I am not saying that Italy feels like home yet because, if I am truthful, it doesn't. I've not been here long enough for that yet. However, I have been here long enough to ignore my surroundings a bit. I have that, familiar settings thing going on. Every now and again, I get surprised and remember where I am.
This happened this week with the snow on the mountains. It was so beautiful and I've been trying to capture it since it happened. I don't seem to be able to take a good enough photo. This is as good as it gets. Italy is so beautiful sometimes that I don't think I can do it justice in my terrible photos. Surprisingly, I am almost celebrating the 'being off the smokes' one year weekend which I cannot believe. I'm so grateful that I came to Italy and it has taught me an awful lot about how strong as a person I am. Only a raving lunatic would leave their job, move to a strange country leaving all friends, boyfriends, family behind them and be unable to speak the language! But amazingly, I am still here with only 2.5 months to go!
I found pages I wrote in my diary from back when I first arrived here when everything was overwhelming. I would be exhausted from just trying to go to the shop to get coffee. I constantly believed I was terrible and on the verge of being fired, just because I am me and I worry. Then I realised that my anxiety which had been so carefully nurtured in England by the frantic pace of life there was being ebbed away by the slower pace here. However, I have bigger problems now which have really made me realise - don't sweat the small stuff because the bigger issues are out there.
That in mind, it has really made me think that life is too short to sit around and be scared. Yes, in many ways Italy was totally terrifying and I am still not really sure what I am doing but, its been totally worth it. Nine months ago, the thought of getting a train in England in English was terrifying. Now I have managed Italian transport not once but a few times.
I was fully prepared to do this alone. Whats the worst that can happen? However, I'm lucky because my partner has decided to come with me so I don't have to. But the second I gave up and thought, I could do this and I want to do this alone - I realise I have a lot more strength then I realise. I think part of this is turning thirty and realising that I just want to make memories more then anything.
As I said, life is too short to sit around worrying about the wrong men, the wrong friends, the wrong job, the wrong place....just get out and enjoy it. I fitted so many life changing events into my twenties and I am determined to do that again in my 20s. Go nuts and enjoy life. After all, whats the worst that can happen right!?
I fly from Milan to East Midlands on the 16th of June to restart my life as a teacher there! Random right?? I do have to pop back to Clonakilty to collect my belongings as well. Madness. I'll be sad to see Italy go.
I return home next week though for a short visit. I'm travelling from Foligno to Rome airport to Dublin to Cork to Clonakilty in one day. Its a complete balls of a journey but its worth it to see my family and my friends for a week. Not to mention that my partner is flying to Dublin to meet me! I could not be more excited.
As I am going to be working more with travel writing and there has been a really positive response to my travel work on here, I am going to publish my guides to the cities I visit here. I've been making lists of things to do here and I'm really proud of the work that I've put into them. I think it needs to be a regular thing on this blog. A bit more travel and bit more adventure. Am I right?
After all, an extra thousand people a day are clicking on this blog to check out my travel diaries now. Which is INSANE. I had quite a large following as it was but the extra thousands mean that the blog is now more successful then ever. Not to mention, we turn over 2 million regulars in a few weeks. Massive celebrations to follow on that!
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