Silenzio Bruno

When I was preparing for my trip to Italy, I was essentially working three jobs in order to pay for my trip and I still had to take out a loan. My job at HEB, a side hustle with Favor, and then organizing a bake sale that will probably return after I get settled back into San Marcos. I think it was easy for me to get discouraged and worried that I wouldn't make it to Italy. Even then, I feared that even if I did make it, I would be in financial ruin. I had hit a dry spot for my novel, where I had moments stuck in my head but no way to write them and, as stated in an earlier post, suffering through the messy middle.

When these thoughts came up or I had a particularly rough day there were two movies I would put on. Those two would be Luca and The Lizzie McGuire Movie. A little on the nose because of its Italian setting. Luca is inspired by the sea towns and stories of sea monsters (after further research I believe the fictitious town of Portorosso was inspired by the Puglia region) and The Lizzie McGuire Movie set primarily in Rome but I don't think there was a deeper story to be told when compared to Luca. Despite how obvious these choices were given where I was going, I had a purpose for these movies. They were reminding me what I was working so hard for. That my hard work was for something.

I'm writing this post while waiting for my flight back into Austin, a day later than expected, and I'm behind on posts surely. I will be back on track after some proper rest. (I'm also writing this with 3 hours of sleep under my belt after being awake for 24 hours, so please be kind.) However, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how I got here and how I feel a little saddened by my departure. I did my final walk listening to music and crying in front of the Coliseum. Much like my farewell post to Sorrento, I had this feeling of being ready to return to my friends and family but not ready to leave Italy. After all, I had so much I wanted to do, things I wanted to see, foods to eat, things to write about; and more importantly, I began to picture a life for myself in Italy very early on in my time. My mom told her boss that if it wasn't for her, my other family, and my friends, I wouldn't even be coming back. The accuracy...

While moving to Italy seems like a dream that may never come true only because of my roots in Texas, it's nice to dream. It's a nice dream, but I am torn. But I remind myself that, going to Italy was a dream that I didn't think I'd be able to achieve until way later in my life. Yet, I did it. And I think it's a perfect representation of how anything is possible. That my dreams, even the ones that feel the most unobtainable are actually in arm's reach.

I will take this lesson and many more with me moving forward. That hard work pays off even if it feels like it isn't. Dreams are obtainable. That Supplì is superior. Smell the roses. The list goes on.

Grazie Italia. Silenzio Bruno.