three Words

One of my best friends, Steph Palla, asked me a thought provoking question. Actually...it was a demand.  Verbatim: "Give me three words to sum up your past week".  I must comply and attempt to answer.

It is not easy to process this past week.  It feels like I have been here at least a month already.  In order to sort through my emotions and experiences, as well as answer the question Steph asked me, I will summarize my first week in Rome with 3 words.

#1:  Energizing

Since I have been in Italy, I have felt constant adrenaline.  To the point where I have trouble sleeping at night because I am so excited about my life.  That is some problem to have, huh?   I am energized by the city of Rome.  Energized by spontaneous plans I have been making.  My people I have been meeting.  I am energized by new places I have seen. 

I have had the opportunity to see some family (my sister Catherine's in-laws), and some friends.  I went to my friend's family house in Monteforte, Cilento.  It was a beautiful experience that was an authentic Italian experience.  My days there consisted of multi-course homemade meals and a town feast- complete with a procession, fireworks, folk music, and a raffled off ham. 

It was such a beautiful trip to take.  When I came back to Rome, I felt like I was home. I have not even been here for a week, but somehow I feel settled here.

My writing chair

Beautiful view of Monteforte

 

 

 

Great meeting up with the Jones's!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The feast for San Domato.  Procession in the town, followed by fireworks, food, dancing, etc.

 

 

Paestum-  Ancient Greek ruins almost 3,000 years old

 

#2 Empowering

I didn't know how my first week here would go.  In fact, I had a panic attack about it a couple months ago that my mom and sister had to talk me through.  I thought I would be lonely, or maybe I would be unsafe in a foreign country.  I was worried I would feel so far away from home.   I was worried of all the things that could go wrong.  I had severe anxiety over this trip- and at one point I even doubted it.

I have been on a long journey the past two months that has led me to a point of feeling tranquility, confidence, and excitement.  I have learned how easy it is to let fear hold us back from our dreams.  On the contrary, it is also possible to put your fears aside and achieve your dreams.

I would not have been able to do this alone.  My friends, family, and mentors have been such a big support to me.  They have helped me get to where I am now.  I feel empowered.  I am traveling.  Meeting people.  Seeing new things.  While at the same time, trying to continue following my daily routines I did at home.  I'm finding a balance between it all.  It is not the easiest thing, but I am proud of myself.  I'm proud of myself for having such a positive and adventurous attitude, while remaining practical and safe.  And at the end of the day---living in Rome is really not that different from living in Hoboken/NYC.  Before I jinx myself, I'm going to get started on word #3.

 

#3. Gratitude (Wish I could think of an "E" word to complete the trio)

 I have been thanking God every single day.  I can't really describe how I know it,  but I am sure that  I am following the plan that has been designed for me.  I am meant to be here.  I absolutely love this country, and this city.  It is a little scary actually- because I am scared that at some point on my trip I will feel less enthusiastic than I do now.  But I do not think that will happen- I think I will continue loving Italy with each changing season. 

I have also felt an enormous gratitude for my family and friends who I love so much.  I feel so confident in myself knowing that I have such support at home. 

In a weird way,  I'm grateful for all the crap I went through this year.  It was not an easy year.  It was one of the hardest years of my life.  Yet, look where it led me.  It led me to the boldness that I needed in order to follow through on my decision to move here. 

I have a very strong appreciation for life.  I know life is short.  I know life can be very miserable sometimes---sometimes, even unbearable.  I know that it is such a difficult ride.  Yet, I am experiencing such ease right now.  It's not hard to be happy, joyful, and excited here.  I have followed my dreams----I have worked so hard-----I have listened to my heart------I have stepped out of my comfort zone.

I am so grateful that I decided to do this----that I didn't let fear stop me from going where I know my heart was leading me.  So thank you, LIFE.  Thank you, God.  Thank you, family and friends.  Thank you, Rome. 


Grazie, Roma.

 

 

 

Addendum:
#4.  Mozzarella di Bufala
#5.  Lazio Red Wine
#6.  Visitors
#7.  Decorating the apartment
#8.  Ray Bans
#9.  Speaking Italian
#10.  Wi-Fi

I did it!

It's 9:45pm here.  I just woke up from a 3-4 hour nap and I feel lucid enough to try to type out some of my emotions from today. (or yesterday?)  I have been up for probably the better part of 36 hours without sleep.  Excuse any typos.  As I am typing this,  I am hearing the background noise of Italian movie on TV in the background.  I am sipping on Prosecco which I opened earlier this afternoon to celebrate my new apartment.  I sat at my new dining room table- looking out through my large window at a building which is probably close to 500 years old.  I made a panino for myself with fresh mozzerella, roasted red peppers, and prosciutto crudo.  On wheat bread, of course (have to be healthy- ha!)  My first meal in Rome.  I'm still sipping the leftovers from the bottle of Prosecco I popped before.  Each sip is a reminder of how blessed I am to have had such a smooth arrival in Rome.  I will definitely be displaying the bottle somewhere in my new apartment to symbolize the day I first moved here. 

 

How to describe the overwhelming emotional roller coaster of my move....

I felt like I was in a time warp- like I was invisible and watching everyone around me.  I felt like I had the best kept secret in the airport and on the plane.  Not many people know exactly why I moved to Rome and all that it took to get me here.  And no one needs to know.  But I knew.  I was sitting on the plane and I smirked to myself as I felt the sun shining brightly on me.  The rest of the plane was dark but the sun shone in right on me.  The sun was rising and I happened to be in the exact seat on the plane that was literally blinded by the sunrise for about an hour.  I knew that this move has been something I have been dreaming of for the past year everyday.  I knew that God was looking down on me.  That my Italian relatives were rooting for me.  That I was part of a grand plan unfolding before my eyes. 

When you know you have listened to your heart, reflected and wrestled with what your heart is telling you, and when you finally know you are in the right place doing the right thing...it brings confidence and peace that is inexplicable. It was all worth it.

When I arrived in Rome, I immediately felt at home.  I felt confident speaking Italian and I met people right away who kindly helped me with my luggage and helped me settle in.  There's not much else to say besides the fact that I feel at peace here and I know this is where I am supposed to be.  It is a feeling of overwhelming gratitude and joy.  I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends supporting me in this journey.  It certainly was not easy.  The emotional rollercoaster I have been on has been anything but reassuring.  It is a risk moving here---a big risk that it is 100% worth taking since we only have one life to live on this earth.  It was so hard saying goodbye to family and friends, but I felt such a feeling of peace knowing that I have them in my lives whether I am geographically near them or not.

To everyone who has supported me emotionally-- you know who you are.  I am eternally grateful to you.  For helping me gain the courage, confidence, and audacity to move here.  I have learned the enormous power we have over our own perspective and thoughts, that can lead to true joy.  I'm training myself to live in the moment while I am here.

 Here.

 I am strong. 

 I am independent.

 I can do whatever I put my mind to. 

 I am grateful.

 I am joyful.

I am free.

 Here.

Extended anecdote:  I started writing this post at 9:45 but paused for about an hour and a half to fix the pull out couch in my living room that was not folding back up.  After some sweat and some curse words, I did it! ALL BY MYSELF!

Home is where.....

To say this past week has been emotional is an understatement.

CHANGE.

It is the last night that I am sleeping in the house I was raised in.  I have never moved before.  I was brought home to this house as an infant.  I had my temper tantrums as a toddler here.  Playing "church" in our basement.  Easter egg hunts.  Christmas carols around the piano.  Piano lessons- Catherine's practicing.  The spanking game.  Building forts in the living room and basement.  Field hockey in the backyard.  Our epic treehouse.  Basketball games in the driveway.  In middle school, I remember gossiping with girlfriends about who our crushes were.  AIM conversations. Kickboxing and yoga DVDs.  I spent hours on the phone with boyfriends- whispering so my parents couldn't hear our conversation.  Late nights doing homework, after returning from 12 hour days of high school/sports.  I came home every break in college to this house.  I lived here after college for a few years to save money.  Almost every single night that I have lived in this house, my mom has made a home-cooked meal. I have had a table to sit around with my family.  A table that expanded from 7 to 20 on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It is in Maslow's hierarchy of needs that we feel safety and security--- secure in our health, our family, our relationships, our job, our resources, our home.  I am so blessed to have such incredible family and friends that I can depend on.  They make me feel home because they have been through so much with me.  They have seen me in my lowest lows, and my highest highs. 

Catherine, Teresa, Paul, and David-----my siblings who I love and cherish more than anything.  We all grew up here and went through everything together.

CHANGE.

I am starting an adventure of a lifetime.  I have the incredible opportunity to move my life to a foreign country.  Not many people have that chance, and I am beyond grateful for it.  I am very excited, but I am also scared.  Scared of leaving the place I've called home for so long- New Jersey.

The cliché saying, "home is where the heart is", means so much to me now.  I am stripping away the physical home that I identify myself through.  I also have purged through my belongings and I have decided to take with me only what I know I will need (6 suitcases later).  I am not a minimalist, although I admire those who are.  I have thrown out many items of "junk" that I know can not be used.  I have given away many clothes I know I do not need.  I have looked through every item from my childhood that I saved as memorabilia.  I have decided which I would like to hold onto in storage for the year.

CHANGE.


So I am saying goodbye to my house.  My last night sleep here.  I am saying hello to my home....where my heart is.  I am bringing all the love and joy of the people I am surrounded with.  I am even bringing my baggage.  My memories.  My heart.  I'm bringing my home to Rome.