​Weathering the Storm with the WP#174

Wow, I almost forgot to sit down and right now this past week’s musings and looked at my calendar and it was Wednesday already. I have been home almost a week and it is crazy to think, but really there is no timeline now. I do not effectively have to worry about the Carabinieri knocking on my door in 3 months’ time and telling me I must leave. In fact, when I went through immigration at Fiumicino on the 4th of July, they said basically nothing and no one at customs even blinked an eye with how much stuff I had. Maybe they did nit care, maybe the wheels have continued to move slowly in the background.  I do know they is still much to do and after basically settling into a routine, whatever that is, many of the bumps in the road have been flattened out. ​

When I arrived the 4th of July, it was late and so I booked into the Hilton at the airport, but more importantly, Rosa was there awaiting my arrival and while it had only been 2 ½ months, the time melted away. I was truly home where I was to be, with her and it was wonderful and still is. It is a funny thing that I thought the place that we would stay for 3 months until the condo was completed (fingers crossed), this is Italy don’t you know was in an apartment in momma’s building. No, it is the same building as our condo which is wonderful. Less moving later which is a blessing. Not that I have lots of stuff and don’t plan to accumulate, but the building does not have an elevator, so I will be getting in my steps. It was also so cool to see De Lillo Bachrach on the address button, not only on the outside gated, yes this is a gated courtyard and building complex and on the address label of the actual building, C7 is home. Momma got that done and I almost cried about this amazing journey I have been on to be here. ​

In any case, we are here, and we are together and momma’s house it about a 10-minute walk down the road. There is a little open market up a block from here and another one, bigger, a slightly longer walk, so I am very happy. There is even free aqua frizzante any time I want, about a block away, so I can fill up the plastic bottles and have cold bubbles daily and the other day started venturing out in the neighborhood which is generally residential. Rosa calls it Populaire which means working class. I don’t care what. It is generally quiet and our unit, once done, faces inward on a nicely kept courtyard, and plenty of parking for when my vehicle arrives later this year. I also know I am staying as I did not buy a monthly ATAC card (metro, buses etc.), but a year long one. The monthly ATAC cards cost about 35 Euro, but the annual one and they needed my fiscal code etc., was 250 Euros, a much better value. ​

The Wi-Fi here, as expected, was a bit iffy, but seems to be good now. Typical. I was not happy with Mint Mobile and expressed as such, but after many fits and starts, over about a one-month long process with them, the Wi-Fi calling seems to work, but I am afraid to mess with the phone settings for fear of losing the connection, but also must tether my US phone to my Italian phone when I am out. May I will write down the settings for each situation, until it becomes automatic.  Stuff to learn and get used to and lots of things to work on. Yesterday met with a local DMC (Destination Management Company) for those reading this not in the industry that has a focus on truly unique experiences around Italy. ​

Now, normally, I do not work with a company that covers a whole country, especially, one like Italy which is so different across the board, but its uniqueness is in the lifestyle possibilities and the new and upcoming destinations here. I had met one of the owners a few years ago at a conference in Venice, but now that I am here, I was able to meet the team and owner and that was a good thing. If I have Wi-Fi and that is generally most of the time, I am connected and the time difference helps, since most of my colleagues, clients, friends etc. will be sleeping when I am working and visa versa, but my peeps here in Europe and Africa can connect with me in the same or very similar time zone while here in Italy. I am, not like others, having any culture shock, as I have been here before, but I do have to remember it is a different world. And, for my wife, I can feel the stress of her needing to make decisions on the design of our home and IKEA, a stop last week was not good, so today we have more meetings.

I know things will get done and things will be done differently here. Much slower on all counts, my residency visa, the condo, and everything else. I do like the slower life and being able to get a cappuccino a block away at a bar and two small biscotti for 2 Euros versus Starbucks for 7 EUROS, maybe more, but I am a tea drinker in the morning. I am man between two worlds adopting the old-world ways like going to the market for a few things, not the massive shopping once a week. I did go a little crazy on one of my walks to a supermarket to get yogurt, butter and other items and it was a good walk, but going to the market, in 90 +/35 – 38 + degree heat, is part of a summer’s day here in Rome was not a good idea. Now I know there is a bus to lighten and cool the load. No nothing was ruined, melted and I even made a quick detour to a cool place and eat a gelato. I have gotten used to no air conditioning and Rosa does not like it anyway. ​

The last thing I would like to share is that in my trek home yesterday, first from Metro Ottaviano to Metro Reppublica after my meeting, and then walking to catch my bus, I found myself having to detour onto another block as the street was closed completely, both to cars and pedestrians, and so I walked one more block and then turned. As I reached the end of the block and was about to turn back to the original street after the detour, to my left across the street, there was an English school called Wall Street English. Now for those of you who have not read my blog all along, I completed a program with TOEFL and am certified to teach English as a foreign language, so I walked in on a whim and approached to two nice ladies at the front and point blank asked if they were hiring teachers and they said yes, looking for August/September on and I have an interview next month, the 19th in fact, when they open their doors again for the fall. Who knows what will happen and they asked for a CV – Curriculum Vitae. ​

For me a fancy way to say resume and being self employed and in the travel industry for so long, have not interviewed for anything except for the Christmas Tree Shoppes when I first got the New Hampshire three years ago, only for a seasonal job which turned out to be full time for a short stint, so I guess I must create one and look up all the details of my past. Ideas anyone. Sometimes I guess it just is worth taking a road less traveled, in this case a forced detour and we will see. It was on my radar to get a teaching job to supplement the business and get me out of the house on a regular basis and Rosa has promised to provide me other schools to check out and possible friends and colleagues who want to brush up on their English. In any case, it was a pleasant experience and since it has been about a year since I completed the program and I know each school does things differently, I am not biased in one direction or another. No promises, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

I hope you have enjoyed my offerings each week and appreciate that you have read my blog posts and look forward to continuing with sharing. As always, thank you so much for your support of Rosa’s and my little world now that they have been merged into one. We truly appreciate your support. Next week is my amazing and beautiful wife’s birthday, and it will be crazy busy with lots going on. Stay safe, healthy, and most importantly happy, and as always, your shared comments and thoughts are most welcome!!!