Learning to Swim

Ciao a tutti il mio amici,

Pronto! I am halfway through my last week of classes here. Today was the first day that I understood everything that was being said and taught to me. I cried tears of joy about that too.

OK! I am accepting and forgiving myself. It’s not unreasonable barriers in my brain. All the new students that have arrived this past week are at about my level. They have all studied Italian informally at home for about a year. One man, an Italian American from Las Vegas, even used that expensive software “Rosetta Stone”. Another student used a different CD listening and learning tool like myself. They are all of the same opinion…

Learning how to speak the Italian language is extremely complicated and well, just damned hard!

Whew! I am not unreasonably resistant or closed to learning. I believe I am open minded and eager to learn. I think that sometimes they move a little too fast in these classes for the average brain to intercept, and process. I am starting to teach myself in more gentle ways, finding the keys, and the bridges, to help my brain remember the difficult concepts. Also I am starting to accept the fact, that sometimes I cannot take it for 4 hours a day! This intensive language and culture course is just sometimes, too intense for me! Frank, the man from Las Vegas likened being in language class, to being in the dentists chair! PAINFUL! A saving grace… there are two common words that are the same in both languages. Okay and No. I use them both, maybe too much lol lol.

Full immersion without floaters can cause DROWNING!

All this immersing, cracking, expanding, drowning and learning to swim has taught me so much it will take months to process and practice what I have learned. And, it will take years to be proficient. From all the way across seas, I have found a few Italian speakers back home to help me practice. Bellissima! Odd that I could not find them before when I was home, taking my first steps… sola.

I am starting to think a little bit about going home. I definitely have mixed feelings about that. I feel both eager and also have a sense of panic that rises…oh no!

What I will miss:

The beautiful sunrises, my Guardian Angel, the view from my bedroom window (sea, harbor, forest and ruins), the foods (the many cheap plentiful varieties of seafoods, cheeses and wines), the beautiful and kind people, the music, the dances, the church bells ringing, the intensely bright blue of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, the Passeggiata, my teachers and the learning, the scents (the seas, bread and pastries baking, chamomile), Rosa, the bird songs, the quickening, the Tree of Life, euros, the beautiful worked stone buildings, the sunsets and writing this blog. Maybe I will keep it up for a little while.

What I look forward to:

Seeing my girls, Yota and Puma, seeing Holland for the first time with Loes and Jozè, my newly redecorated kitchen, my Humboldt friends, keeping in touch with Agnès, hanging my mosaic, Eternal Lands and my guild mates, the Mateel, my BIG bed, KMUD, teaching how to make pasta and cook southern Italian style, my computer, making a slideshow and showing it, the redwoods, finding more people to speak Italian with, teaching people to dance the Pizzica, picking hypericum on Solstice, suing British Airways, losing the 10lbs I’ve gained, paying my debts and coming back to Southern Italy.

What I am bringing back with me:

New skills in linguistics, cooking, dance and art, The BEST olive oil, some music, memories, Mediterranean sea salt, thousands of photos, a few jars of the big capers, a little more confidence, a few trinkets for family and friends, an espresso pot and Italian caffè, a cookbook, some Italian made clothes, plans and ideas, tarallini, 4 notebooks full of writings, Italian vegetable seeds, and a renewed spirit.

The BIG questions now are… how will I get all that into my luggage, and tote it too? And will my luggage make it home with me?? Say a prayer for me and my luggage please.

My love goes out to you all. See you soon. Presto!