Allora, Aspetta!

To Italy Without Delay

Tomorrow I'm heading home.

Can time have passed more quickly? Wasn't it the case that I just set down my luggage in my brother's kitchen on a Friday evening to come face to face of my new niece Miriam? Wasn't that just a moment ago?

The truth is, it really was. I've only had about ten days to spend here in my other home, America, and anyone who thinks that they can visit home, come back to it completely in just ten days, is kidding you. Ten days is nothing, and yet, I still feel like I've adjusted to being back here already, in such a short time, and leaving tomorrow will be anything but easy.

Antonello, who was here for a week, is already safely back in Italy. When he left, seeing him off at the airport, I had visions of my same flight, just four days later. I thought, "the time might go by quickly, but four days is four days. I'm going to get to make the most of that."

And really we both made the most of all of our time here. Meeting Miriam was a huge highlight, but we also got to see so much of my family and squeeze in a couple of visits with friends, and we even made time for a few of the things Antonello had wanted to do (the King Tut exhibit at Chicago's Field Museum was fascinating, while a night out at our favorite Indy Jazz bar was nostalgic and fun). Everything has flown by, and yet I've got a couple of suitcases full of memories to tote back home with me.

And today, running through my familiar neighborhood as the sun thought about setting, I looked around me. All of these things have sped by, and I barely have had a chance to reflect. Tomorrow I will be on my way to Chicago again, then on my way to Munich, and then that last flight to Ancona. And I will be in Italy.

Here, in this neighborhood, miles and miles away from anything Italian, I felt so far away from that moment of arriving. I looked at the houses, decked in ribbons and lights, like Christmas gifts ready to be opened. I looked at how everyone was preparing, really, for the next thing. It seemed that Thanksgiving had really passed and that my trip, too, was ending. This was it--the end of autumn, the beginning of a new season. I ran past these houses, my feet still treading on this familiar ground, my body consciously here, yet all the while me knowing, just knowing, that tomorrow would mean an entirely different home. I felt a sudden achey desire to just stop running, to quit right there and not move another inch.

But somehow I didn't. Somehow the steps kept coming. Here I was, already in motion--and I had to keep my feet moving home.

It was great to see everyone! I will miss you dearly and wait for your visits to Italy! Mom and dad--I can't wait to see you in Italy soon! Paul, Carolyn, and Miriam--what a wonderful gift it was to ask Antonello and me to be Godparents! Thank you!

-Jackie

posted by Corrie @ 3:00:00 AM