Summertime, and the Livin's Easy

Remember that time I was really scared about August being the harbinger of my inconsolable loneliness and despair?  The Germans actually have a word for that entire state of being: mutterseelenallein (mother+soul+alone) which means feeling completely lost - fascinating, right?  Well, it didn't happen!  You may have noticed I haven't written in over a month, meaning either I was holed up in my room writing angst-ridden poetry or I decided to live a little.  And since you've been following this blog religiously, you'd lean toward believing the latter, and you'd be right.

ahhhh it's august and i don't know what to do!

In mid July I got an email from an old resident of mine, Carolyn, a friend I made when I used to be a Resident Assistant at the Honors dorms at UT.  That's right, I used to mentor freshman girls - when I wasn't saving puppies from runaway trains.  Anyway she graduated from the UT Business School and with her signing bonus from her new company she decided to traipse around Europe for 3 months.  *sigh* (that *sigh* is not only at the fact that she can afford 3 months in Europe, but the fact that she got a signing bonus, you know, with a job attached to it).  Carolyn stayed with me for 4 nights and I realized she was my first guest in Torino.  I haven't hosted anyone from back home in my new city and it was rather exciting!  It was basically like I was hosting a couchsurfer that I already knew.

shelby, aka shelbers, and me in piazza san carlo

The real treat was a few days after she left I had another houseguest, this one is among my best buddies. My old roommate Shelby found a new job, quit her old one, and bought a ticket for Europe all in the same week!  I was super happy to have her, and from the minute I met her at the train station I felt such a sense of calmness.  The poor thing had traveled overnight 13 hours by train just to see me and all the stress had worn her down.  She wasn't feeling well but we still managed to make the best of it.  I introduced her to my boyfriend, Mr. Yum E. Gelato and they got along rather swimmingly.  We did a short bike tour of Turin's hot spots, visited the Cinema Museum and the Queen's Palace, sipped cappuccinos in the shade, grabbed foccaccia on the go, and toured the markets for italian leather bags.

shelby's reaction after seeing true fashion in italy.

The best part of having Shelby around was what the Italians called the dolce far niente, or the sweetness of doing nothing.  I was thrilled to sit with her in my room, the windows open to the sounds of the church bells, talking about anything and everything.  I enjoyed her being there to help me with outfit selection, laugh about old times and show me the newest must-see viral videos.  I must say, being in one of the most enchanting countries in the world tends to pale in comparison to the joy of laughing in the company of a good friend.  It was just refreshing to have someone here from back home.  I realized how much I miss having my friends and family in the same time zone - somehow it makes the distance much more real when my life back home comes to me.  I suppose the internet makes everyone seem closer than they really are, and that can be both a good and a bad thing.

Otranto, Puglia

www.residencealtair.it/otranto

The Shelbinator went on to Paris and I had a few days of work to complete.  Just when I thought my summer fun was fizzling out with the rising heat, I decided to take a friend up on an invite and head to Puglia!  Thinking of Italy as a boot with Piedmont being the sultry upper thigh, Puglia is the stiletto heel.  The Adriatic Sea on one side and the Ionian on the other.  Beaches like you'd never believe, with rocky cliffs, grottoes and the bluest of waters.  One day in Lecce where papier-mâché is a respected, centures-old artistry. Two days camping in Otranto where I faced my fear of seafood head-on by ordering linguine with mussels (quite tasty, if you don't look at the plate). A day trip to Gallipoli where I met a purple beach hat I couldn't live without. A trek up to Monte Sant'Angelo looking out over the bay of Gargano, which is the "spur" of Italy's boot.  Days of snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing and enjoying la dolce vita.  All of this and who, would you believe it, forgot her camera?  Yep, this one.  Luckily I wrote rather descriptively in my journal so when I'm old my children can read the pages aloud and remind me of the beauty I saw.

Piazza di Sant'Oronzo, Lecce, Puglia

www.emmetti.it/lecce

Oddly the summer passed ever-so-quickly.  From hosting my friends to hopping down to the opposite end of Italy for some fun in the sun.  And to think I was so worried about what the summer would bring me. In the end it brought me many happy memories with good friends, some glittery papier-mâché fish earrings, an awesome floppy beach hat, and one of the best tans I've ever sported.  Even if the Italians are still calling me a mozzarella.

frozen memories.