Italian Road Trip and Moving

Our little family decided to move. We made a plan of action, committed to that plan, packed boxes, made spreadsheets of what was in the contents of those boxes, shipped those boxes, then packed up the station waggon and thought "oops, we have more than what fits in the car", found a way to squeeze it all in, then headed south. It all sounds so much easier than what it really was. Moving is a chance to find out how strong you are, how organized you are, how well you work with others (especially those in your family), and how much stuff you have that you don't really need. Thankfully, we are both well organized people, work outstandingly together, but even the best organizer will get a little frantic putting all their belongings in boxes and moving. And there we found ourselves, Tuesday morning, shoving our wedding certificate, birth certificate, medical records, jewelry box and everything important in our lives into the car.

Somewhere in there is my life

Bentley on the right and Fatty stacked on top (with his water bottle)

 Ah, it was a moment where I could have pulled on my sneakers, yanked out my passport from the mess and hit the road running away from my life as fast as possible. I could have run a marathon at that point but remembered what my 90 year-old priest told me "Have courage."  I thought about his words (he also said not to expect life to be as I want) and continued. I really think that when one makes a decision, a hard one, you need to push further than what you think you are capable of. Human beings are so intelligent with huge amounts of resistance and big changes and big decisions require us to reach inside and pull out the best parts of ourselves and leave the nasty parts aside for a bit. I have moved now twice in two years and it ain't fun. But I will say that it has taught me to plan as much as possible, get rid of the things I don't need, not value items as much, and when I am left with one suitcase and two cats I have learned to go with the flow of God's plan and trust that my best and His protection will be more than sufficient. If things go differently than I thought it is because my life isn't under my control. Enough from the preachers pulpit, I'm starting to sound like Joyce Meyer (minus the frozen smile and extra makeup). Although  this moving twice in 2 years makes me want to be a nun, own just 2 gowns and sleep on a simple bed. I am so through with having "important things" and would love to be a minimalist. The only thing I need is my heart and lungs to survive. I say that now but already know that the word "Sale" makes me happy. I was born with a shopping gene. Hopefully I will get that shopping gene modified by the stress of moving!

Our move isn't over yet, we still have tons to do. I did a good job focusing my blog on Italian places and food even while I was packing and stressed. I hope to continue posting about the neat places I see and the differences between the south and north. I will miss Desenzano for sure, its pristine streets, the high quality of life, the amazing Lake Garda and of course, Cremona! I am also looking forward to visiting form time to time and know that good things are in the future! Before my move, my neighbor in Desenzano warned me, "Ju non fanno como qui da noi!" Meaning "In the south they don't do things like us (northerners)." I laughed knowing she is probably right in many aspects since Southern Italy comes from a different background. I'm sure I will love Italy's south and culture just as much as I love the "Dirty South" of the USA. Living year in South Carolina got me hooked to Southern Comfort (not the drink), but that is for another blog. As we dove south I thought about the history of modern Italy (since 1800). Most of Italy was divided in parts, the bottom half was part of the Pope's territory then began the Kingdom of Naples around what is now the region of Abruzzo. I am now in the city of Pescara and it is considered the south by northerners but not quiet south by real southerners. Pescara is like Maryland geographically. Someone from Georgia will never consider a Maryland girl a southerner. And that Marlyand girl might consider herself southern if she comes from the Maryland Shore or she will consider herself a Yankee (I couldn't help myself) if she comes from Baltimore. A Georgia girl is a Georgia girl and proud of the south. Similarly in Italy, "real" southerners are proud of being so, proud of their food, their history, and traditions. Another similarity are what they northerns and the southerners call themselves. In the USA, the northerns (east coast only) are called Yankees and the southerners Rebels. These titles are strong and imply so many things depending on who says it. My uncle was born in NY and moved to Jacksonville, Florida as a kid. He is as southern as a boiled peanut but his friends all call him "Yankee" since he was born in the north. Here in Italy, northerners are called "Polentoni" and southerners "Terroni". Polentoni comes from the word Polenta which is a typical food of the north. Terroni comes from the word Terra or Earth, and implies the more earthy type of living from the south. Think of a sun-baked lifestyle of growing veggies, going to the sea, and living year round with a tan.  The accents are totally different too. In Desenzano they speak a dialect with Germanic tones and in the South they have a ton of dialects and languages that stem from Arabic, Spanish and Italian (from the different dominations).

Anyway, for now I am somewhere in the middle in the region of Abruzzo that is famous for sheep. It is pretty hilly, next to the Adriatic Sea, and has ideal pastures for grazing. Once I recuperate a bit from the last few days I will hit the hills and sea with my camera and notebook. We already went to the fish market once and I saw all the fishing boats out on the dock.

 I want to go back there and get more pictures. For now, this is it. Anymore and I might loose hair and age as fast as Obama did. 

Recharging the batteries

Rabe broccoli a veggie typical of the south and so good. Stocking up of vitamins is important now during the stress of moving and also allergies.

PS. The cats are doing great. They are good indicators of how we are doing. They were nervous before we left. Fatty scratched Bentley's nose twice making him bleed. Now they are pals, love where we are staying (mom in laws for a bit), and are napping strong again. When we drove they were stacked one on top of the other and didn't complain once during the 6 hour drive. They are rockstars. I bet they knew we were coming to Pescara and they LOVE it here. They love the sun that shines here (no more fog like Desenzano) and they mostly adore my mom-in-law. She is their best friend, feeds them strong, and talks to them. They adore her like no other.