Notes from an Italian Village

I know, I know, I get the award for worst blogger ever. I've been busy, I guess, or distracted. It is beautiful here. Warm and sunny and wild. We are a town perched on a mountain looking over a valley. From our view into the valley, we can see other small towns sprinkled over the mountain-side, all pressumably attached to each other by the same windy road that brought us here. We went to the beach on Friday and Saturday, and I've come to realize that my desire to be close to the water is almost insatiable. The water is so pristine and so blue that sometimes near the horizon it is hard to distinguish water from sky. The sand is a bit rough on the feet and the water is a bit cold, but in May, during the tourist off season, the beaches we visited were almost unoccupied. There is a church in Tropea, where we visited yesterday, built on a rocky outcropping, jutting over the sea. People be warned, I will probably be getting married there, so start saving for your plane ticket. Future husband, get ready. The most pleasant pass time I have found here is reading. When I usually cannot prioritize time for pleasure reading, it has become a bit of addiction here-- preventing me from wanting to really do anything else. I vow that in Seattle I make it a point to read more, and waste less time. When you are placed amongst 30ish of your peers, gossip is outright epidemic. Everyone talks about everyone else, what thy did, what they said, and I'm getting a bit tired of it. Not that I don't participate, but it's not something I spend a lot of energy doing usually, and I'll be honest that I'm going to be happy when all that is over. Time moves slowly until you realize how much time has passed. Each day feels like an eternity, but I still can't believe I've been in Rogliano for more than two weeks. My host sisters are using my shampoo and conditioner. I bought them right before I came to Rogliano and they are almost gone now. I didn't want to believe it, but when I came back from our beach trip and took a shower, I could tell it was a lot less than when I left. I just bought body wash, too. I wonder how long that's gunna last. Anyway, those are some thoughts of mine this morning, for you to mull over.