I do a great job upkeeping my blog, don’t you all think? At any rate, things have been, well, crazy over the past twenty days since I last wrote, some good, some bad, some funny, some stupid, you know, crazy.

Within these past 20 days, I’ve aged another year, another 365 day mark has bitten the dust, and I celebrated in fine extensive style. I only had to talk with the cops twice, so I think I’m learning to mellow as the years go on. No seriously, I made a foolish mistake that involved the end of my beer, a statue outside of a bar and a passing cop car, and the next thing I know I’m being asked to show my papers (which I don’t have…) I should also let you know that at this time I was wearing a purple t-shirt, an orange cashmir sweater tied all preppy style around my neck, and a tan tweed jacket over my shoulders...hot. Through the grace of birthday immunity, everything turned out okay.

The other police encounter involved a four hour long game of charades, that lasted well into the night, and apparently the neighbors downstairs didn’t enjoy our silent acting out. They could’ve at least come up and asked us to quit our shenanigans, that would’ve been appreciated more than a BZZZ from the downstairs doorbell at 3 in the morning, and as the kind policeman made his way up the seven flights to our apartment, our guests were ushered onto the back terrace, and I believe the question was asked (by my roommate, not me) “Should I answer the door in my underwear?” I leave it up to your own imaginations as to what he was trying to accomplish with that… The policeman was very nice, as Mark and I stood there, struggling to understand Italian (or pretending to struggle) and all we got off with was a, “No more…boom boom” as he stamped his boots on the floor. With that he turned and descended the stairs. My main question is, why didn’t he take the elevator? Is there some sort of Italian police etiquette that says under no circumstances should a policeman enter an elevator to tell a bunch of Anglo-Saxons to shut the hell up? In any case, I like this method of not getting fined or thrown into detox, it’s a lot easier than the days of Burlington, specifically Loomis St, where the cops are somewhat less understanding of our inability to form coherent words and phrases, whether it be our native language or not.

As the time nears for me to leave Italy (for the time being), I have many various and mixed emotions. I’m not looking forward to telling my students that I’m leaving, as I’ve grown to really like most of them, whether or not they can get a firm grasp on the present perfect continuous. I know that I’m leaving a job right now that I really enjoy, that is stimulating and has helped me understand a lot about Italian culture and its people, and that will be difficult for me. On the other hand, I’m looking forward to American showers, my gigantic bed, and a room all to myself. I miss my family and friends from the states, and think of them often, which is why I’m considering myself very fortunate that not only am I going to see Emily again in Prague before I head home, but brother Jesse is coming to visit, and that will be a fantastic way to end the journey.

At any rate, I must bustle off to work now, but mayhaps I’ll manage to get another post or two in before I come back…that is if I can tear myself away from the pub… jk.

Nope, one more addendum. A Welsh teacher colleague of mine commented the other day, “God, you look like such an American walking around without a jacket on. You can be spotted as an American from a mile away. Good Lord.” Yeah, well, see, here’s the thing…it’s 10 below zero in Vermont, it’s sixty degrees in Rome, there is no way in hell I am going to wear a jacket just so I can ‘fit in’….(have I ever wanted to fit in? My closet full of Hawaiian shirts would attest that no, I have not.) Plus, oh yeah, I’m 5’11, built like a football player, carry a backpack because I hate actual ‘bags’ and wear Doc Martens and Addidas every day of the week. She’s lucky I’m not bebopping around Rome in a fleece vest and Oakley’s, although now I have half a mind to do so, just so that I can continue to stand out, huzzah!!