To Roma:

My dearest Roma, you passionate but stubborn lover. The last four months have been an emotional rollercoaster, but so are all the best relationships. When we met in August you seemed decadent, bold, moving, and overwhelming, but I’ve come to learn that there is more to you than that. From learning your history, and discovering that there is so much more to you outside the Colosseum walls, I’ve fallen in love with every hidden ruin. You taught me what real food tastes like, and I love that I can blame you for any extra kilos I’m now carrying around. I knew from the moment I first tried your suppli that we were a match made in heaven. You taught me about art, history, people, and il dolce far niente. The more I got to know you the more in love with you I fell.

Like all relationships, however, it wasn’t always butterflies and rainbows. There were times, usually when I was waiting 45 minutes in the rain for a bus to come, when I thought we should end this. There were times when I thought that I could live without you. When I was writing a paper at 2am and couldn’t order food, or when I sat down to Mensa and thought, Really? Eggplant AGAIN? Your inability to drive and park a car drives me crazy, and I often found myself wondering how you get anything done with your inefficient attitude. There were moments of struggle, for sure, but I believe that those struggles only made us stronger.

And every time, without fail, when I began to question your love, your beauty, you always found a way to prove it to me. I would suddenly find myself watching the sunrise over the Forum, or standing in the middle of the Sistine Chapel, overwhelmed with this experience. You, Roma, move me and inspire me in ways I never thought possible. And, more importantly, you encourage me to grow and change. You helped me become a stronger, independent person and I am a better woman today because I met you.

But now comes the time to say goodbye. Although I would never want to leave you I must go. I can’t imagine a life without this city, and don’t know how I’m going to make it without your charming streets, your amazing food, and your passion that livens up even the hardest of hearts. These four months have been the most incredible four months of my life, and I’ll never forget them. Thank you for being the most amazing city I could have ever called home. I’ll miss you everyday, but I’ll take the memories and lessons I’ve learned with me wherever I go, and know that we will be reunited again soon. I threw my coin into the Trevi to prove it.

Con amore,

Mary

In a lot of ways, the trip was overwhelming for me. Not only is it the end of my semester, which is upsetting enough, and not only did I get to spend the day in this incredibly holy town, but I could also picture my younger self in Assisi. I remember climbing down the hill to the bus in the sleet and snow, I remember walking through all these churches in a sea of red choir robes, and I remember how it felt to be on the most exciting trip of my life, as I once again find myself on an incredible journey. It was truly a religious experience.

The trip was, in every sense, a pilgrimage. Lead by Father Al (the liveliest priest I’ve ever had the priviledge to know) we began the day visiting the Basilica of St. Francis, built to commemorate him and to house his body. We walked through Piazza del Commune, where St. Francis stripped naked and gave himself over to Christ. In the same piazza is the home of St. Chiara (Clare). Between St. Francis and St. Chiara the entire town is a shrine to preserving every moment of their lives. We church hopped through the town, seeing relics of the saints and even praying at the cross that spoke to St. Francis (how amazing is it that it’s still in the town!) We saw the rose bushes that St. Francis jumped in to escape Satan, which now no longer grow thorns, and the doves that for years haven’t left a statue of St. Francis, next to the rose garden. It was incredible how with every turn you could feel the Holy Spirit in the presence of this little town.

That night we enjoyed a huge, hours long dinner in Orvieto (is there any other way to eat??) As dessert came out the fun continued, as Father Al and I brought out the guitars and lead the group of 30+ students, faculty, and seminarians in a Christmas sing-a-long, that we continued on the bus on the ride home. I couldn’t have pictures a better trip to wrap up my semester. The day was the epitome of everything I love about this semester: Faith, food, friends, and this incredibly community we call the John Felice Rome Center.

What I didn’t tell you, though, is how that’s only half the story. The Italian half of my family is actually very diverse. My Grandmother’s side hails from Tuscany, while my late Grandfather’s side of the family comes from Sicily.

It wasn’t until I came to Italy that I realized how influential that Sicilian part was. My idea of “typical Italian food” was, in fact, typical Sicilian food. I found myself wandering into the Sicilian bakery in Piazza Balduina just for a taste of home, via their amazing cannoli. All of the Italian I thought I knew was actually Sicilian, and all the traditions I grew up with come from that beautiful southern island. I suddenly realized that I had to add a trip to see my family’s OTHER home region to my list of “must dos.”

I was lucky enough to receive a Forza Roma Scholarship to travel to Sicily. The Forza Roma Scholarships are awarded to students who present (in the form of an essay) a specific reason for wanting to travel to a certain place, in my case to discover the other side of my Italian roots. Without this scholarship the trip would not have been possible, and I am forever thankful to the committee for granting me the scholarship.

We started our trip in Catania. Catania is located right next to Mount Etna, and when you fly in the landscape looks like Tuscany but with a black dusting across it, thanks to the fertile soot from the volcano (but more on that later). Our bed&breakfast was located right off of the main piazza. When we opened the door to our room we were greeted with a great surprise; instead of just a room we had a mini apartment, including a kitchen! We were thrilled with the change to cook after being kitchen-less for the whole semester and immediately ran off to the market to start planning dinner.

The market was huge, and was lined up and down all these tiny blocks by our B&B. The market had everything from vegetables I had never heard of to the freshest (still alive!) fish. We stocked up on veggies, pasta, meat, spices, bread, and cheese before dropping them off and heading out to explore the city.

Catania is absolutely beautiful. We went to Savia, this famous bakery, to try their cannoli and arancini and they were AMAZING. Well worth the wait and long walk over.

The next day we took the most amazing tour of Mount Etna, the active volcano next to Catania. We were picked up in the morning and the three of us and four other tourists were taken up the volcano while our guide explained the history of the volcano, the eruptions, and how it has positively and negatively affected the land. The volcano was so beautiful, and as soon as we started heading up we entered into a cloud. It was so beautiful and surreal. We kept saying we felt like we were on the moon! After climbing to the top our guide drove us down a bit to where we could enter into a lava cave. Our guide gave us hard hats and flashlights and lead us into this pitch black cave, where explained how a lava flow is created. He even pointed out how you could see the roots from the plants above us growing through the ceiling!

After the lava tube we had a lunch of sandwiches and wine followed by a honey, wine, and olive oil food tasting. The entire day was absolutely fabulous, and one of my favorite adventures while studying abroad.

The next day we took the trip that I had been waiting for since receiving the Forza Roma Scholarship: we went to Termini Immerse, the town where my family is from. The town is about 30 minutes outside of Palermo and is mainly a fishing town. I could tell that Termini was going to be a charming town as soon as we arrived. I was able to visit a few of the churches and their Duomo (I swear, EVERY TOWN in Italy has a Duomo!) along with their stunning scenic overlook. Everyone we met was so nice and so excited to hear that my family was from the town. Although I didn’t meet any of the 62 Mantias that still live in Termini I was still able to get a sense of the town and feel what it must have been like to live there so many years ago.

From Termini we then went to Palermo, the main city of Sicily. Although we were there for just about 12 hours we still got to see most of the famous touristy sites, including their incredible Cathedral and theater, made famous by the Godfather III. Although my visit to Palermo was fleeting I was able to see all the beauty it had to offer.

From climbing an active volcano, to seeing the town where “Mantia” is from, my trip to Sicily was definitely one of those trips that I will carry with me forever.

Pisa was beautiful. We shamelessly took a million pictures in front of the tower to get just the right one before climbing up to the top. The view over the city was breathtaking and terrifying (thank God for the huge fence around the top!) After climbing back down and seeing the Duomo (it’s starting to seem like EVERY town in Italy has a Duomo!) we headed back to the train station to make our way to San Miniato.

Let me explain why we were heading to San Miniato. In Italy, towns hold these festivals called Sagras, which are seasonally based around the food of the town of region that they’re hosted in. I had been dying to go to one since arriving in Italy, being the foodie that I am. So when we decided to go to Pisa we thought going to a sagra nearby would be a fun way to get out of our comfort zone and see a more authentic side of Italy. A quick Google search later and we had our destination: The San Miniato Truffle (tartufo in Italian) Sagra.

The San Miniato Sagra is centered mostly around the white truffle, which is grown in the region. According to the ever reliable Wikipedia definition:  The “white truffle” or “Alba madonna” (Tuber magnatum)can also be found in Italy in Molise and in the hills around San Miniato, in Tuscany. Growing symbiotically with oak, hazel, poplar and beech and fruiting in autumn, they can reach 12 cm diameter and 500 g, though are usually much smaller. The flesh is pale cream or brown with white marbling. Italian white truffles are very highly esteemed and are the most valuable on the market.

So, needless to say, we were very excited to try these amazing truffles. When we arrived in San Miniato we were surprised with what we found. We left the train station and walked into a deserted town. After hopping into a tabacchi and asking about the sagra (in broken Italian) he told us to get on a bus and the driver would take us there. Understand, we’re not even sure if we translated what he said correctly. For all we know he could have told us, “Take this bus to the middle of Tuscany and go work on a pig farm for a week.” But, in the spirit of adventure, we hopped on the bus and trusted that we would end up someplace interesting.

The bus took us up the side of a mountain into the old part of town. The streets were packed. Everyone from the town was there and the roads were lined with people chatting in Italian, children running around, and men walking by with huge wheels of cheese (you can’t make this stuff up). The fact that an hour before we had been in one of the most well known cities in Italy and suddenly were in the middle of this tiny town where no one spoke any English was the coolest thing ever. It challenged us to use everything we had been learning in Italian 101 and fully immerse ourselves into the culture and feel of the town.

Through the town there were huge tents set up with vendors inside selling truffle infused EVERYTHING. Truffle infused meat, truffle infused olive oil, cheese, spread, and even wine! All the vendors were giving out samples and we were able to sample our way through the town. Soooooo delicious! Every stand was donned with boar heads, wheels of cheese, huge blocks of chocolate, and literally barrels of wine. By the end of the night we were stuffed with amazing food and a feeling of closeness and authenticity that you can’t get in a big city. I would have to say that San Miniato was one of my favorite trips this semester, and I am DEFINITELY putting it on my list for possible locations for my future villa in Tuscany!

15. HAVE A GAME PLAN.
Before entering the market discuss a game plan with your travel companions. What are each of you looking for, how much are you willing to spend, etc. Shopping through the leather market takes a full team effort. Make sure to also establish each other’s roles in the bargaining scenario (discussed later in this post).

Walking through the Leather Market. That's me in the trenchcoat!

14. STICK TO YOUR BUDGET.
Go in with a budget in mind and stick to it like your life depends on it. Only want to spend 50 euro on a purse? Refuse to let yourself go above that.

13. CASH IS KEY.
Bring cash in smaller bills (5s and 10s). A lot of the vendors take credit cards but as soon as you flash that card they assume that the sky’s the limit. Also, if you already have cash on you you won’t be as tempted to hit the ATM to splurge on that fabulous leather coat you just need. Trust me, you don’t need it.

12. FIND EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT.
Don’t settle. There must be hundreds of these tents selling every kind of purse, coat, and etc that you could want. Scan the market thoroughly and make sure you are getting exactly what you want.

11. MAKE YOUR SELECTION.
Once you have your eye set on an item act generally disinterested in it. Look it over, put it down, ask your friend about it, don’t be too sure. But DO hang around the stand so that the vendor can see that you might want something. Once he comes over the game begins.

10. PARLE ITALIANO?
If you know any Italian, speak it. Even though most of the vendors barely speak Italian themselves it will show them that you aren’t just a stereotypical silly American that they can scam.

9. ACT OUTRAGED.
While maintaining a look of disinterest ask him how much it is (“Quanto costa?” in Italian). He’ll say his highest price. Act outraged. Then, mentally, figure out the 3/4ths cost of what he said (for example, if he said 100 euro figure 75 euro). if that 3/4ths price is above your budget then walk away, as this number will most likely be close to what you actually pay for the item. If it’s too much walk away immediately and don’t look back (no matter how many times he yells “bella, bella, come back” at you). If that is still in your price range then the the game continues.

8. MAKE YOUR FIRST OFFER.
Insist that the item is not worth that much. Examine it CLOSELY (even if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s all for show) and offer him half the price (depending on the item). He will act just as outraged as you were in the beginning and will tell you about the quality of the leather, how this would sell for millions in the store, etc. Don’t blink an eye.

7. GOT A LIGHT?
As soon as he mentions the quality of the leather hold the item out to him and say “Hold a flame to it.” Real leather will not burn while fake leather will. If he does not immediately whip out a lighter to show you and instead begins to stall offer him a lighter to do the job (make the investment to have one on you). If he continues to stall walk away, the leather is fake.

6. ALLOW YOURSELF TO LOVE THE ITEM.
If he lights it, it doesn’t burn, and still maintains that delicious leather smell then you may continue. Now you’re in quite deep into the exchange. He wants your money and your heart has probably fallen in love with the item. At this point begin to look slightly more interested in the item.

5. THE FRIEND ZONE.
This is one of the most crucial steps in the process. Throughout the proceeding steps have your friend that’s with you (be it your husband, girl friends, or sassy gay friend) look completely disinterested and bored in your purchase. Have them be a little huffy, complaining that they’re hot/cold/tired/hungry and just want to leave. At this point turn to that friend and ask them what they think. They should glance at it and say something just insulting enough (It’s fine/looks kinda cheap/don’t you already own something exactly like that). Agree with them while looking lovingly at the item. At this point turn to the vendor and offer a price slightly higher than your originally 50% price (using our 100 euro example this would be the time to offer them 60 euro). They will most likely refuse.

4. DO THE WALK AWAY.
At the point say something about how much you like it but can’t afford it. Now, BEGIN TO WALK AWAY. If he’s willing to offer you the 3/4ths price the vendor will call you back. If he’s not he won’t. Chances are though that he will begin to shout something like “Oh bella come back bella 85 euro, bella, 85!” Return to the vendor.

3. FLIRT, BECAUSE, WHY NOT?
At this point begin to flirt with him a little. In the end, being nice will get you a lower price than being a jerk.

2. MAKE EXCUSES.
Tell him a slightly higher price (think 65 – always go up or down in increments of 5). Then start to tell him all the reasons you shouldn’t but it. Tell him that’s all the money you have (if you say this then make sure you have small enough bills to convince him that this is true), that you need to buy dinner tonight, etc. I found that by simply telling the vendors that I was a college student they would lower the price, because they knew that I actually had a budget to stick to. Say anything (WITHOUT SOUNDING DESPERATE) to get him to lower the price.

1. RAPID FIRE FINAL BIDS.
At this point prices will be shouted out faster and he will drop is smaller increments (85 to 82 to 81, for example). Don’t let this intimidate you. If your budget is 75 euro then let your final offer be 70 euro. Let the vendor be the one to say the final price (in this case 75). Sign, look over the item, think pensively (at this point he might even lower the price more if he can tell he’s almost at a sale!) After a bit of this look at him and say “I’ll take it.”

All these tips worked for me! I was even able to bargain better than my tips, getting a pair of 130 euro boots down to 70! Definitely my favorite Italian purchase yet!

After Poland a few of us went to Budapest in Hungary. The first thing you need to know about Hungary is that they have this crazy currency. Called the Hungarian Forint (abbreviated HUF so we called the currency “Hufflepuffs” after the house in Harry Potter, but more on that later), their currency is so inflated that $5 USD is equal to 1000 Hungarian Dollars. Crazy! It was mindblowing to go to the ATM once our plane landed and take out 10,000 “Hufflepuffs”(or about $50 USD). As we were taking our money out we were all laughing about how many ‘Hufflepuffs” we had on us and how we were “Hufflepuff big spenders.” Well I guess that someone overheard us because not five minutes later when we were ordering a cab did we hear a couple behind us ask the taxi stand attendant, “How many Hufflepuffs will this cost?” We had started a trend!

We spent our first day in Budapest doing all the touristy stuff. Budapest is technically two cities, Buda and Pest (you can’t make this stuff up), that has been combined into one city. They still, however, call the west side of the river “Buda” and the east side “Pest” (we were staying in Pest). We walked through Pest seeing the famous Gerbeaud coffee house along the way. We crossed over the Chain Bridge into Buda (but not before stopping to take a million pictures!) and started making our way to Castle Hill. We saw St. Matthias, the Fisherman’s Bastion, and had a great overlook of Pest, especially of Parliament. It might have been cold and overcast but it was still so beautiful!

The next day, however, was one of the most relaxing days I’ve had abroad. We spent the entire day in the Gellert Bath House. Hungary, and especially Budapest, is known for its bath houses, all located over natural hot springs. The Gellert was huge, with 6 different pools of various temperatures, saunas, and every spa treatment you can imagine. We spent hours just swimming around, talking, and relaxing in the water. It was a perfect way to end a crazy busy fall break trip and we left feeling refreshed but ready to be back at home at the JFRC!

“Oh, there’s actually two spots open,” she said.

I turned to Fernando, wide-eyed, and without a word of discussion I turned back to her. “We’ll take them!”

Best. Decision. Ever.

The view over Warsaw!

17 fellow students, one SLA (Emily!) the Beazleys,the alumni leading the trip and myself met up in Warsaw to begin the trip. From the first dinner there (more on food in a future blog!) we knew it was going to be a great trip.  Our first night in Warsaw we found ourselves in a bar listening to traditional Polish music and dancing with a 70-year-old+ entertainer who would pull us from the audience and swing us around until the whole group was dancing. It was silly, amazing, and a great way to kick off the trip.

Luke dancing with our entertainer!

The Poland trip, however, did have a very serious theme to it. The trip was based around a Human Rights Symposium held in Torun at the Nicolaus Copernicus University (more on that later), and throughout the trip we were visiting museums and discussing World War II and what life was like in an occupied country. The first full day in Warsaw we went to the Uprising Museum, which covers just about every topic of WWII, from artillery to Nazi propaganda. The most striking part of the museum to me, however, was a movie that took you on a virtual flight over the city of Warsaw in 1945. The city was absolutely destroyed, leaving only 1,000 citizens living among the ruble. Looking at Warsaw now it’s incredible to think that just over 60 years ago it was essentially flattened but has been able to pull itself back up into the thriving city that it is today.

Armbands of the members of the Uprising

After the Uprising Museum we had the incredibly privilege of talking with an Auschwitz survivor. The topic of Auschwitz is so important and was so moving that I’m writing another full post on just that, so I’ll talk more about meeting him and seeing Auschwitz there. But let’s just say that we all left his talk feeling incredibly blessed and so fortunate that he was able to share his story with us.

The next day we set off for Torun, a beautiful small town that’s home to the Nicolaus Copernicus University.  John Kurowski, one of the alumni leading our trip, has been a visiting professor at the University multiple times and seven years ago set up this Human Rights Symposium to facilitate discussion among Polish and American students on different human rights topics. This years topic was “Trafficking in Human Beings: A 21st Century International Crime.” The first night in Torun we watched an extremely moving movie that depicted what life was like as a girl who was being trafficked. The movie left us all shaken up and a little uneasy. That feeling of uneasiness, however, was then able to lead to discussion and debate over the topic. Even at the dinner afterward tables were still discussing parts of the movie that they found particularly disturbing, and how this topic was so much bigger than any of us originally thought.

The next day we got to the heart of the Symposium, listening to talks and discussing the topic of trafficking with experts on the topic, including one woman, Iana Matei, who kidnaps girls from the traffickers. Can you believe it?? When asked about what it felt like to kidnap girls away from a huge organized crime industry she just replied, “It’s easy. And really fun!” So much courage.

After the Symposium and a visit to a Gingerbread Museum where we got to make our own gingerbread while learning the secret recipe (which we had to swear on our life not to tell!) all the students and administrators of the Symposium met up for dinner and then drinks at a bar near the campus. We were able to mingle with Polish students studying at the University, along with American students studying in Bologna in Italy who had also attended the Symposium. You could hear the cry of “Na zdoróvye!” (Polish for “Cheers!”) throughout the room as we got to know each other better. By the end of the night we all left old pals, hugging and promising to “find each other on Facebook!”

Me making gingerbread!

The next day we set off on a six hour train ride to Krakow. We settled in our 19 person apartment (18 college students + 1 SLA + 1 apartment = amazing and fun mayhem) before setting off for the Schindler Museum. For those who know the story or have seen the movie, the museum is inside Schindler’s factory, and gives you a tour of life pre and during WWII. My personal favorite part of the museum was the last room, which was just a circular round room with quotes from worker’s in the Schindler factory. The quote that stuck out to me the most was “He employed me in his factory although he know I would be useless for him.” Incredible.

Kitchenware made in the Schindler Factory during WWII

The next day after a night in our cozy apartment we headed to Auschwitz. As I mentioned earlier, I’ll be doing another post on that topic, so I won’t say much about it here. But I will say that it was without a doubt the most moving and emotional place I’ve ever seen. More on that later, though.

That night was our last official night in Poland, as we commemorated the trip with another amazing dinner. It was hard to believe that it had already been 6 days, and that the trip was coming to a close. Speeches were made, baby Annie (the Beazley’s one-year-old daughter) was passed around the table, and we talked for three hours reflecting on how amazing the trip had been. In a lot of ways the Poland trip is a very heavy one. You spend a great deal of time discussing sometimes uncomfortable topics, like Human Trafficking, and experiencing feelings that overwhelm you and really shakes you to the core. This was a trip that changes and affects you, and I can already tell that it will be one of, if not the main, highlight of my study abroad experience.

First, as I go through this semester I’ve been discovering things about myself that I never knew existed. Traveling does that to you, I suppose. You’re put into a new situation with CRAZY opportunities and you begin to find yourself through the experiences you have and people you meet along the way.

Second, as you begin to discover all the opportunities you begin to realize how much this world has given to you. This world has given you LIFE and POSSIBILITY. Every day I’m here I feel more and more called to give back to this wonderful place that has already given me so much. SO when the JForce announced that we would be having a service day I jumped at the chance to lose myself in the service of others.

Third, when Gandhi visited Rome he stayed at the house literally right outside our campus gates. In Monte Mario. Where we had a service day where we tried to lose ourselves in the service of others. It’s fate.

Let me tell you about this service day. After meeting up in the morning (and receiving our free shirts!) we set off for the park in Monte Mario. As we were heading out Cindy (our Associate Dean of Students) told us that instead of walking herself and the man facilitating the clean-up had offered to drive us up to the park. We were already thrilled that we didn’t have to walk to the park when we saw the car pull up that would be driving us there. We would be riding in a Jaguar to the park! Even I, who knows nothing about cars, was excited to cruise through the streets of Monte Mario in the back of a Jag.

After a much too short drive we arrived at the park, and began the cleanup, which entailed moving branches and brush off a path and out of the main part of the park so that the take-away crew could get to it. It was quite a sight seeing all the boys carrying huge logs while the girls dragged branches the size of small trees up the hill. By the end we were covered in dirt, sweaty, but somehow still smiling and laughing at how silly we all looked.

After the cleanup we were lead on a walking tour of the park, where we got to see amazing overlooks over the whole city of Rome. We could see the stadium, the Vatican (somehow no matter where you are you can always see it!), and even the Jewish Temple in the distance. It was absolutely stunning.

After the tour the fun continued with lunch! The men that showed us the mark barbequed up pork sandwiches for us which were DELICIOUS. Served up on fresh Italian bread it hit the spot after a morning of hard work. And they were more than happy to give us seconds (and in some cases thirds!) Just when we thought the morning couldn’t get any better or tastier they brought out a HUGE box of pastries and desserts from the Sicilian bakery in Piazza Balduina. So good! We even grabbed a few to eat on the ride back. Let me tell you I never thought I would find myself covered in mud sitting in the back of a Jaguar eating sweets. But in Rome absolutely anything is possible!

Eating our dessert in the back of the Jag!

For that reason I was so incredibly excited that they were able to come to Rome and visit me for a week. Hearing SLA Gina announce “Mary Mantia your parents are here” in Mensa was, although slightly embarrassing as the entire room burst into applause, also the most wonderful words to hear.

I spent the beginning of the week showing them Monte Mario and introducing them to “my” Rome. I took them to Simply (that might have been a selfish motive), to the restaurant near Piazza Navona to get pear pasta, to Trastevere to try my favorite suppli, and showed them what the life of a “typical American college student studying in Rome” was like. I even brought them to watch our Calcio game (thankfully we won in a last minute goal)!

After getting through a week of crazy classes my parents and I set off for Bagni di Lucca and Riolo. Why these places? Well let me tell you.

I am half Italian (25% Sicilian 25% Tuscan) on my father’s side, making him 100% Italian. My Tuscan side of the family comes from a town called Riolo, above Bagni di Lucca, which is right by Lucca. Since I was a child I’ve heard of my family speak of this mysterious villa in Riolo, that we apparently still had a claim to. It wasn’t until I was older that members of my family went back to the house, reclaimed it as our own, fixed it up, and made it into an incredible Tuscan villa. For the last few years or so I’ve heard these great stories of members of my family going to the villa, drinking brandy at the Bar Italia in Bagni di Lucca, and enjoying our actual homeland. I had only hoped that one day I would be lucky enough to see it.

Let me just say that the entire weekended exceeded my already high expectations. Bagni di Lucca, for one thing, is a beautiful tiny town where it seems every body knows your name. With a river cutting through the town every view is breathtaking, and looks like a scene out of “Under the Tuscan Sun.”

My parents in Bagni di Lucca!

After spending a quiet day in Bagni di Lucca, eating and drinking our way through the town, we relaxed at our hotel and prepared for the next day. Because Saturday was the day we had been looking forward to for quite some time.

Saturday morning we met up with friends of of family members (Michael and my Uncle Danny, who come to Riolo often) who then drove us up to Riolo from Bagni di Lucca to see the family villa.

It. Was. Beautiful. This is the house that my great great great grandmother was born in, where my originally family line worked and played and grew. I couldn’t get any closer to my homeland than I was at that moment. From the grapes growing off the balcony, to the original bed frame, to every niche and corner it was perfect. I was overcome with this feeling of home in the middle of a country I’m not even a citizen of. I wish I could more eloquently describe what it felt like to be there but in this moments words fail. It’s a feeling I will never forget, and will treasure until I once again find myself at the Villa (which trust me, will be as soon as possible).

My parents and I at the Villa!

After that incredibly emotional experience we headed back down to Bagni di Lucca, to enjoy the town along with more food (like wild boar!). I remember thinking as I sat with my parents talking over a couple of drinks and cigars about how ridiculous and amazing my life is in this moment. The only thing missing from the picture was my brother, who I’m sure will one day be back there with us. Life truly does not get better than this.

Does life get any better?