Home for a Holiday
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Sort of. I had a great time. The very first day I went grocery shopping with my friend Jane, whose house I occupied. We went to Costco, an iconic American experience, and I ate a Hebrew National hotdog, another iconic experience. That night we were invited to eat at Judith’s house and she made meatloaf and baked potatoes! Three definitive American things in one day.
Later in the week Jane and eg squabbled. Ahh! They still love me enough to fight around me!
Shop, shop, shop. I must be in America!
Then I went to NY and was forced to play la signora, because my unzipped-to-make-them-bigger-suitcases were too heavy to lift, so I had Redcaps both ends. Swooshed off from Penn Station to Riverside Drive and a few days with another beloved friend. The next morning I woke up to this picture
That made me come back inside and take this picture. 
Sounds kind of like my first days back to Indianapolis for the holidays this winter–lots of Americana in just one sitting. Anyway, hope you’re having a good time back in the states.
Hi, sounds like a lot of work and fun too? I sure hope you had a nice trip back home. After 3 years? I would love to go home and see the family and stock up on stuff too. I am glad your back safe and sound.
What I am having is re-entry pangs. I do miss my US intimate relationships, in which one can talk about real things and use the subjunctive.
I don’t find that Italian friends want to go much below the surface of things with me.
Judith I know what you mean…I have a lot to say about the general superficiality of our relationships with italian friends (particularly those “girlfriend people” in our lives). It’s a problem. I have recently made some great connections with long time Italian-resident american women….many of them have been here up to 20 years and have not made any sort of real connection with italian friends. Eeek. That’s a lotta years. I guess what I want to say is that I really value ALL the new friendships I’m making among other expats, and also that I expect THOSE to be what will, ultimately, sustain and feed my need for connection in my future (which I expect will probably be the rest of my life) here in Italy.