Weathering the Storm with the WP#85

It is a strange feeling being here back in the states having returned last Thursday, and one that just is awkward and one which will take getting used to. When you have lived somewhere else for an extended period, and 2 ½ months is an extended period, getting back to what was your routine, is no longer routine. Of course, I have experienced jetlag, which is normal, and I am doing what I can to get back on the time zone, but it really is not where I want to be. And, in about 5 days, I cross the pond again, this time for Jolly Ol’ England, some business, some pleasure and I believe the dust, for the most part will have settled with the unfortunate passing of the queen, perhaps not, but I will make my way through the potential chaos and move forward. 

My time clock is and will be out of whack for some time as the next few months, I will be on and off the road, something I was very used to doing before Covid hit but was certainly tempered by its intrusion in all our lives. It is still here, but we are, for those who want to, better able to handle it and I plan on handling it so I can travel and of course, in the end, be back with Rosa, and that, if all goes well, will be in November, for about 2 weeks. In any case, I will be working on getting a more permanent solution, so that I don’t have to pack and unpack constantly to be with her and jump through all the hoops necessary to that end. Bureaucracy is a bitch, whether here in America or internationally. All I want is to be with her and this is simply another bump in the road, something to challenge me and overcome, so I can be with her again. 

I am spending this week, unpacking, packing, running errands, working on amazing adventures for people and even working a few days at the Christmas Tree Shop, but not being with her in person is an empty feeling. She says we are together, and I truly believe that, but it is not the same as waking up with her every day, having breakfast together most every day, even if it is simply Muesli and a yogurt. Putting together a hodgepodge of meals that are both Italian and American or really creating something from the ingredients we had at the time. That is something, although only just last week, I miss, a lifestyle and routine we got into. We learned a great deal about each other and from my point of view, our relationship became stronger. I believe she thinks the same, but I will leave that to her. She has always said, in our 2 ½ plus years together, “How’s possible that you understand me? I have this uncanny ability to understand her, but she will also say, don’t try to figure out what I am thinking. 
The other thing that is strange is not hearing Italian constantly and being in that flow, the metro, the busses, going to the outdoor markets and speaking with the locals, even the chaos of the historical center. I am not saying that I speak Italian, far from it, but I tried to use it whenever I could and my vocabulary increased, but my grammar needs lots of work still. Of course, my focus for this summer was my relationship and getting my certification to teach English, so the practicum, except for the write up is done, which I will submit this week before I hit the road again. Having my certification hopefully, very soon, will provide me another in to be across the pond and have all the legalities in place, one step at a time. I am excited about, but when I leave the US again in November for the month, I will be even more excited. I feel very comfortable in Europe in general and even more so in Italy after living there for 2 ½ months. 

At least in less that a week, I will be only an hour time zone away from her and not 6 hours. I feel comfortable on the road, it is in my make up. I guess that is why I call myself the Wandering Puffin, but I am now running towards something, not from something, running towards something very precious and want to throw away my bags forever, to quote a line from a popular song. Don’t get me wrong!!! I will continue to travel, but I want to do it with her and come home to her and she to me when she travels. They say home is where the heart is and my heart is with her, not in Minnesota, New Hampshire, England or anywhere else, it is with Rosa, wherever she may be, and that sentiment and feeling has not changed. I never believed in love at first sight and yes, I am a hopeless romantic, but I knew she was the one when I met her for the first time, February 19, 2020, and through all the trials and tribulations, we are still together, but the last week there was strange, packing up the apartment, eating out more, so we did not have do a lot of shopping and spending more time with momma, which was very nice. As Douglas MacArthur once said, I shall return!!!
As always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of my crazy little world and of my small business.