Famiglia

The most important thing in life is your family.  There are days you love them, and others you don't, but in the end, they are the people you always come home to.  Sometimes it's the family you are born into and sometimes its the one you make for yourself.

Someone really important once said this to me.  Okay, important is a relative term. Carrie Bradshaw said this once in Sex & the City.  But she had a point. Family one of the most important things in life, if not the most.  I miss mine more than I ever thought I could but I have managed to get by by creating one of my own here. This past weekend, I was in need of family so I went to Carassai to spend the weekend with my roommate Enrico and the family I have created there.  It felt like I was "going home" for the weekend from college.  Nothing really amazing happened this weekend but it was one of the best weekends I have had in Italy. Basically, we hung out, went out and relaxed.  I played with Dodo (Enrico's dog), helped Enrico's little brother Rocco with his homework, had family dinners, watched some TV and read some of my book.  I also made chocolate chip cookies with Cinzia, Enrico's mom.  I love being in Carassai.  Its a small town and I feel like I know everyone there and they all know me.  When I walked into the bar, the bartender greeted me by name and a kiss, all of my roommates friends were happy to see me there and I even bumped into a few people on my way to pick up Rocco from school who were just as happy to see! I feel like I have created a family here to fill the void of leaving mine at home.  In Bologna I have another family that I made that includes my roommates, my directors, the family I tutor for and my closest friends.  Its nice running into people on the street and stopping to say hi or being recognized by the owners of the stores I shop at.  While this might sound like a fairytale, its real.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I still have my moments just like at home when I want to strangle one of my roommates or just need a break from a friend but that's expected with family.  But overall, I wouldn't change a thing about any of the families that I am a part of.  Each is just perfect the way it is.

Carassai, Italia

Some boys from my Italian family.

The view from Enrico's bedroom.