From 2002-2010, I spent my life in Europe. The first years in England, but my last in Bellissima Italia...
I spent a little more than 3 years in Italy, enjoying every moment there! My " tempo italiano" technically began through my many adventures with the Italian Exchange. I met several amazing people that changed my life forever! In 2007, I made a life changing decision... I left the day before my 18th birthday and moved to the small Italian city of Perugia.
Perugia is a beautiful city, full of architecture, foreigners, and lets not forget the Perugina Chocolate! This was the scariest decision of my life. I can still remember all the emotions I felt as my mom took me to the airport. I was excited, but scared, thinking only: "What if no one spoke English? Who would be there to help me if I had a problem?" I made it to Italy... and after a rocky first day (my 18th birthday).. it turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life! My first day... I had to find my way around, get to an Italian placement test, meet my landlady, move into my apartment... And of course, my landlady spoke no English, so I did not understand a thing... my placement test? They put me in A2 instead of the A1 course, which really worried me.. the move was the only good part of the day.
In the next weeks, I met several people who I now consider to be my closest friends. Two in particular have been there for me through so many ups and downs in my life and they continue to be there for me, leaving a huge impression in my life! What I would have done without Gina & Sara while I was in Perugia.. I do not know! And quite frankly can't imagine the city without them! We all spent the next months together, traveling, going to pubs, drinking, going to discos.. shopping!
When it was time for us all to go, we shared our tearful goodbyes as my friends returned back to the US, and I went home to England.... but I couldn't stay away from Italy long...
Summer 2008 - Another memory, never forgotten... On June 24, 2008, I began talking with an Italian (Diego) on Skype who wanted to learn some English, although our conversations ended up being in Italian, which improved my Italian, but not so much his English...What started out being a friendship evolved into an online relationship as he asked "vuoi essere la mia ragazza?"... Thinking that this would just be an online relationship, I said "Si" and we became a virtual couple.. almost inseparable. Every moment of the day that wasn't spent working or with family was spent with him... this went on until August 2008.
August 30, 2008 - This was the day Diego and I actually met, face to face, at the airport. My mother and I flew to Italy (she came along to help me get situated in my new apartment for University in Rome). He paid for our taxis to my apartment, for dinner, he even spent 60 euro to get a hotel room down the street for the night so that he could be there in the morning (he lived in a town called Rieti which was a few hours from Rome)...We spent that weekend together and our relationship became permanent...
One year and nine months later we were married on May 19, 2010. Although most family and friends couldn't attend, some of my closest friends from school and Diego's family came to celebrate the day with us! It was absolutely wonderful. With Refat and Dafne as my bridesmaids, nothing went wrong. They helped me through every step and I am eternally grateful!
Since last May, we have moved in with my family in Noble, Oklahoma while Diego finally improves his English! I am finishing school.. and of course on the seemingly never ending job hunt...We both miss Italy so much and I have decided that I am going to try to bring some more Italian to our everyday lives... not only through our language... but also through new Italian recipes that I am learning....
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