​Weathering the Storm with the WP#183

I was trying to think of some new things to write about this week and yes, I have discussed progress upstairs and even took a walk upstairs to see what has been accomplished. It turns out, I am seeing some color on the walls of the bathroom and kitchen as tiles are continuing to go up and the floor of the shower seems to be down. Most of it is under paper to protect it, but it is progress. We also had the washer/dryer delivered last week, which I believe I mentioned and the new additions this week is that yesterday, we bought a brand new bed, and a sleeper sofa for the living room, both being made custom for us, so the first pieces of furniture are in process, so that is progress and the bed is hotel quality from a factory store that cost less than what I paid for my new bed, custom made back in the states some 4 years ago that in the end, was destroyed in the flood that hit my storage locker. It is nice to be starting new. Of course, they will be made and delivered, hopefully, at a point when we have a place for them, but it is progress. ​

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The other event this past week is that my second interview with the English Language School yielded a positive result and they wanted to offer me a contract and most appreciatively accepted. Now mor paperwork and bureaucracy. I need to have an Italian bank account and I thought that would be relatively simple, and they even suggested I try Revolut, which is really an online bank and not specific to Italy. However, for identification purposes, they require two things, one my passport, easy enough and two, proof of visa, which as you have heard from me, before is in process. So, technically, I do not have a visa, yet, but they require it, so while the school wants to offer me a contract to start by the end of the month, unless I can get an Italian bank to accept all the proofs I have, so I can open an account here in this place, it may be all for naught. I hope not and we will just have to see. It would be a very nice balance, but also make things even more complicated, but nothing in life is worthwhile, is easy and this is no exception. They say that what does not kill us, makes up stronger and this experience certainly is. ​

As I woke up this morning, or awakened by my wife, as she had to leave early for work, I look at my Alexa Dot and yes, it was early, but what struck me was the date. It is September 11, 2024, yes that fateful date, 9/11 and many thoughts went through my mind about the event that happened 23 years ago today. More than a generation now has passed, changing history forever and how the world acts, in terms of travel and other things. Where perhaps, there once was last century, more of an innocence in travel, now more than ever, it is more complicated. I still remember the event like it was yesterday and there is now a generation that only knows of this event and others that followed from textbooks in schools if they even mention it at all. In any case, every generation has its moment to shine in the face of a tragedy and this was my generation’s tragedy in history and while I did not live in New York at the time, I was still impacted, being originally from New York. The business of travel changed on that day and, being still fairly new in the industry having started in 1997, tried the best I could to assist clients who were stranded all around the country and beyond, however I could at the agency in which I worked. ​

Business has also changed in terms of borders and what has happened since, but I am not going to dwell on it anymore other than to say that we can’t forget this event or others in history that changed the world, or we tend to repeat it and generally the consequences are worse. The latest change and to finally be implemented fully by May 2025, is that the EU and Britain will embark on their attempts to control movement of people and protect the borders, with the introductions of their Visa Waiver programs, respectively, which on the surface are simple and at a minimal cost in each case. These programs are for citizens of countries that before, we allowed to travel simply by presenting their passports in person or electronically at the border and could travel visa free. Now the visa waiver programs will have a cost and people will be tracked even more to make sure you do not stay beyond the legal limits. Thank you, Big Brother, and more to remind my clients to do in the name of more efficient travel processes. I have seen in my own travels when the systems work and when they don’t work and other events like post pandemic travels and the chaos that caused. Hopefully this process will go smoothly enough, and it is supposed to start this November. We shall see. ​

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As far as the week ahead, it is business as usual and getting ready for my clients travels here to Italy and beyond and some currently in travel already. This is very exciting and is what motivates me even more in this crazy industry of which I am apart. I also have travels around Italy ahead for business, but lastly, the seasons are a changing. Yes, it is still summer for another 10 days on the calendar, but even though it was 93 degrees F (33 degrees C) here, give or take the past couple of days, the evenings are cooler where is was around 67 degrees F (19 degrees C) last night, the coolest it has been to date, and it gets dark around 7:30 pm now. It was just strange as I was working at the kitchen table before Rosa came home from the library, looked up and it was dark out. There is still humidity here for sure, during the day, but the temperatures are less stifling than they were in July and August. We here in Rome, are close enough to the sea for this humidity to be real and it did storm a few nights ago, but apparently, I slept through it, so this ends another soliloquy for this week and on to another one forthcoming. ​

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 crazy little world here in Rome now that they have been merged into one. We truly appreciate your support. And, speaking of support of our crazy little world, check out the WP bling you can order on my website with Queensboro. They do a wonderful job and I do not make a dime on this. They even have the Rosa di Roma logo, if you prefer to order a knit hat for the wintertime and for those travelers with younger ones and deciding on what to do in terms of bringing all the seats and fold up cribs etc., don’t. Check out Baby Quip on my service page of the website. I now have an affiliation with them, and you can trust and order items for your next trip domestically or internationally via the Baby Quip link on my website, so you have less to carry enroute to your next amazing destination. Stay safe, healthy, and most importantly happy, and as always, your shared comments and thoughts are most welcome!!!