what we leave behind
this move to europe has been a long time coming. we've been planning it for years, the last fifteen months focused on getting to italy and villa magnolia. i'm following my dream, but it hasn't been without hardships. it's been a difficult transition so far, leaving behind everyone and everything familiar. saying goodbye not just to my family and friends, not just to my home, but to my lifestyle as i knew it.
it's definitely a trade-off to completely uproot and move to another country. giving up this for that, one thing for another.
and the bureaucratic path to declaring residency hasn't been easy. "you need this document to get that certificate, but you can't get that certificate until you get this document." on and on and on. hours and hours spent, going around in circles. (with a lawyer in milan on the phone and an italian-speaking friend in person.)
we'll get there eventually, but so much depends upon its quick resolution. receipt of our shipment, buying a car, my long-term visa.
loneliness and isolation. frustration and angst. having to let go of all expectations and just go with the flow. not my nature, not my disposition.
you know what has brought me to tears since i've been here? the little things.
no paint samples to bring home from the hardware store. different over-the-counter medicine than i'm used to taking. no trader joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups. my dearly-loved hair dryer's european adapter malfunctioning, and our inability to find a replacement. no unsweetened iced tea at mcdonald's. substitutes for this, substitutes for that. not my favorites or familiars.
and then there are the rooms to scrub, the wallpaper to remove, the walls to paint, the broken to be fixed, the tired to be refreshed.
and our bedroom and kitchen and office and laundry room and closet (all terms used loosely) currently occupying one space.
but . . .
did i just hear justin bieber at the electronics store and adam levine at the gelato shop? popular american music, heard everywhere in the world.
and my husband, always trying to make me feel better. mixing milk and cream to create half-n-half for my special daily latte.
the friendly, helpful, warm people also, in the bustling villages all around. including a new forever friend who's willing to move mountains for us.
exciting areas to explore, rich with history. stunning views and landscapes, right outside my window.
and a magical reawakening of villa magnolia. preparing to welcome women with intrepid souls, ready to chase and catch their most cherished dreams, with eyes wide open.
"all changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves. we must die to one life before we can enter another." ~anatole france ******* click to receive my studio notes in your inbox each week. (and get my complimentary guide to weightless as my gift to you!) [maxbutton id="1"]
