Auguri, Italia!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ITALY!!! Ti amo, non ti voglio lasciare! Non pensavo che sarei così triste alla fine dell'anno.... Solo 4 settimane rimaste, che schiffo!

There was totally the cutest guy at the Attigliano train station today. He was adorable, with the whole shaggy hair look going on - and he was wearing shorts, which means he wasn't totally Italian, right? I mean, real Italians, aka lascivious ones who smoke and swagger and wear bling, never wear shorts. Therefore shorts in Italy = nice guy. How could logic like that go wrong? Anyway, he lives in Viterbo and sometimes he's in the lunch line at the Mensa....

Anyway, it's Italy's independence day today, April 25th. Peregrine called out to me as I was eating my gelato (pure chocolate and brownie paste, MMMM), "Happy 4th of July!" For a split second I just felt my stomach drop; I honestly thought it was July 4th and I'd forgotten. And then reason jumped into my thought process and reminded me that, oh wait, it's April, and I'm not even going to be here when July rolls around. And you know what? I never even celebrate the 4th that much, but the simple thought of being out of the country for it was absolutely terrifying. It was tough enough having Thanksgiving here; suddenly American holidays hold so much more weight for me than they ever did. I can't wait to go down to the bridge and watch those Rose Bowl fireworks. I can't say I love everything about America (cough*THE GOVERNMENT*cough), but July 4th represents the things to me that make it such a freaking awesome country. Like free speech, and cheerios, and being able to wear shorts outside without getting harassed, and Trader Joe's, and the palm trees on Mendocino, and how diverse everything and everyone is, and how many different cities there are that make it awesome to travel within the country, and the Grand Canyon, and the Science Fiction museum in Seattle in the music building, and clam chowder in bread bowls, and by god I miss it all!

Hey guys. One month from today, I fly to New York from Italy. Thursday, May 25th. Man!