Fall leaves and palm trees

One Year Ago Today I was preparing to go to Rome the next day, and it was the first time I'd used skype phone stuff and was able to talk to so many loves!!!  Wow...1 year ago I was going to Rome...crazy! 
http://dreaminginitalianthistime.blogspot.it/2011/11/comforting-voices.html

Despite going to bed at 2:30ish, my body still woke me up without getting enough sleep! I was wide awake at 8:45, but still EXHAUSTED!! My good friend Nick had beaten me to waking up, and had already sent me a text message...Im glad my body at least let me sleep that long. 

I got up briefly...long enough to eat breakfast, look at facebook and emails, and talk to Nick for a bit.  Then, I laid back down to try and nap, and by nap I mean that I just needed some more sleep!  I got back up closer to 11 and started working on my election lesson some more.  I am becoming more and more informed about things to do with elections and government.  Yay me!  I also worked on blogs and I am now caught up!! Yay!!!  I also took time to answer some emails and clean up the apartment.  It was nice to have my room all straightened up and looking presentable.  I had this fear that roommate would show up today!!! So, after making a lot of progress on my lesson for Monday, and catching up in blogs...it was already after 12 and I was hungry for lunch.  I had a sandwich and some yogurt while I worked on things.  I worked through the afternoon, but about 2ish I decided it was time to get out and get some fresh air, exercise, and enjoy the fact that I live in Italy!! 

So, I started out walking and talking to Nick.  I walked and walked and enjoyed climbing the hills, etc.  Everything is closed around here on Sundays.  Well, you can find some things in the morning, but by 2 everything is shut down..and I do mean EVERYTHING.  It was actually quite peaceful to just walk, talk, and enjoy the silence of the city.  It is not a creepy silence...it is like a city at rest.  Everyone is inside with their families and resting...the city is literally at peace...and is resting.  This is something you do not find in New York City...I still love my city...but it is nice here in Cosenza.  So, I was walking down a familiar street, but I usually turn off of it and go down into the heart of the Corso (Corso Mazzini).  Today I decided to keep walking straight and see where it took me!  I got lost in the city...though I still had a general idea of where I was and was never truly lost, I did kind of get lost in the city and it was wonderful!  I found a pretty church and I saw some sweet kitty cats loving on each other. 

There was not much to see, but it was so nice to just wander and see what I would come across.  I did get a few creepy old men honking their horns and slowing down to look at me...that is so gross and disturbing to me...come on guys...you're like 70 years old or so...in America we consider that to be sick...or at least I do! 

Anyway, so I saw some cool things and then I heard the sound of the river.  I realized that I had seen this particular school once before, but it had been that first week I was here and was trying to straighten out things with the post office.  Anyway, the sun was out, it was relatively warm, and the river sounded so relaxing.  So, I sat on the wall along the river and kept talking to Nick.  Then I talked to my momma for a bit! I took some pictures because as I sat there I saw so many wonderful things: 1. THe Italians lined up at the water thing to fill up their large water bottles...only in Italy

2. The sun was goreous and made for the most beautiful pictures of the river 3. The wind was blowing and these really tall reeds (or something) were blowing in it and that combined with the sound of the river was just amazing...so relaxing and just peaceful 4. I realized that this view was the same as the pictures I saw on google maps when I was looking for pictures of Cosenza and finding nothing spectacular, but one morning I found these pictures of the river and the historical buildings in the background and it almost brought me to tears...Today I was sitting/standing in the exact spots that offered those views!!  How amazing is that?? I was talking to Nick and explaining it to him...it was just amazing...and made me think even more about how I am living in Italy.  I am not just visiting, but I am actually living and building a life for the next 7 1/2 months.  I get paid to be here...I get paid to get up and go to work, and I am getting paid to do the lesson planning that I have spent all day doing!  I am loving it...there are hard moments...FRUSTRATING moments...and I wish I were better at the language....but I LIVE IN ITALY!! One day I will be able to tell my children about living in NYC, Italy, etc. etc.   I feel so blessed and so fortunate.  I do not want that to be misunderstood.  I cannot even find words to express how grateful I am for these amazing opportunities. 

So, after I sat on the wall for a bit and took some pictures, I started walking.  Earlier I had picked up quite a few HUGE leaves...bigger than my face and was telling Nick how at the preschool we would take them to the children and stuff, but I had nothing to do with these.  I did still loving picking them up and twirling them around!  I also got to tell him how much I love working with children, but really how much I enjoy the infants...I was thinking of my love Heather...wishing I could see her!! 

I look a bit rough...no make up...but the leaves really were HUGE

Then, along the river there were SO MANY yellow leaves that had fallen on the ground...up to my ankles...and it was like out of a movie!! I just LOVED it...so poetic and stuff.  Nick said, "it is hard to believe that you are walking down a street with fall leaves, changing trees, and then palm trees!!"  He was so right.  There I was kicking up yellow leaves on the ground, staring at the trees they fell from, and across the river I could see palm trees...only in Italy?!?!? It was amazing!! 

Once I made it back to the road that takes you either to the historical center or to the Corso, I headed back towards my apartment.  There were so few people out!  I did see some cool scultupres that have been put up since like...Friday!  They made me think of Kristen, my friend from the bank...and apparently went to high school with us...well, her brother grew up with me...anyway, they reminded me of her!!

So, I slowly made my way back to the apartment after I'd been out for about an hour and a half or so! 

I went back to work on my election stuff.  I was waiting for Virginia's niece Monica to call about dinner tonight, and hated that she texted to say she was sick, but I did have some things I needed to do.  So, I suppose it worked out well.  Hopefully she will get better soon though because she had a fever...no good!!  Nick was going to dinner at his teachers house, but we talked while I cooked!  I had chicken, broccoli, and some pasta with pesto. 

Then, Nick text me to say that his dinner was actually a surprise party for him! How sweet is that!?!? 

I ate, finished my stuff, talked to April, and then talked to my momma!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw my Chili pup and he was perking his ears up at my voice!!

My amazing...handsome...loving...Chili Pup

I saw all of my animals...and talked to my momma...saw my daddy some...and it was the PERFECT way to end the evening.  Next up was shower...adn blog...

A domani!