Italia

I just returned from a two week trip to Italy. I wanted my own little “Eat, Pray, Love,” vacation. However, I never really got past the “Eat” part and it turned more into an “Eat, Pray That I Don’t Gain Weight, Love the Tiramisu.” I’m sure Italian lovin’ is nice, but have you tried a Tiramisu shaped like a plant and made primarily of cream? Food in Italy is a religion and a religious experience. The meals I had spoke to me in a profound way. My carbonara gave me hope and told me that everything would be OK. (Though not sure if that’s true…).

For months before I left I fantasized about eating pasta and drinking wine. A few hours after I arrived I walked into an “osteria” near my hotel in not the greatest area of Mestre. But the moment I entered the rustic room and sat down with some bread and prosecco and carbonara, I wanted to cry. Rarely in life is reality better than the fantasy, but when it comes to pasta in Italy that was true for me.

Seriously, though I was a little shocked by how much I enjoyed it. Normally, I just eat to live. Like if I could put spinach, eggs and oranges into a pill capsule and go about my day I would consider that an efficient use of time.

Since I returned people keep asking me if Italians hated on me for being American. I was a little worried myself that they might spit in my food. But if they did, that spit tasted pretty good too.

My main concern in Italy was that I was worried if I told people I was an American they would spit on me. But first of all, 100% of Italians thought I was Italian.  Once they heard my American accent I could see the look of mild irritation mixed with resigned tolerance that passed over their face. am by the actions of this new administration. I told people how embarrassed and mortified I am by the actions of this new administration. However, I was assured that the US has always been embarrassing.  And dictators are nothing new to the rest of the world (hello Mussolini). It was like we have been devirginized….”you never forget your first trade wars.”

Anyway, there is something about being in a country where there are remnants of the world thousands of years old.  Wars, plagues, corruption…it’s all been done before. I just hope we get through it in my lifetime.