Italy

Naples

On December 11, I returned to Italy after about a year of being away. December 11 is my father's birthday or rather was, as he is no longer with us and cannot grow older. For those who live far from home, the absence of a loved one is a recurring absence every time you return. In short, it was a special day. Not only did I return to Italy, but also to Naples, where I was born.

Naples has remained in my heart even though I lived there only until I was 10 years old. Much of my family lives there, including my mother and sister; my brothers stayed in Pisa where I lived until I was 19 before moving to Florence to study.

If you are born in a place, those are your roots. Then you move and change, learn other habits, other ways of eating, different climates, but the origins remain, and a part of you finds its balance when you return to your roots. For me, it is the same even when I go to Pisa or Florence. What welcomes me is not the city but the people I care about who make me feel at home. In the family or with friends, we don't talk every day, but I know they are there, and those are my roots. I have scattered roots and consider myself very lucky for that.

Naples is a city full of life, chaotic and tiring. It envelops and influences you; some things you do in Pisa you can't do in Naples and vice versa. The city is beautiful, but what I like most are the people who are more open or rather, communicative, or better yet, do not mind their own business for better or worse. I was in a shop with my mother, and she was looking in a basket, saying she wanted socks with cartoons but couldn't find the size. The lady in front of us also started looking for the size and gave us advice on where to find them; I thought she was the shop assistant :)

My mom turned 80 in October, and I wasn't there, so I decided we would do something together for Christmas, waiting for my daughter to arrive on December 21. I found her to be doing great; she is a force! I hope I take after her.

In Naples, I also have cousins who are like siblings. We grew up together and share the same genes; our mothers are sisters, and the fathers were brothers. My cousin Maurizio has already planned a trip when Sophie and Manie arrive.

In short, after months of travel, it was wonderful to come home.

Pisa

On December 16, I took the train to Pisa to visit my brothers Ale and Billy and their families, hoping to meet my old high school friends. The little nephews and nieces are growing and are so sweet, all of them. My brothers and their spouses are always hospitable. I stayed at Billy's house and slept in the dorm with the kids :) They even made me a birthday cake which was in September... they are legends, and I am very fortunate to have them. I feel at home with them. My brother Ale is renovating his house, so we also took a tour of the construction site, which never hurts, just to keep the habit ;)

Billy got back the sunglasses he lent me that I took around the world. I liked them and think they look better on me ;) who knows, maybe I'll convince him to "lend" them to me again since he plans to visit me soon. Ale said he would come to visit me with his daughter Elettra. We'll see.

On my first evening in Pisa, I met up with Ilaria, Alessia, and Federica, my high school friends. We rarely talk, but as I said, they are part of my roots, anchors from the past that still hold and give strength. We have all "changed" over the years. Many things have happened; we have lived far from each other, but the bond we had has not broken. When we see each other, it feels as if I see them every day, although I know the daily routine is missing. Ilaria is awesome, Alessia is a tank, Fede is always hyper, and I am always on the move. We haven't changed, now that I think about it ;) We went for an aperitif in the center; I have always liked walking around Pisa in the evening. Ilaria also came by Billy's house the next day and brought a delicious strudel. We looked at the travel photos together; with the help of my nephew Pietro, I quickly put together some videos. I still have a lot to organize.

Pisa is a beautiful city, small, not too chaotic. The climate is mild, but winters are colder than in Naples. Italy is narrow but very long, and the north and south are different, starting with the climate, which is sunnier in the south, the food with more meat in the north and more fish in the south, and people being more reserved in the north and more "expansive" in the south ;)

Having grown up between these two cultures, I see the strengths and weaknesses of both.

Anyway, now I am returning to Naples, where in a few days I will re-embrace my darling Sophie and my beloved Manie :)