Homeward Bound

Life didn't end for us when we left Italy in September as this neglected blog might suggest. Instead, it's been happily busy as we readjust to being back in the States, visiting with family and friends, and searching for a new place to call home. We spent this past month at my family's home in NC, using it as a hub for his job interviews in the Southeast. It's been wonderful seeing Luke with all my relatives and watching him enjoy playing in the yard I, too, played in as a child. He went to his first Fall Festival at the John C. Campbell Folk School, as small rite of passage I had been so looking forward to. I myself had been morosely homesick for it every nearly every fall since I left for college; I couldn't even remember for certain when I last attended. It was everything I remembered and more: beautiful crafts and art, great food, first rate music and dancing, and a mountain backdrop you could not improve upon if you tried. The gorgeous fall weather in the mountains made me grateful we'll be near the area more often and should have little excuse to miss another festival in the coming years. Ben has enjoyed far less leisure time than I have with the job hunt always looming large on his agenda. He's mulling over a few offers now and will hopefully find the right fit very soon. We're very thankful he has a marketable and needed skill set in the difficult economic times we found when we returned to America. You can follow it on CNN from abroad, but it doesn't really hit you until you see the aftermath of the turndown in real life played on the streets of your town. Times are hard for many families, but we hope things for everyone are on the upswing and that we, too, find meaningful and gainful work in the coming weeks.

Luke is adjusting very well to all the changes the move created for him. He has remained dutifully commited to feeding his "wooies" (AKA dogs) every morning and evening and still loves his bathtime with all his heart. I'm relieved to see so little in his general routine has changed and that he as embraced the elements that did. He loves spending time with my parents and sister, as I know we will with Ben's family when we are able to visit with them soon in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. I'm excited to see Wisconsin for the first time and to revisit the farm in PA in the fall; it's a beautiful time of year to make good travel memories with Luke as he gets reacquainted with everyone. I still have yet to rename this blog, so forgive the misnomer a few more days. Maybe I'm nostalgic for the thought of living abroad, so for our friends still overseas, make the best of it and don't wish it away...even if you can't drink your water! And while we miss certain things, we're happy to be where we are right now: homeward bound and enjoying the journey.

Arrivederci Italia

A final photo with our landlord, Antonio

When we arrived in Naples in August 2006, it was a time of firsts: our first glimpse of Vesuvius, our first real Neapolitan pizza, seeing our first sunset over the Mediterranean, and of course our first white-knuckled drive on the Tangenziale. Two years, a baby, and countless good memories later, we have arrived at our day of lasts. We said goodbye to our home in Bacoli yesterday, completing the two-day pack out with the help of our good friends Eric, Laura (+ Baby Parker!) and Jaimie, who bravely volunteered to keep Luke for a whole day. We made our last drive up to the Navy base last night and will spend our last night in Italy there tonight in the Navy Lodge. The last cafe and the last Italian meal all come together to mark the end of this adventure for us. Despite all the stress and hassle that comes with such a big move, we can already look back and know we are so thankful for this opportunity and glad we took it. And though, we have to leave tomorrow, we take with us the experience of all our travels, our friendships, our stories and memories. These perfect souvenirs are easy to pack; they travel light in our hearts and minds and will be with us for a lifetime. So tomorrow, it's Arrivederi Italia and Hello to family, old friends, and new adventures back in the States.

The Passing Days

August is quickly passing and that means we are coming ever closer to our last days in Italy and our eventual move back to the U.S. I can't believe we've been here over two years now. We had several little milestones like this anniversary to celebrate in the past couple weeks: my 28th birthday, Luke passing his 19 month mark, a beautiful surprise baby shower for our friend Anneke, and Ben's ceremonial farewell from his office here in Naples. His relief has arrived, so it is starting to feel like he's really leaving. This departure is as big a one as we can imagine with an international move, separation from the Navy, a civilian job hunt, and the search for a new place to call home. Where ever it may be, we are looking forward to spending some time with friends and family in the States while we work through this process.

I know we will be nostalgic for our time here and for our friends who will remain in Naples, but I feel this is just the beginning of a new and wonderful chapter in our life. I guess I should be thinking of what to rename this blog, since we will be domestic again in September. To say the least, our life abroad has been a wonderful adventure, especially with all the surprise and joy Luke brings each day. Let's hope the adventures and the happiness follows us where ever we may roam and certainly where we settle to forge another home of our own.