The Road Home

One cannot have a 28hour day with limited sleep and upon arrival at her destination not be slightly delusional or have a brain on overload. Time to download so I can try to get to sleep!
<- I started my day,  0600 CET in MdP I looked like this.

I eventually made it to Monterey 2117 PST where my parents were waiting for me with hugs and drove me home to meet my little brothers. Finni (pictured here ->) took to me right away. Tucker? Well I now know how visitors feel when Nico stalks them, but I'll win him over. Mark. My. Words.

And yes.
You knew it was coming- it always does.
International travel is always an adventure but compounding it with the fact that this is the first time in 12.5 months I've stepped foot on American soil? Momma mia, let the reverse culture shock begin. Not to mention the "well, it's not like this in Europe" comments...

#1 Why did it have to rain this morning making my last Naples drive for a while such a mess? Even more bothersome? The fact that it didn't really bother me. The shocker? On the drive home. The reflective lane dividers on the drive home AND people stayed in their lanes!

#2 I know it's typically Americans that get the back rep for "ugly traveler status", but fellow Americans I tell you that this time around that it was a German man on my Naples to Munich segment. With his shoes off, multiple special requests before the plane was loaded, he felt right at home to remind the 2 Italian men next to him that they weren't the only ones in the exit row. Yeah, apparently all the leg room in the world didn't make up for the fact that the guy in the middle seat was claiming the arm rest? When we landed, besides making the comment about Italians never listening or waiting to remove their seat belts (as mine was already unfastened) he acted like he was in no hurry. So then, can someone please tell me why he got on the girl I was sitting next to case about rushing him when his long reach and ample space to manuever his bag? This was after the 4 immendiate rows around us had all helped with the luggage switch since our stuff was all mixed up. Yep. Jerk of the day goes to him.

#3 Stanley injury (round 2) was great practice for sitting and doing nothing but watching movies for 10 hours at a time. I only took a few naps in between all the movies I watched on the long haul. 42 hands down was my favorite one I watched and it's on my "need to acquire" list despite having to look at Dodger uniforms the whole film.

#4 Only in the US do citizens holing passports for the county of entry have longer lines than its visitors. And yes our lines are way more diverse. And yes, the number of people working vs the number of podiums was a terrible ratio for us travelers.

#5 SFO Immigration people rock! Why? I only have 1 more unstamped legit page (cause everyone knows- expect for Russia- that those pages aren't for stamps). I hope Munich pulls through for me on the return flight, but if they don't I'll need a travel adventure buddy to a non EU country out/back before 23 January.

#6 Security lines suck in the US. Are we paranoid? Untrustworthy? Maybe, just maybe, if we didn't play world police we wouldn't have these issues? Is this the delusion kicking in???

#7 I'm sure seeing more orange and black than red and gold...and it's a beautiful thing. I do love my fellow SF Giants fans.

#8 Sitting at SFO, listening and observing...momma mia...I'm sure not in Italy anymore. No- I'm not being a European snob. I'm just saying that all of this seems so strange and I'm annoying by 75% of it but I think that is because I can understand the conversations happening around me.

#9 No matter how many times I see them- the stacks of the Monterey Bay Aquarium are a beautiful sight to see.  

#10 Even better than those stacks? Seeing my parents waiting for me as soon as I turn the corner. Every time. Traveling is 1,000,000 times better when you have someone(s) you love waiting for you on the other end.

Phew. Okay. Now I can go track down a cat, maybe the one meowing in the hall and get to sleep before my body realizes what time it is back in Naples....

Every Storms Runs Out of Rain

Or so they claim. My life the past 3-4 weeks? Stormy. Thunder. If you're familiar with the storm warning pop up and email notification system on base...well you'd be so annoyed with all the notification (and legit ones at that) most likely you would give up using that portion of your computer screen.

No, I don't have my Drama Queen crown on...why ever do you ask?

Well, just when I think that the clouds are parting to make way for the clouds, with a brilliant rainbow in the near distance (trip home) there is one last downpour.

Of course.

As if saying "see you later" to someone I've grown rather attached to on account of him moving out of Naples just after a few short months after learning about his existence, I learned that another man in my life is moving on.

It seems silly but when I heard the news I almost broke into tears. But I didn't. You can't do that when it's clear he's questioning the decision he made and has no idea what's next. I thought I was at rock bottom but apparently I wasn't.

Who is this guy? Joe.
My pizza guy. The guy who has come to my rescue on more than one account. My window into life in MdP when I'm content watching things from the safety of our building. My translator. My news reporter. My go to guy for just about anything from good mozzarella, to letting me in when the clicker doesn't work, to taking me to the repair shop for my car. And on top of it all? He makes the most fabulous pizza- so much so just a few months ago I was almost agreeing to take his youngest son back to the states if he promised to move too so I could always have fresh pizza.

He will still be in town. Claims he will still be around. I'm just in shock that when I get back from my CA trip his shop won't be there and I'll have to call him up for our chats.

So despite another melt down in way too few days, I'm glad I ignored my "I'm not that hungry" and picked up a pizza anyways- it is departing for CA tradition after all!

Not Always Glamorous, In Fact It Downright Sucks Some Days

Often people make comments to me about how fabulous my life must be overseas or how glamorous it is. Truth be told, 75% of the time I'd have to agree even if I roll my eyes when it's said. The weekend get-a-ways, beautiful historic sites, exposure the another culture, meeting new people all take on such more significance for some reason over here. Maybe because it still seems so new?

But let's face it. The same stuff that goes wrong in the states happens here and when it does? It seems a million time worse because I'm isolated, I have to rely on others for assistance, and often have to deal with a 6+ hour time difference to call or talk to to anyone that I've known long enough or well enough to be completely honest with how miserable I am or share what's really going on. Yes, I do have a few fabulous friends here but when their lives are tied up with significant others and kids? Or taking advantage of all the travel opportunities putting them out of reach? A girl can feel rather isolated. How's this for a mind blower- what you see on Facebook that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. 

Maybe this week has just been particularly difficult having a fabulous weekend with my grandma and aunts, only to have to say good-bye with the reminder that I'll be home in a matter weeks. Somehow each day this week has passed slower and slower...

Maybe the demands of the office pulling me various directions compounded by the workplace dynamics are just wearing me down...

Maybe the fact that I can't seem to sleep through the entire night without waking up with the thought of what's next? or realizing I owe someone information regarding my next steps is wearing me out...

Maybe it's the constant disappointment of things not coming together, despite careful planning and communication...

Maybe it's the pain in my knee, stressing out my body, totally screwing up my ability to do anything other than "ice and elevate" this weekend and keeping me out the gym...

Maybe it's the fear of having to have surgery again, or the mention of PT...

Maybe the super early wake-ups (due to pain) are taking their toll...

I don't know what it is, but I'm miserable this week. Chatting with a coworker this morning I admitted the fact that I've probably broken down into tears more in the past year than I did for my last 5 in the states. Shoot. I'm 3 for 3 in the past 3 days.

Yes. This is me trying to process and get to the root of it- since I really do hate crying! It's so ugly and not to mention messy with makeup. I know you're supposed to cry and process feelings but I like to know what my feelings are triggered by so I can fix the problem. (This should come as no surprise to any of you.)

And yes. It's proof that things do get a little messy and stressful. Same story line as back home, just a different location and lots of subtitles.