It's Cold Outside!

NOW, It’s cold. I spent the whole weekend whining about the cold so I guess I should continue on Monday too. This weekend was the first true weekend of winter. No, it didn’t snow or even get down to 0C but, but, oh, never mind. It’s not that bad.

Anyway there’s some good news from this weekend. Valerio and Erika have set a date for their wedding. Wahoo! I’m invited to real Italian wedding. Now, this is nothing against all the other Italian weddings that I have been too. Let’s face it all the weddings of “the O’s” were pretty Italian. I still remember doing the Tarantella at Marco’s wedding. I’m pretty sure the DJ remembers that night too because he changed the music too early and Marco ran over to the booth to explain that we weren’t finished dancing. I hadn’t seen Marco move that fast since our days playing soccer in 6th grade. Then in my own family we’ve had some very Godfather looking scenes. But this wedding is going to be 100% Southern Italian. I expect to fast for two days before it so that I’m ready.

This event reminds me of another foreign wedding that kind of “kick started” my adventure in Italy. Back in Indianapolis, it’s hard to explain exactly how or why, but I hung out with an international crowd. I played soccer with just about every European and South American nationality. I can remember one time when we had an Ecuadorian, Bolivian, Argentine, Irish, English, and French guy on the same team. So it was no surprise when Amelie who was Canadian/American married a guy that was French/Spanish (I had a hard time picking out which nationality to list first, so no offense if they’re reading this, but they’re in Madrid right now with a new baby so they might be too busy). They had a quiet little civil ceremony in Indy and then a huge knock down all day and night celebration in France. I was unsure about traveling to France so I came up with all sorts of stupid reasons at the time. I finally couldn’t say no to them and I didn’t want to miss out on something that was so unique. It was an amazing trip that I should write about one day. Eating and drinking all night under a big tent in small town in France reminded me that if I didn’t get out and see the world when I had the chance that I would regret it someday. Also it was my first real experience at being “a fish out of water” as they say. I still remember Martin’s family and friends performing skits at the reception. It was an amazing, elaborate affair that could not be conveyed in pictures.

The same stupid doubts and thoughts ran through my head when I saw this job opening in Italy. All I had to do was remember how much I enjoyed the wedding and that unique opportunity and I sent in my resume. Both the wedding and job could be boiled down the old classic line, “if I don’t do this now, then when will I?”