Big Brother in Italy

Planning an international trip is a bit of a challenge, especially with several layovers and a cross-country trip awaiting you as you land groggy and sore at your destination.

A 12 hour trip is hardly the way to arrive happy and refreshed in a new country.

This didn't stop my big brother or myself from chaotically planning for him to come meet us in the middle of Italy. He lives in Poland and it seemed doable to meet somewhere in Italy while I was there.

Leaving NYC, arriving Rome

Mystery meat

Granola...sample size

The nice thing about big brothers like mine is that they are no-fuss. They don't need perfectly planned trips, plush accommodations, nor Norman Rockwell families to be content. I was glad that he was so flexible to just land in Rome and go with the flow of what we had planned or didn't have planned. Some of this also has to do with the fact that he is Sagittarius (like half of my family) and is just happy to travel someplace new and eat some new food.

I forgot how fun my big brother could be.

He likes to make me roar with laughter and also knows how to get under my skin. Not too much, but just enough to remind me that he is picking on me like he used to. He has the ability to remind me, when no one else dares to, that I am uptight and need to chill, that I need to be more understanding and have a heart (having a cold heart is one of my occasional specialties according to him), and that taking it easy is as important as being really driven.

Time to chill out.

 It was funny seeing him come through the doors of the Rome Fuimicino airport, a place I have been so many times and never imagined seeing my brother come through. There we were at mid-night in Rome and the doors to the international section opened and a sea of German tourists dressed in green and purple flowed through. Then the doors closed. I wondered if my brother got lost, if his luggage didn't arrive, if he didn't get on the plane. The doors opened and Italian school kids flowed through on a trip to see Rome. Finally I saw a tall guy in the distance yanking his luggage behind him and with my old backpack on. It is a good thing I have a tall brother, it makes it easy to spot him in the middle of the Roman airport.

We had such a good time together. He immediately pulled my nose to let me know that he can still pick on me even if I am in my 30's. He and my husband picked up topics they both like to debate and we spent countless hours on the beach. We ate a daily gelato and trekked around the local medieval cities. I forgot so many things about my brother: how he cracks his knuckles, how he observes everyone and everything mentally taking notes, how he cares about animals and annoying people don't seem to bother him. I forgot what a gentleman he is: he won't sit at the table till the women are seated. And I forgot how much he likes to snack.

snack

snack

snack

I live far from genetic family and rarely see them so seeing someone with some of my physical traits: smile, dimples, color of skin was fun. It was like seeing a part of myself in someone that is so different.