Reconnecting with old friends - PRICELESS

This weekend Tina and I headed up to Florence for the 75th anniversary celebration of the Smith JYA Florence program. We hopped on the train, chatted up the tourists sitting next to us (having the same conversation we always do with Americans traveling in Italy), and in an hour and a half were back in Firenze - I hadn't been back for 4 years, except for a few hours once 3 years ago.

We immediately split up to have lunch with our former host families. I hadn't spoken to my host mother Monica for about 3 years and it was an amazing reconnection. She welcomed me back into her life and her home with such generosity and sincerity, my heart was positively overflowing from the kindness and warmth she displayed. We chatted just like old times and found ourselves not wanting to go to the reunion, prefering to talk the night away. Her son, joy of my year in Florence (some may remember how I stole a picture of Nicco nude at the beach at 2 years old, from my host mom's album to show my friends at school), is now 6 years old and still a bambino d'oro (golden baby!). He's happy, healthy, cute and totally rambunctious.




The reunion was a pleasure if only to give hugs to the big players in my magical JYA year in Florence. Those connections are indeed priceless, but I can't resist the comparison:

***$50.00 US dollars gets you 2 hours of chit-chat and finger food in a too-large room with lovely but busy guests:



***And then look what 4 Euros get you from Maria at the Testaccio open market!! (that's 2 kg. of grapes, 6 fresh carrots, an apple, 4 onions, a lemon, 2 zucchini, a perfect tomato, celery, basil and a yellow fruit I forget the name of...)
















Of course, cow's urinary tract will cost you a bit more if that's your thing - but I'll stick with the fresh fruit and vegetables.

The great part, on which you cannot put a price, is that Monica and Nicco, in addition to her boyfriend Carlo and her nephew Filippo (also 25) are going to come visit me in Rome next month.

In the meantime, I have been hired to translate the Italian portion of a Florentine natural cosmetic company's website into English, through my roommate's friend who works there - and there may be more work for me afterwards! Either way, she said she'd prepare a letter on my behalf to prove I had worked for an Italian company - this could help in my continued search for regular work.