Busy as a bee

Despite the utter the lack of sleep that I have had since I arrived back in Rome, I have been uber productive and busy. I don't know where all of this energy is coming from, but I like it. :) I have things well in hand and prepared for my students' arrival next week and I feel so ahead of the game that I am a little nervous that I've forgotten something major!

Though I've been back in Rome, I have spent most of my days behind my desk and computer as I prepare for the coming semester. Signs have been printed, the handbook has been updated, hotels have been reserved...so efficient. Who am I becoming? EEK.

In the midst of all this, though, there have been pockets of connecting with friends. I met a friend for un cafe freddo e un cornetto on Saturday, went to church on Sunday and had lunch with some friends afterwards, explored the Center with Sean and Joy, experienced the Baths of Caracalla for the first time yesterday, and had a fabulous evening of food and fellowship at a friend's house last night.

All in all, the week back has been a good one...it continued to be a hot one....but a good one nonetheless. I know that the Lord has some big plans in store for me this year---I can feel it in my bones. So, maybe that's why I'm so on top of things so early on...I just want to be prepared for whatever He has for me. Bring it on.

Posso parlare in Italiano! (Kind of...)

I arrived back in Rome on Monday night to stifling heat. I mean, it is August in Rome--what else would you expect? Anywho, back to my story. I got in and headed to bed. It was late, it was hot, and I was tired. The next day I got up and greeted my new colleagues and showed them around their new house. I also said hello to Roberto---the ridiculously attractive young man who repairs odds and ends around here. Again, I digress...we all settled in and then, I got a call from our labor consultant asking us to please come to his office on Wed. for a meeting regarding our stay permits. Ok, here we go. The man speaks no English. I know I can do this! I've been studying all semester for Pete's sake. Italiano: SI!

So, we made our way to his office today (it hit 100 and the humidity was somewhere in the 50% range....uhhhhh) and I played tour guide for Sean and Joy, pointing out the sights along the way. We arrived at his office and for the next hour we talked about what he needed and what I had for him with respect to our stay permits. Guess what?!? I understood 85-90% of what he said!! And the other 15-10%? I understood the context and could glean from that what he meant. You have no idea what a victory this was for me. I mean, for the most part I have felt fairly comfortable with my Italian since last year, but this...this was huge. This was a whole 'nother experience. I belong! I fit in! I can do this! And it only took me 2 years!!!

I am excited by this revelation because that means that as I go through this year, my Italian will only get better and better. This means that I won't stare at people with a blank look and then reply: Si, even though I have no clue what they've just said/asked for...which is scary because who knows what they want!?

Getting back into it....life in Rome

Huh. What happened to me last semester? It seems I dropped off the face of the blog world seeing as my last post was in January! Since then I have started and finished the spring semester, traveled throughout Italy and Athens, dealt with a student stay in an Italian hospital, dealt with a family medical emergency in the States, celebrated the birth of my niece in April to my baby sister and her husband, said a tearful goodbye to Lynda while she stayed in Rome for the end of April and first half of May, returned home for four months, celebrated my other sister's wedding in June, traveled to WI to see family, traveled to Philly for my visa, and am currently preparing to return to Rome. Sheesh. I'm tired even thinking about all of that!

Still, I want to be better about keeping up with my blog---though I fear that has become a frequent hope and desire of mine only to fail at executing it! There is a lot to look forward to in the coming year---new colleagues, new students, a new visa which means lots of new travel destinations (watch out Paris cause I'm coming for you in October!!!), a visit from the folks for my 3rd Italian Thanksgiving, and whatever else the Lord has in store for me in Rome.

You'd think by now, the beginning of my third year living in Rome, I would be used to the transition, the change. Ha! It's still tricky and hard to say goodbye. And yet, I am excited knowing that this year will be challenging as it will be different from the previous two. I look forward to what God has for me and I am hoping to use this year to work on my writing and finally feel as if I've mastered Italian. (Hoping and praying for that one!)

As we say in Rome, "In bocca al lupo!" To which I reply: "Crepi!"