I Am Back

It has been so long since I have written in my blog, I am sure people have forgotten about me and my stories from Italy. I do still sometimes have people mention my blog so that is inspiring. Recently I came into some spare time and so I decided to give it another try.

Italy continues to be wonderful to me. Most days I feel lucky to be here. I still find some things very funny but certainly not as much as before. I stopped writing for awhile because things just didn't seem as funny anymore...like: biking to buy bread in a skirt and heels is now normal; having the butcher cut my meat fresh in front of me is the only way and thinking a winter jacket by Armani for 450 euros is a 'good buy'. I have to admit I have changed. I hope for the better.

But the main reason there has been such a gap of time in my last blog entry is I simply ran out of time. I went from not working to getting a job, being on the Board of Directors for my women's club and still being super housewife. No more could my friends email me saying stuff like, 'what do you DO all day?' I think it started to bother my family a bit as well. I think they meant well...just a little jealous that I now had time to run, drink coffee with my friends and keep the house immaculate. But when I entered back into my old, familiar world of working, everyone felt better. I was a working woman again. Well part-time working woman (three days a week) but at least I was getting up at 6.30, dragging myself to the bus and squeezing myself into a train, like most other hardworking Americans should.

It was wonderful to finally be making money again, I have to admit. Our first year of marriage was stressful for us. All of a sudden we were down to one salary for two people. You can't have the same lifestyle and carefree ways you had when you were single. Plus not to mention how not working can play tricks on your mind ('What DO I do all day?'). So the two salaries were nice...and I got used to it. I started to feel like I was contributing alot more to the family. And that was nice.

Unfortunately six months later, I lost my job when the girl I had apparently been hired to replace, came back from a two year maternity leave. Can you imagine? Here in Italy, you can go on maternity leave for 2 years (being paid for most of that time by your employer and some contributions from the government) and then, go back to your job. Can you imagine that system in America and how nice that would be? Certainly better than returning to the office crying after having spent only 3 months with your newborn child. Anyway, good for her. For me, it was time to figure out my next step.

About a week after losing my job, I hopped on a plane to Mallorca, Spain to see my husband who was there for work. On the plane, I met some clients from my old company and we started talking and by the time the plane landed, they had offered me a job working for them. So now, I am a salesman for bijoux, selling costume jewelry to stores. It sounds nice but I haven't made any money yet as I work on commission and it's probably the worst time in history to be selling anything. But I have faith..and one day it will happen.

So that is my story. And now I am here with you again. I hope you can forgive me for the time that has passed. I promise to make up for it.