|
Judas & Jesus
Ciao tutti! |
I'm back in the USA! I've been back for a week, it's crazy! I am staying with my dad in Springfield Illinois for a bit & let me tell you, it's different! It feels so different from the life I left in Italy that the whole Italy experience seems like a dream. Seriously. It is so midwestern here. Everyone speaks english & dresses like a... midwesterner. Despite this mild culture shock I am doing great, adjusting to being back, etc. I am grateful to be able to stay with my fam for a bit while I figure things out. I've been researching career changes/options, places to live, hiking around Springfield, all that good transition stuff. It is nice to have a comfortable, non-stressful place to stay while I ponder my life. It has been great spending time with my dad & stepmom, whom I've seen rarely over the past 15 years.
I passed my last days in bella Roma catching up with friends, taking care of errands & walking around visiting all my favorite spots. I had been stressing about my baggage because I had so much of it but, it turned out to not be such a big deal. Well actually, one of my bags broke and had to be wrapped up in tape & plastic and another bag was lost for 3 days when I returned... But at least I had to pay fewer fees than I had anticipated, I was pleased about that.
Not a ton going on in Springfield, we are prepping for the holidays as only Americans can do. :) I am hoping to start teaching some yoga here shortly as well as possibly finding some other temporary work to keep me busy. Also, I'm planning a trip up to MN to visit my family, friends & MY CAT!
Enjoy these pics, I might have gone overboard with photo editing...
|
memories of these crazy souvenir stands full of mini colloseums & mini Davids |
|
ancient bronze doors of the cathedral of San Giovanni in Laterano, used to be the doors of the senate house in the Roman Forum! |
|
i like this because it looks like the facade of a greek temple |
|
such pretty ceilings |
|
a favorite painting of the Annunciation by Filippino Lippi |
|
a favorite sculpture, Bernini's elephant outside of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva |
|
Diana in the piazza of the Pantheon |
|
columns of the Pantheon |
|
delicious Macchiati.... |
|
some favorite Caravaggio paintings |
|
more Caravaggio |
|
one more, love that chiaroscuro |
|
piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, near where I used to live |
|
amazing mosaics! |
|
the bees are a symbol of the Barberini family |
|
the Campidoglio on Capitoline hill |
|
spanish steps |
|
my favorite gelato place, Giolitti!!!!!!!!! |
|
castel sant'angelo |
|
piazza San Pietro |
|
climbing up St. Peter's |
|
Rome @ sunset |
|
mass in St. Peter's |
|
St. Peter's |
|
Castel Sant'Angelo |
|
went to this awesome Stanley Kubrick photo exhibition, did you know he was an amazing photographer before he started up with movies? |
|
Piazza Navona |
|
Piazza Navona, La Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, by Bernini |
|
I was loving this night time black & white :) |
|
chiostro del bramante |
And here's a few shots of my last pizza night with my best pals. I miss you ladies & plan to see you again one day in bella Roma!!
|
Paula ( & that fabulous pizza... :) |
|
Emma |
|
Diana |
And then, I packed my life into these bags & hit the road! I had my last conversation in Italian in the cab to the airport & have not spoken it since, ugh! I have to find some conversation partners ASAP! I plan to write another blog posting pretty soon to give an update on my re-immersion and to show photos of my lovely time in Ireland. I LOVED Ireland!! I'd like to go back & explore more. Really, I'm trying to drag this blog on as long as I can, I'm going to miss it! It has been such a fun activity & It will be so fun to look back through it one day & think... remember that one time I lived in Rome??? Good times!
Hope your holiday season is going well so far, I helped to make a bazillion spritz cookies yesterday. I hope to see you all one day soon now that I am back in the motherland!
ciao
xo
|
my cute luggage family! that small silver one busted open because i had packed 50#s worth of crap into it. sorry little guy! |
Welcome back Anni!! I'm so excited to see you and hear what you're planning on doing next. I love reading your blog and am looking forward to your next step.
ReplyDelete