casa mia

Yesterday I arrived in Venice after an exhausting two days worth of travel. Out of my three flights, two of them (home to LAX and JFK to Venice) were red-eyes. Needless to say, I didn't sleep more than an hour for the entire trip and my eyes were practically bloodshot.

I breezed through customs and waited about 15 minutes before my luggage came. Then, (pulling two huge suitcases, a rolling carry-on, and a backpack) I ventured out into the pick-up area of the airport. Scanning the sign-holders, I didn't see my name anywhere, nor did I see anyone that looked like Lorena, the woman who said she was picking me up. 

Side note - Lorena was originally supposed to be my first host mom and I was to live with her, her husband, and their two daughters. BUT due to a research project that she was accepted into, she and her family will now be living near Como for most of the year. 

I glanced at the clock. It was 20 minutes past the time we had planned on meeting and honestly I was getting a little worried. Here I was, in the middle of a frenzied crowd of travelers and greeters, not knowing anybody and completely alone. I wasn't even sure I was in the right place to meet her but I didn't think that going out and exploring was a very good idea. 

So, I called the phone number that Lorena had given me. When a woman answered the phone, a wave of relief washed over me. Unfortunately, this was short-lived because the woman informed me that she was not Lorena and that I had called the house phone and not Lorena's cell phone. She told me that Lorena had left for the airport so at least I knew that I was forgotten about. I really didn't understand the rest of the conversation. 

As I anxiously scanned the crowd for a familiar face, I was overwhelmed with the sense of vulnerableness. In that moment, that's when my decision to spend my year in Italy really sunk in. This was no longer just words on paper or thoughts in my head. This is real life and it's not going to be a walk in the park. 

Out of the darkness, my savior came. I spotted Lorena in a floral maxi dress walking quickly towards me with a shopping bag in one hand and a potted plant in the other. Trailing her were three teenagers.
I waved and ran (okay, more of an awkwardly brisk walk) to hug her, greeting them all with smiles and cheek baci.

We drove back to Padova (less than an hour) and to her house where we ate lunch. One of the kids was Lorena's daughter (Bianca) and the other two were best friends of Lorena's oldest daughter (Magdelena and Martino). After lunch, Lorena drove me to my official host mom's home where we met and quickly bonded.

The house is absolutely beautiful. Rosy-orange and three stories tall, it really is something out of a moive. Today I will go with Lorena to get school, swimming, and other things situated while my host mom works (a school teacher).

Abbracci e baci,
Sarah