My City!

2007

Today, I headed to Milan, needing a moment alone in my own head. The sun was shining, as if it were summer. Yet, the sky had a crisp glow exclaiming to everyone it was clearly fall. I headed toward the castle, feeling alive and comfortable in my new found city. Admiring the installation art that lined Via Dante from National Geographic, I couldn’t help but be thankful for the status of my heart. After spending a weekend in Scotland, where life was easy to navigate and live. A place where English was celebrated and people in sweaters and blue eyes were everywhere, I checked my heart and realized Milan is where I am supposed to be. How thankful I was to be happy to be back. I had been worried. Worried that after a weekend away, I would not look forward to returning to a land I could hardly communicate in. A place where everything seems to take just a little longer, where nothing seems easy or comfortable.

After running into Mike Amodio, my teaching partner, at the National Geographic exhibit, I had one of those perfect fall days. Where the sun is shining and the air smells of dry, dead leaves. But instead of smelling morbid, it smells better than some of the most fragrant flowers. It is the smell of change. It was one of those days, that you can’t help but meander down unfamiliar streets and can’t help but look and listen to what the world has to say.

As we walked through the city, I almost felt as if I had truly started to believe Mike’s mission statement about living in the moment. Or perhaps I was starting to love Italy. Italy, just one long walk that has nothing to do with the final destination. Thank god the Italians schedule in times for amazing food and wine. For, it is truly a beautiful place. Perhaps, I now understand why the men want to wear sparkles on their pants.