In memory of my Grandpa Minks

My Grandpa Minks (mom's dad) past away last Thursday night at the age of 97 and his funeral was today. It's been a bit hard at a time like this to be away from family & not be able to attend my Grandpa's funeral. I did write the passage below on Saturday and my sister read it at the wake service Sunday night...so even though I wasn't physically there, I was able to kind of take part in some way. I just wanted to share this all with you...(BTW this picture of my family with my Grandpa was taken the last weekend I was in Wallis before I moved to Rome. He was 96 in that picture!)

My Grandpa – Mr. Ivan Minks, Sr.
By Lynette Uhyrek

When I think about my grandpa, Mr. Ivan Minks Sr., there are many things that automatically come to my mind and that I will always remember about him.
The first is how he loved to tell stories about when he was a kid and his many jobs throughout his life. I loved just sitting around and listening to him tell stories. He would tell them with such great animation and really get into them. I could hear the same story many, many times and still love it just the same every time. It was like learning a part of history first hand..and a lot more interesting to me than any history book. And usually when all of us kids were around and he would be telling a story, he would stop and say 'I'm sure you kids don't want to hear all my old stories…they aren't that interesting.' And we would tell him of course we did, and then he would continue and would have about an hours worth of stories to tell. I think the last time that most of us grandkids (and some great grandkids) were around and all got the chance to listen to his stories was for his 95th birthday when we got together at my parents' house. I still remember that day and will cherish it forever. That was my grandpa….the story teller.
Although he never received any music lessons or formal training, my grandpa was fantastic at playing the harmonica. At family gatherings, in addition to listening to his stories, we would also gather to listen to him play his harmonica. That was my grandpa…the harmonica player.
Another thing I will always remember about my grandpa was how hard of a worker he was. He might have not been a big man in stature, but he was a strong man indeed. Just to think about how many fields he plowed, cotton he picked, stacks of feed and sugar and various things he carried, how many houses he help build, how many times he moved the yard…by a push mower of course, and how many kids he carried makes me tired. I remember when Uncle Ronnie was building his house years ago and I saw someone up on the roof and asked who it was…and found out it none other than my grandpa of course. Up there on a 2 story house, not a young lad at that point to say the least, and he was up there working away! That was my grandpa…the hard worker.
My grandpa was a sharp man too! He had a memory like you wouldn't believe (which is why he told stories so well I guess). And he never ceased to surprise me! Like speaking Spanish to someone…and none of us knew he could even speak Spanish. Later we found out he picked some Spanish up from some of the Mexican people that worked in the grocery store with him when he was much, much younger….and after not speaking it for over 30 years or more, he still could have a conversation in Spanish. Also he LOVED doing word finds and those types of things. Even in these last few months he would do word finds with Mrs. Elenora. I think I'll be lucky if I could even see the words at 97! That was my grandpa – the intelligent man.
Any of you who visited my grandpa and grandma's house before my grandma got really sick must remember their garden! They seemed to be able to grow anything and took pride in doing so. Their garden was always so full of fruits and vegetables – my favorites were always the cantaloupe and icebox watermelons! I think the best cantaloupe I've tasted to this day are the ones that came from my grandpa's garden. Maybe it was the love he poured into them…I don't know, but they were always good. And who could forget the poppy seed plants he grew….nothing like tasting poppy seed kolaches made from homegrown poppy seed! Any Czech (and non-Czechs too) know that! That was my grandpa…the gardener.
Two other things that I admired about my grandpa, that to me I think go hand & hand, was his strong faith and he and my grandma celebrating their 70 th wedding anniversary before my grandma passed away. When I was younger and they were both well, I remember seeing Grandpa and Grandma in church together-usually holding hands all through the mass. And daily they would pray together and especially pray the rosary together. There was no doubt my grandpa was a praying man and his faith was important. My mom said even up until the end he prayed the rosary and even the day he died he made the sign of the cross. And to known a couple that was married 70 years, in this day and age where it's amazing if people seem to stay together long enough to celebrate their 10 th year anniversary …to me that's amazing! I've heard a saying that goes 'Those who pray together stay together', and to me my grandparents were a testament to that. So that was my grandpa…the devout husband and devout Catholic.
There are other things I will remember about him too…like how feisty and stubborn he could be, which is probably where I get it from, and how set in his ways he could be on a subject …and I would never want to have been on the opposing side of an argument with him because I think he would always win.
And to be able to live until 97 and not have had to be hospitalized much and up until recently was still pretty independent! To me that's amazing. And Just to think of what he saw in his lifetime…the changes to society, the changes in the way we live, as well as how many grandchildren and great grandchildren he has held and kissed, the number of weddings he's attend, and the number of funerals he's been to – including those of his wife, children, & grandchildren. That was my grandpa – the man who saw a lot in his time.
All these things were what made my grandpa who he was….the grandpa I knew and will always remember. That's my grandpa!
Right now there is really no where else I would rather be than with all of you, there, celebrating my grandpa's life and praying that he's in the place he's been longing for…in heaven, looking down on us all, away from all the pains of aging. Unfortunately I can't be there physically, but please know I am with you all there spiritually and my thoughts are there with you. Living in Italy, I am starting to learn some of their customs. And one that is related to funerals that at first I found a bit odd, but now I think it quite interesting is that at funerals, the Italians break out in applause in celebration of the life of that person. Although if my grandpa was still alive he might not approve since he was very much into being traditional, despite that I still think it is fitting at this time that we take a minute to celebrate his life and all that he was and celebrate his being now with the Lord by applause…for my Grandpa…Mr. Ivan Minks, Sr.

Houston has a Cardinal...And I was there to see it happen!

Every now & then certain once in a lifetime events come up & you are blessed to be a witness to them...and when you do it's simply exciting & an amazing experience you will never forget! For me, this weekend was one of those experiences.

Those of you in Houston might be sick of hearing about this since apparently it's been all over the news for the past week, but this is the events from my point of view...which I KNOW you haven't heard/read!

This weekend the Archbishop from the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese (all the parishes in the Houston & surrounding areas...actually a VERY large surrounding area!) became a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church & I was lucky enough to witness it and actually got to congratulate him in person soon after the ceremony (called the Consistory Ceremony)! For those of you who aren't Catholic, the Cardinals are the ones who elect the Pope...so basically the level below the Pope. Cardinal DiNardo is the 1st bishop from the Southern US that has become a Cardinal...so for us Catholics from the Houston & surrounding areas that's a big thing!

Let me go back a couple weeks to let you know how this all played out. On 17 October 2007, Pope Benedict announced the 23 bishops that would be elevated to Cardinal... including Archbishop Daniel DiNardo from Galveston-Houston Archdiocese. That same day I got an e-mail from my mom with the news saying the ceremony would be in November & she said 'Who knows, maybe you will get to attend!' I've requested tickets for a mass at St. Peter's before, so figured it was worth a shot to see if I could reserve tickets for the Consistory. With events at the Vatican where the Pope is celebrate, tickets are usually required if you want a seat...they are free, but you have to request in advance. So I sent an e-mail & the next day I got a reply saying they would reserve a ticket for me. Yay!

So then a couple days later I got an e-mail from one of my friends from a church group I was in back in Houston asking if she came to Rome of the Consistory, if she could stay with me. Of course I said yes...and I was able to get a ticket reserved for her with no problems & fortunately she (Hilary) was able to arrange to stay here in Rome with me for over a week.

So now I'm going to fast forward to Sat. morning. Hilary & I had been looking forward to this day & decided that it was going to be worth getting up VERY early to make sure we had a good spot in line & thus a decent seat. The Consistory was to start at 10:30 with the doors opening at 8:30, but the nun at the US Bishop's office told me when I picked up the tickets that if we really wanted to be near the front of the line we probably would need to get there really early...like around 6am. So that was our plan...and thankfully I live about 10 minutes from St. Peter's, so we left my apartment around 6am and were there soon after. We even had a backpack of stuff to keep us busy & food...we were prepared!

St. Peter's is SO AWESOME that early in the morning...before sunrise. I have pics and you can see for yourself. Anyway so I hurried to the line as Hilary met with her Aunt & Uncle who also came to Rome for the Consistory. I got to the line & just wanted to jump up & down...only 2 couples in front of us (one from Monterrey & the other from Houston)! Woohoo...number 5 & 6 in line! Accomplishment #1 for the day! (Wait #2...accomplishment #1 for me was that I actually got up before 6am!)

There was a little confusion later about the lines because they did the lines a little different from usual and made everyone move out of the square (piazza) & had 4 entries vs. the one like normal. When they moved us it seemed that they were going to make the 20 or so of us standing inside the piazza go to the end of the line that had already formed outside the piazza, but they didn't...we just had to squeeze in the front. I was stuck between a column, a gate & the other people in line for several hours...legs & feet in weird positions...but it was worth it. Oh & that backpack of stuff...didn't even use it...actually didn't even have enough room to pull anything in it out! But the couple right in front of us ended up being from Annunciation Church in Houston, so I talked to them as we waited. They also sat behind us in the basilica.

Another bit of confusion was where the Consistory was actually going to be held - the announcements and tickets said it was to be in the Piazza, but due to the threat of rain they decided to move it inside the Basilica. The major problem with that is that they issued tickets based on the number of chairs they put in the Piazza, but the Basilica holds a lot less. So that meant even though you had a ticket, that didn't assure you a seat.

When the gates open for an event like this at St. Peter's, it's almost like when you see people going for the big sales the day after Thanksgiving...people just running to be the 1st in line & trying to get the best seats! And yes I was one of them....but so were nuns, priests, and tons of other people! I didn't shove anyone or anything like that! But before they opened I had thought through my strategy - from past experiences I knew that the best spots are the aisle seats - it's better to get an aisle seat vs. a seat up front. So that was my target. And Hilary & I actually got separated when the line moved because she had gone back to my apartment to get the Texas flags she brought that we left back at my apartment. I told her that I would go get both of us a seat and save one for her. So my strategy worked & I did get us an aisle seat! We still had about 2 hours until the Consistory was to start, but it seemed to go by fairly quickly.

This is the 3rd event I've been to inside St. Peter's that the Pope celebrated - one was with my sister almost a year ago when he did the evening prayer service the 1st Sunday of Advent, one was in June with my friend & her mom during the feast of Sts. Peter & Paul, and then for this occasion. One thing I LOVE at these types of ceremonies is to just look around the Basilica and look at all the different types of people there from all over the world gathered in this one place. Also during the Consistory & Mass most parts were in Latin or Italian, but they also did some in various languages. The Pope himself speaks multiple languages in which in addresses the pilgrims every Sunday. It is just amazing & makes me realize how global the Catholic church is and that I have brothers & sisters in Christ in every place of the world!

The countries represented by the new Cardinals alone were: US, Italy, Spain, Ireland, France, Senegal, India, Mexico, Brazil, Kenya, Argentina, & Iraq. The Cardinal from Iraq always received a big applause...he is likely to become a martyr because of all the violence in Iraq against Christians and now that he is a Cardinal he is even more of a target...but he has willing accepted being a Cardinal.

I was able to get some pretty good pics of Cardinal DiNardo & Pope Benedict at the Consistory as they went past us. During the Consistory any time DiNardo's name was announced there were cheers throughout the Basilica - the Galveston-Houston Diocese was very well represented! I've read that there were at least over 600 people from the diocese that came for the event...but then someone else said they were told it was more like 3000 -- not sure what the actual count was, but it was A LOT! One thing Hilary & I noticed is that if someone from Texas brought a flag, 9 out of 10 times it was a Texas flag & not a US flag. This was confusing many people & we were asked several times if we were from Chile (since their country flag looks similar...blue is just half the length of the flag vs. full length).

The Consistory lasted about 2 hours, but it flew by! When it was over the couple from Houston we met in line asked if we were going to the reception for Cardinal DiNardo. Since we weren't part of any tour group we had no idea there was even a reception. They found a priest from Houston that had all the details & he actually lead us to the North American College (residence for American seminarians) where the reception was taking place. We walked in & the seminarians did a fantastic job greeting everyone, providing music & answering questions. There was finger food set out, drinks, and some jazz music. They had signs posted - receiving line for Cardinal DiNardo on one side & for Cardinal Foley (another American) on the other side. So Hilary & I made it toward the DiNardo side - maybe 50 people from the front. They said he was meeting with the media, so they weren't sure how long it would take. We didn't care - we were going to wait until we could see him & congratulate him! As we were in line I saw Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, the retired Archbishop of the Galveston-Houston Diocese (he is the one who confirmed me). I also saw a coworker from PwC Houston...in addition to just seeing a lot of faces I'm sure I've seen before...some of them I finally realized which church I've seen them at before! The Houston news crews were going by too. I got in a couple seconds of a Channel 2 video when they were talking to a priest (http://www.click2houston.com/video/14683403/index.html at about 1:53). We were interviewed by the Houston Chronicle too, but the apparently didn't use any of it. They did put a horrible picture of us on their website - but it's only chin down (the one in my pictures is MUCH better!)

Before Cardinal DiNardo arrived, we looked back at the line and it was all the way down the hall as far as the eye could see with more & more people arriving. When he arrived he took time to greet each person & take a picture with them. If you have not met him before, he is such great guy...very kind. But as Hilary & I are walking up to go see him, I was thinking to myself - what do you tell someone who has just knelt before the Pope & became a Cardinal?!?! 'Congratulations' I believe is all that came out...and 'An exciting day, isn't it??!' Because of the number of people in line, you couldn't talk to him for too long! But hey we saw him & took a picture with him THE DAY he became a Cardinal!

Another surprise was as we were leaving we passed this bishop that looked familiar...and I quickly realized it was Bishop Pat Zurek, who grew up and still has family in Wallis (my hometown). My parents knew him ever since he was little! So I was able to tell him HI and take a picture with him too!

The day was so exciting, but I was also exhausted...ended up taking a 5 hour 'nap'!

On Sunday was the mass celebrated by Pope Benedict in which the Cardinals received their rings. Hilary & I decided that if we were able to get really good seats on Saturday, we would get there a little later on Sunday - so we go to St. Peter's around 8ish (gates open at 8:30 & Mass at 10:30). When we got there, there were of course tons of people in line already. As we looked at the crowd we figured there was no way we would get inside St. Peters -- not with all those people! Once the gates opened we watched as hundreds of people rushed to get into the Basilica...many probably ones that weren't able to make it in for Sat. We got through security, but when we got closer to the Basilica they stopped the lines for a bit to see if the Basilica was full yet I suppose (they don't count the number of people as they go in). Then they let us go, but when we got to the front doors they told us to go the the right & we ended up going halfway around the Basilica on the outside. Then we went up this small stairwell & we arrived in the Basilica behind the high altar. But again they didn't count, so when we got there Hilary found a seat but I didn't. I thought there was a section right next to where we were that had seats, but as we went around they kept telling us to keep going until we got to the front of the Basilica. I finally asked a Swiss Guard if we needed to go outside & he told us that we could stay inside, but there were no more seats so we would have to stand. I was wearing heels again (wore them on Sat. too & my feet were killing me!), so I wasn't looking forward to standing for 4 hours straight, but was willing to do it if I had too. We were standing behind the last row of seats with a couple of Irish couples between us and the seats. After about an half hour of standing there, one of the Irish ladies taped me on the shoulder and said someone was looking for me. I was a bit confused because the only person I was with was Hilary, who was right next to me. So the Irish crowd parted so I could see who it was & it was a husband & wife that looked at me & asked 'Are you Lynette Uhyrek'?!? I guess for this to make sense I have to mention that my mom had emailed me to tell me that the couple that has the hardware store in East Bernard (small town next to my hometown) were going to Rome for all the events. My parents gave them my contact information & I actually told my mom maybe it would be good for them to at least show the couple a picture of me since I don't know what they look like & they probably wouldn't recognize me. I received an email from them, but they said they had a lot of things going on & weren't sure if we would be able to meet. So I look at this couple & ask 'Are you the Vacek's from East Bernard?" They said 'Yes we are!' I was just thinking how in the world did we actually run into each other amongst these hundreds (well thousands) of people?!? Then they ask if I would like to sit with them because they had an extra seat. I asked if they had a seat for my friend as well...and they did! So we actually got to sit with them! Mr. Vacek told me that he was actually praying the rosary & was scanning the crowd & just caught a glimpse of me. He said he couldn't see my whole face, but he thought I looked like the picture and apparently I look a lot like my mom too! Then he asked his wife and they were trying to decide & when they saw they Texas flag in my purse they figured it must be me! They also said they were saving a couple chairs for people in there group & felt a little bad saving the chairs with all the people standing, but in the end all of them were used! I just could not believe how it all happened - it was meant to be & I must have had angels guiding me...because if I didn't end up right in that spot, I probably would have never got to see them!

On Sunday I really didn't take that many pictures, but I did get a few of Cardinal DiNardo. The mass was about 2 hours long, but was very nice.

There were other events that took place on Monday & today, but I didn't get to go to any of those since I was working.

Overall it was an unbelievable experience. All the people I was able to see, experiencing the ceremony for the 1st Cardinal in the South and then being able to congratulate him THAT day only hours later, being so close to the Pope, being surrounded by other Catholics from all over the World....no other way to describe it except UNBELIEVABLE. And it also left me feeling very blessed...that I am...blessed in many ways!

Here's a link to my pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71162&l=f2f82&id=800405227

(I've having problems getting the pictures from Sunday to post, but hopefully in a day or so they will be there!)

Thanksgiving in Rome

I must say that holidays that are only celebrated in the US such as Thanksgiving are tough when you aren't in the US and not in a country with a lot of American expats! The 4th of July was my 1st holiday like that...but I guess since Thanksgiving has even more traditions I missed it a little more. Halloween isn't really celebrated here much (the small kids dress up & you will see some costumes in stores, etc.), but 1) I've never been really into Halloween & can't even remember the last time I dressed up on Halloween & 2) Nov. 1st is All Saints' Day, which is an Italian holiday and everyone gets it off...so to me that's better than Halloween! But going to work on Thanksgiving day just felt wrong - I haven't had to go to school/work on Thanksgiving my whole life...until this year!

At least for Thanksgiving this year I had a friend from Houston staying with me for a little over a week, so I had another American around to 'celebrate' the holiday with. Since I'm not much of a cook & had to work on Thanksgiving...making a homemade Thanksgiving meal was out of the question! I tried to find a Thanksgiving dinner for us to go to, but the only one I found was way too expensive. So then someone from work suggested going to Hard Rock...at least that's American food. BUT when we were waiting for the bus to go to Hard Rock (around 8pm), I called to make a reservation & they said they weren't taking reservations any more for the night & the wait was almost 2 hours! So we dropped that plan. The only other place I could think of that served at least semi-American food was this bar down the street from me called the Bulldog Inn. So my friend & I headed there, scanned the menu & determined that cheeseburgers were as American as we could get. So there we sat Thanksgiving day, on small bar stools in a bar (American style bar, not Italian) in Rome, eating our cheeseburgers in celebration of Thanksgiving! (I figure it's the only time I can justify passing up the pizza & pasta for a cheeseburger anyway.) It wasn't a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but good just the same. I did get a turkey fillet at an Italian restaurant the next evening - so at least I got a fix for that craving. I'm still craving some green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with cinnamon & pecans, dressing, and some pie! Don't think I'll find all that here though....so guess I better learn to bake all that myself!

New Pictures & a video

It's been a while since I've posted anything on this blog...and it's not because I don't have anything to write...I just haven't had the time. Here are some links to pictures and a video that I've taken over the last several weeks. I'll try to write a blog about my experiences related to these pictures later (before I forget!). For now I hope you enjoy the pictures & video.

MTV Concert
Pictures taken at the MTV concert held here in Rome (another in Milan) on Sept. 15th celebrating 10 years of MTV in Italy.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53086&l=4b80d&id=800405227

Basilica di San Giovanni Battista de'Florentini
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53332&l=ed5d4&id=800405227

Ostina - beach near Rome
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53337&l=60460&id=800405227

Trip to Munich, Germany
Sept. 21-23rd I joined some of my friends living in Holland (from Houston, but on assignment in Holland) in Munich, Germany. We were there for the 1st day of Oktoberfest.

Dachau concentration camp: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55406&l=b057c&id=800405227

Oktoberfest: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55442&l=da36c&id=800405227

Beer & Brewery Tour: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55450&l=8ab5a&id=800405227

Misc. Munich pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55458&l=51479&id=800405227


This weekend
This past weekend I had my 1st apartment guests - my friends living in Holland drove down to Rome for a basketball game & stayed with me for the weekend. We had a blast spending time together, going around Rome, and attending a soccer game.

Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59236&l=e5970&id=800405227

Video taken at an Italian soccer game: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=19693050

Links to pictures from vacation & other misc. stuff

I've finally posted my vacation pictures & some others I've recently taken. Here are the links:

Abano Terme, Italy: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50240&l=b610f&id=800405227
Belgium Part 1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50502&l=66702&id=800405227
Belgium Part 2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50506&l=1c202&id=800405227
Open Air Museum: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50535&l=9413c&id=800405227
Amsterdam: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50524&l=b9d1c&id=800405227
Various Holland pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50538&l=abb2c&id=800405227
Trip to the US: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50546&l=59e96&id=800405227
A day in Rome: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51860&l=36126&id=800405227

Enjoy!

Sept. 3, 2007

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all are enjoying a very relaxing day off with friends & family or however you decided to spend your holiday!
Well my first trip back to the US and the return to Rome! I must say when I first got back to Rome it seemed a bit weird. I went from being back home where it was easy to do things, to communicate with people, and where I could just be more relaxed…to a place where I feel like I have to be more on my toes & am more confused that relaxed! It didn’t help I arrived tired and again had trouble getting the key out of my lock (olive oil helped again!). And then I used the toilet & ever since I can’t get the water to stop running (thank goodness it’s no where close to overflowing, but still annoying). At least I can use it because it’s basically constantly flushing! I emailed and called my landlady, but still no reply after at day. I hope to get that fixed soon.
I’m still trying to adjust back to the time here and slept in very late this morning - good thing I took the day off! Yesterday I slept for 5 hours in the afternoon when I got in…I originally laid down for a 2 or 3 hour nap. I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll be okay for work, which is why I’ll have to cut this blog short and get to bed soon (it’s already past the time I had planned to go to sleep!).
Coming back to Rome this time was a bit easier. At least I know how to get around on the buses & metros and didn’t even have to look at my map at all today when I was going around town (although I still carry it with me always!). I also got two big things accomplished:
1) I got the new Vonage box to work (since I blew the fuse in the last one!), so now I can be connected with everyone back home again. Up until now the only time I called home was when I left my mom a voicemail on her birthday in July. Yes believe it or not I went 2 months without calling home! Today alone I talked to my mom & my sister! Yay!! If I went 2 months without talking to them, now that I’m connected things have to be a bit easier!
2) I got my annual bus/metro pass today! I was warned about the long lines to get things and everything taking forever here in Italy, and up until today I didn’t have too much of a problem with that. But at the place to get my pass I had to wait in line for over an hour (in a building with no air conditioning) because although they had about 10 windows for clerks, only 2 were opened. And then people were shouting at the clerks about stuff. And at one point the police came in and made an announcement about something (I have no clue what) and a lot of people got mad and were yelling stuff at the cops about the fact that it wasn’t written on the sign on the door. I was worried that once I got up to the front they would give me an application and tell me to come back later. Fortunately they gave me an application to fill out there, I gave them one picture and my passport and oh about 10 minutes later they gave me my card. At least now I don’t have to worry about buying a bus or metro ticket for the next year! I was also glad I decided to go get it on my day off & not after work, because then I would have probably waited and then they would close before I got up to the front.

Tonight I had to go get a gelato from my favorite place and take a walk through Piazza Navona and St. Peter’s Square. The temperature here is great too – in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s I believe. I have to walk around the city every now and then to remember why I like being here so much! ;-)
Well that’s in for now because it’s way past my bedtime!

Sept. 1, 2007 - Trip back to the US

September 1, 2007
Trip back to the US
Well my trip back to the US didn’t start out so well. My suitcase was delayed in arriving to Orlando and I didn’t get it until Saturday night, which was a day after I arrived! As things seem to go with my trips though…once I got the suitcase, things were much better!
The whole purpose for my trip back to the US was for me to attend training in Orlando (at a hotel in Disney World) from Monday afternoon (August 27th) thru Wednesday afternoon. Since I was already in the US, I decided to make a short trip back home as well.
I decided to arrive early to recover from the jet lag & to be able to have some relaxing time in the Florida sun before training started. Unfortunately there were thunderstorms that came through every late afternoon/evening for several hours Friday through Sunday, so I didn’t even make it to the pool until Monday morning before my training started. A couple of my coworkers arrived Saturday evening, so I went to Animal Kingdom with them on Sunday which was fun.
It was interesting to go back home even after this short period of being away. First of all it was different being in an airport where everything was in English and basically only English was being spoken around me. I was actually glad that my layover going to Orlando was in Atlanta…in the South. It was great to be able to say ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘yes sir’ and to hear it back! I was born and raised in the South and no matter where I go there will always be a piece of me that will be that ‘Southern girl’. When I was in the Atlanta airport I ended up sitting at a table with this guy from South Carolina and we talked a bit and he asked where I was from. I told him I was living in Rome, blah , blah, blah and when I got up to leave he told me ‘You take care of yourself in Rome, okay!?!’ And of course my response was ‘Yes sir I will!’
Another thing was that I’ve gotten use to in Rome is the price of things being with tax included…and I realized I like that better than having it added on at the end. I know I’ve gone my whole life the other way, but I like going to the counter knowing exactly what I will have to pay (and no I’m not good at doing the tax in my head!) Walking around Downtown Disney on Saturday I also noticed something that I knew, but never really paid attention to before…it is true that America is overweight. Going from Europe where it isn’t as much of a problem to the US, you notice the difference. (Not to offend anyone, but I’m not pointing out anything not already known.)
Seeing my colleagues at training was great! This was just training for partners and managers, so I didn’t get to see all the colleagues we worked with but did see many. This is the only partner & manager training for 2007 that people on assignments outside the US can go to, so I also got to talk to the other expats. Even the little things were great…like being around people who actually realize that you got a haircut or that you got more tan. Of course I did get told I’m already “Euro”, but to me I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. ;-)
I went back to Houston/Wallis to see family and friends on Wednesday night thru this morning, which really wasn’t much time. I am still glad I went though, even if it was for a short time. I spent one day just running errands and barely got them all in. It was the first time I have driven in 2 months too, so that was a little weird at first. I was glad to see the family & friends that I did see in the short amount of time. I had to keep reminding myself that I still have an apartment in Rome because going around running errands and visiting with family & friends it almost felt like I’ve never moved. I also had to get in some of my favorite food I’ve been missing – PF Chang’s, Chuy’s (Mexican food), and Vincek’s BBQ!! I also made a trip to Wal-Mart with my dad to pick up a few things I haven’t been able to find around here. I ended up with my suitcase 15 lbs over the limit, so maybe I brought back too much stuff! Oh and my Uncle took me for a ride on his new Harley – that was fun too!
Although I do miss home, I am a bit excited to return to Rome. One because I’m tired of living out of a suitcase for over 2 weeks and also because I’m ready to get back to getting accustomed to life in Rome. I think I got the relaxation I needed and the training I went to really did motivate me from the work aspect to want to do my best at work, so I’m hoping when I return I will have a client schedule and can get to do actual work!
I decided to take Monday off (Monday is not a holiday for me in Italy) to recover from the flight & to do some errands I need to in Rome. Hopefully I’ll be ready to go bright & early Tuesday morning.
I better go, my battery is about to die! I still have several hours left to go on the flight, so I guess I better get some sleep!
Ciao!