Long time gone

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Well, of all the thousands of potentially interesting things that have happened to me and around me since I last wrote a blog, I can't seem to think of any when it actually comes down to writing it down.... though I suppose I will have to do my best.
Labor day weekend my friends threw me a surprise going away party, It was a bit premature, but there wasn't any other time I wasn't busy. I didn't expect it in the least despite what now seem to be pretty obvious hints. I gather it was organized for the most part by my second host sister Giulia, and was all outside in the olive orchard about my second host house. There was a BBQ Italian style, so very good sausages, and all of the friends and acquaintances I have made this year. It was just so sweet!
I while back we had our last Rotary trip; we went to a "refuge" up in the mountains overlooking lake Como. It was an absolutely gorgeous two days of hiking about and cartwheels in the lush grass of early summer. There are several students among us that play the guitar, so at night we all sat around a campfire singing songs and laughing into the star sprinkled sky. At the end of the second day we got a tour through an old lead mine that was very interesting and a cute way to finish the trip. By the end we were all exhausted from little sleep, lots of hiking, and too much sun, but even as we snipped and grumbled about achy legs and empty stomachs, we had a fantastic time.
I hope it isn't obvious in this blog, but the other exchange students and I have noticed that the longer we are here, the worse our English gets and the less able we are to notice or correct out mistakes. When we are together we talk sort of a mash of Italian and English, speaking mostly English with a few brutalized Italian words or phrases falling in here and there completely transformed until they sound like other English words. The main problem with that is after a while of using word that may or may not really exist, and hearing it used by others, it's easy to forget "girotastic" makes no sense to an English speaker OR to an Italian speaker. Then there is the matter of using Italian grammar while speaking English, saying things like " Or you can go or you can stay" instead of either... or. I'm sure it will go away fairly quickly once we return to our respective homes, but it is quite a funny phenomenon.
As remaining days in Italy grow fewer and fewer, I feel like the things I need to do are getting more and more numerous, but general tiredness keeps me from doing half of it, so that is my excuse for taking so long to post this last blog. Randomly throughout the day I will be hit by a wave of deep melancholy at the thought of my departure, mixed with a certain amount of excitement to be going home. I have never had such a perfect example of the word bittersweet.

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Comments

[Oleg Harencar]

I really enjoyed reading this one Julia. Your writing has definitely improved. It has matured I suppose, as you have as well.