Our time in Italy is almost over. Today is the two week mark in our countdown and we’re starting to live like gypsies camping in our apartment with everything being sold off.
I wanted to make sure I wrote about what I’m going to miss about living here before we blink and it’s over. Knowing for the last seven months that we’d be heading out at the end of summer, I’ve had plenty of time to slowly soak in and be grateful for what we’ve experienced here in Italy. I’ve already dedicated an entire post to the food I’ll miss, but here’s a list of other things my heart is sad to leave behind.
Bikes
Not riding a bike – because I’m majorly lacking in confidence to ride anywhere other than on a wide open bike trail. (it’s a long story, but I did not ride a bike between the ages of 11 and 22). I’m going to miss seeing bikes everywhere. They’re part of the culture here and it’ll be strange to not see people pedaling around as a main form of transportation. The men commute to work on them in their suits and old ladies ride in fur coats and heels. Ladies manage mini skirts while pedaling and young couples in love snuggle while the girl somehow sits on the handlebars. Moms and dads both bike their kids to school with seats on the front or back – and sometimes both.
Pigeons
Again, just part of the normal every day life that will feel strange once we’re back in the US. When we first came here it felt like they were EVERYWHERE. My girls were fascinated. Now, they’re just part of the landscape. Mariah loves to run, scream, and scare them all away, while Lana has a special song that she “sings” in an Ariel the Mermaid like fashion to let them know they are welcome in her presence. I’ll be glad not to have poop splats all around, but I think I’m going to miss those dirty little creatures.
Nuns
Yep. Again, it was fascinating to see nuns walking through the city all the time when we first arrived considering my exposure to nuns was pretty much limited to the Sister Act movies. We live close to both a monastery and a catholic church, so maybe our neighborhood has more than usual? Lana’s school was in the Catholic church so she had sorellas (sisters) who helped every day. Lana has told us she wants to be a sorella when she grows up and even more now that we’ve made sure to show her Sister Act clips on YouTube.
Vacation
Obviously vacation will still exists in the US, and we’ll be traveling and “vacationing” full time soon. However, Italians know how to vacation. They do it right. They take most of the summer to get away and regular town life pretty much shuts down in August while everyone heads out on their month long rest by the sea. While there are AirBnBs and hotels here, the best ways to vacation are agriturismos and camping villages.
Agriturismos are similar to bed and breakfasts. Lodging and a place for a morning meal. But they’re located on farm land and/or vineyards. This means there’s usually also a restaurant on site and most of the food comes from the farm and other nearby farms. You can sample and buy their jams, honey, wine, olive oil, meats…whatever their specialty. It’s the best way to relax and experience the culture.
Camping villages took a little bit for me to get used to. I prefer camping in national and state parks. Nature, privacy between sites, campfires etc. Camping villages are full of tents, campers, cottages and semi-permanent RVs all in close quarters. BUT they’re just the landing ground for exploring the area. AND they have a restaurant, pool (sometimes also spa), and “animation” which is activities for the kids all day and night. We’ve experienced this once, and will do it one more time before we head out.
What I’ll miss is that options for vacations are fantastic. I’m hoping we’ll find some great locations as we travel the US too.
The Colors
The colors of the Veneto are my favorite. The pinks and oranges, yellows and greens. The way the buildings “squish” into each other at different heights and textures. The shutters, balcony flowers, and terracotta rooftops. Hidden marble floored garages. So much beauty all crammed into small spaces. I don’t know how I can go back to looking at American subdivisions again. My heart gets sad just thinking about leaving the colors and textures behind.
History and Architecture
Once upon a time I told Nick I had no desire to ever see Europe. Can you believe it?! It’s true! The line we quote often from that conversation is “It’s just a bunch of old broken down buildings”. I’m so glad my worldview has been expanded to realize how rich in history and wonderful Europe is. The first time I visited Rome when Nick and I were engaged, I spent days pouring through travel books learning all I could about Rome. I had taken a class on the book of Romans a few semesters before, and barely managed a decent grade because “it was soooo boooring learning about history”. But when you’re here walking the steps and seeing what you read about in those history books, it comes to life.
The church connected to Lana’s school, and a building across the street from our apartment are older than America. They’re beautiful even though some parts are “falling down and old”. The domes of the churches that have stood for centuries are normal parts of our days. Our own city of Padova is full of history and culture – which is true of just about every place you could visit in Italy. Sure, America has history to learn about…but it’s not nearly as deep and rich as what we’ve found here.
Serrandas
These glorious shades will be greatly missed. Houses here have metal shades that roll down outside the windows. They can make a room pitch black dark in the middle of the day when put down all the way. This is why I will miss them. They beat any blackout curtain and I like to sleep in the DARK. It also helps my kids sleep later in the morning which is a win.
They serve a few other purposes other than promoting sleep. First, they’re for security because houses here are so much more secure than any American home. I mean just to open a door you need to turn your key five times for all the locking mechanisms to open. Serrandas are heavy and can lock from the inside and keep out would-be intruders. Second, it keeps the heat out. It’s no secret Italy is HOT in summer and air conditioners don’t have the same punch as in the US (and are expensive to run). So the serrandas serve as a bit of insulation. Keeping out the blazing sun keeps it cooler inside.
Dog friendliness
This is why I wanted a dog so badly. I wanted a dog almost immediately after moving here. And I’ve always been a cat person. But here, dogs are welcome everywhere. They can tag along to restaurants and stores and no one blinks an eye. Just about the only places they can’t come are churches and grocery stores. But some stores make special carts with a solid bottom and compartment for them to ride in and you can get away with bringing them in a small grocery store if you’re quick and carry the dog. Dogs are even welcome on buses and trains if they ride in a bag. Plus living in the center, we walk everywhere and just bring Bella along with us when we run an errand or go out to eat.
Dogs here are also extremely well behaved. Maybe because they’re so socialized? Or maybe there’s a training method I don’t know about? Nick reassures me that most dogs we see are old so they’ve learned how to behave. Whatever the case, our energetic puppy has embarrassed me quite a bit in public. But now at 9 months, she’s finally got the lose leash walking down (most of the time) and is learning to control impulses. I’m kind of dreading taking her to the US and needing to leave her at home so much. I suppose that’s how most US dogs live, huh? Alone at home. At least we’ll be working and schooling at home to keep her company most of the time.
The People
Honestly, some days I wish I’d invested in relationships more here. But then it might be harder to say goodbye. I’ve met so many types of people while living here, from more cultures and backgrounds than I’d ever met in the US. It stretched me to reach out of my introverted comfort zone and get to know a handful of fantastic people. It was incredible to experience the love and support of our “family” here when we were hurting and grieving. The lessons I’ve learned through relationships here deserves its own post.
I’m sure once we arrive in the US there will be more parts of Italy my heart longs for. Some days it’s really hard for me to think about leaving. Living outside of the US had been a dream for a long time and to leave that dream behind feels like quitting in some ways. Many people have asked us if we’re excited to move. We continue to answer no. It’s not with excitement we’re leaving. It’s just time. We’ve lived out our chapter of life here, and it’s time to move on to the next chapter. We’ve made promises to come back – and I know we will. We love it too much here to leave for too long.
