Funny thing happened when driving in Firenze...

So yesterday I thought it would be a better idea to pick the girls via l'automobile. BAD IDEA!! In the current mindset I was in it turned out to be a bad idea. The rest should make you all laugh or what to laugh at me(if you know how I am when I am nervous). It's pretty funny.

Anyways, I got them in the car, alas my first mistake, make sure Maria has a chu chou aka pacifier. Couldn't find it while I was driving like a mad woman to get home as soon as possible so she would stop the whining and screaming in the car "CHU CHOU....VOGLIO CHU CHOU!!!!!!!!!"

I went to my happy place and just breathed in and out. When it came to my next challenged to find a parking spot outside the house and park it well. Easier said then done, at least with a manual car it was difficult. I can parallel park at home fine, with an automatic. Dunque, however, I found a parking spot, ECCOLO!!!!!

As I persue the parking spot I realize I am parking horribly. The girls are asking me all these questions and saying "HO FAME, VADO A CASA, DOVE LA MAMMA???"

At this point my head is screaming "AHHHHHHHHHH SHUT UP!!" But alas my face was saying....ok the say, "Che cazzo, Che cazzo facendo katie??" Wait...it gets better....then I realize I am now holding up traffic with a GRANDE bus waiting for me to park. So picture this, I have children in the car, asking me random questions(in italian), I have almost dented the car in front of me and now I have a FUCKIN bus waiting for me to park a normal parking job. I decide to get out of the way and try another one. I first, stall 2 times in front of the bus feeling like I am some sort of a comedic actor on stage. HAHA!!! So I finally get out of the way and make my way around the block to try again. As I am driving this way, Carolina says "You are stupido." WOW.....I just went back to my happy place and ignored them and parked, horribly, but I parked the damn car. Wasn't that hilarious!!!???

I really thought about it as I was coming up the elevator with the child that called me stupid and thought, 'yes katie that was a hilarious situation I just put myself thru. Don't let this ruin the time I am with the kids. I might as well just create it into something HILARIOUS invece something horrible.' So I did.... V said nothing about the horrible park job so I was like, whatever(a common American saying for who the fuck cares). I decided at that moment I will never, ok maybe not never, but not when I return to buy a stick shift car. I feel more comfortable with my 'boring automatic car' as V once said, 'what is this cruise control thing you have, that isn't driving.' Whatever V, that is driving in the States.

Prima volta guidare...

Yesterday was the first time I picked up the girls with V's car. It was a great accomplishment for me. As I turned the corner of the small street where the school lies, a HUGE truck was in reverse trying to get out of the small street and eventually make it to the main road where the stoplight is. I said to myself, ok Katie where is a good place to manuever this car? Ok I wish I was a little more calm, but I was fine. I stalled just once trying to back up and then pull in on the left side of the road where it was clear. I paralleled parked and waited as the huge, ginormous truck backed up behind me. As I pulled out, I thought, well it is just that easy. To be calm, know how to work the car, it was just fine.

As I reached the schools, I found a perfect spot to park, away from the hustle and bustle of the Italian mothers, on the other side of Maria's school. I then sat and waited, read my book, and called my Dad to tell him I made it once again. "So proud of you," he said. Made me feel once again, that I really can conquer anything if I put my mind to it. Nothing can stop me. I truly believe that.

So as I walked the girls to the car, strapped then in, and we were on our way home, approx. 15 minutes. I made the green light at the hill I always stall on so I felt great about that. The hill is very hard to work through but I hope as I drive more and more I will eventually conquer that hill. It is like my Everest, to say the least or the most in my case. That hill consists of 4 different stoplights with 4 different roads that have certain ways to turn and drive through. Each light goes off one at a time for each different direction. It is nothing like Walkup Ave and Rte 176 in Crystal Lake(my town). This is a very complicated intersection. Anyways once I conquer this hill without stalling, I will let you all know.

Ok enough about driving and intersections, sorry to bore you. These past few days I have been under the weather. I think because of the constant change in weather, it is 65 degrees one day and 40 degrees the next. I haven't been out in awhile which is fine with me. I can't go out every night, that is not my style anymore. No longer am I a 21 year old 'let's get drunk all the time' type of woman. I like staying in and going to bed at like 10 and waking up feeling refreshed. It is a great feeling being refreshed for a new day.

Oh I have another visitor this weekend, my Uncle Dave is in town tonight I believe, and is staying until Sunday I believe. We are going to hang out all Saturday, day and night. It will be great to introduce him to all my friends and take him a nice authentic Italian ristorante or trattoria. It shall be a fun fino settimana!!

I can honestly say...I am an Italian Driver!

This afternoon, I drove to and from the school. AND had only one stall (it wasn't on a hill either.) YEAH FOR ME!!! V said I could pick Maria up with the car but I think I will drive a few more times to be more sure of myself and the car. Complimenti per me!!!!!!!!

Sola ho parlata italiano...per favore...

I started my (seems like 8th) italian classe. I venture to Centro Internazionale Studenti Giorgio La Pira, vicino Piazza Repubblica. I really like the class. Claudia is our insegnante(teacher) and she is very bubbly and helpful. I felt I was able to speak rather well at first. Then when it came to describe what we did over Capadonno(La Befana), I was speaking in a bunch of incomplete sentences. I felt like an idiot. For those that don't me personally, I am sooooo hard on myself, let it be with soccer, work, life, friends, speaking a different language. I WANT TO BE PERFECT!! VOGLIO PERFETTO ESSERE!!! I am pretty sure that is wrong. But if you know the right answer please be kind, cuz I am one that will for some reason, feel like a complete idiot for a good 2 hours after being told. Yeah....I need to become more confident in speaking italian. That is all. I just need to DO IT! Damn it just do it!!

I met a danish girl in my class, she doesn't speak that much inglese, so I hope to hook up with here and speak only italiano!! How great would that be???

I just can't find a way to back down, cuz I know, knowing me, like I am doing now, stalling until there isn't time for Valentina to take me driving.

I really need to drink more...vino that is. I need to relax and find a way of not getting so tense and nervorso about everything!

I am going to buy a pilates mat in the next few days so I can find peace in this experience instead becoming a tense American, who isn't fun to live with. If anyone can give me some encouragement for this dilemma I am creating for myself, I would truly appreciate it!

Domani e nuovo giorno!!

a presto

Success in driving stick

I drove stick shift with my friend Emmanuel tonight. IN TRAFFIC!!! I stalled at a stoplight about 4 times. Yea I was freaking out!!!! Emmanuel just told me to relax and listen to the car. Don't worry about the light or the 3 cars behind me. HAHA!! I got thru the light and the half hour I was in the car. Damn!! I asked him after I got back to my automatic car....How did you think I did?? He said "Like a pro, all you need to do now is practice. And it is good that you learned on a European car cuz this is what you will be driving." He was so helpful and wonderful to have let me use his car, correction his brother's car. I gave him a gas gift card for teaching me. HE is fabulous!!

I am glad I am learning this. It is a great thing to be able to try new things and feel successful in doing said things, i.e. driving stick shift. I believe it makes you stronger in the end. I really liked driving stick. It was so fun!! Once I got the hang of it.

The last days of packing and goodbyes. 5 days.....