Friday 10 September, 2010 - Catch Up

A lot has happened in my world since I last wrote.

My last entries here were in February 2010, when a few days before my scheduled vacation my "adopted Venetian family" suffered a tragedy. Francesca and her daughter Chiara were in a car accident and Francesca passed. I shared in their sorrow, tried to help out with Chiara in the early stages of healing her body, and in her grief of losing her mother.

I returned home and in the weeks that followed communicated with "mia famiglia" often. Between emails and phone calls, I was in contact with Marco, Mamma or Chiara about every other day. I worried a lot about her, about them all; reeling from their loss and this major change in their lives. Cultural differences reared their heads at my insistence that she get some kind of grief counseling, but they only knew to put their faith in the church. It is their way. After a number of weeks, Marco did approach the idea of counseling through the church for her - a program for young people grieving that he had finally looked into. Chiara was not opposed to the idea, and would start going in mid-April. I was hopeful.

Unfortunately, Chiara felt she was a burden on those around her, and took her life before she began with the group. I got the phone call from Marco after hours of him looking for her. She hadn't come home. He was the one that found her. This poor man. This poor family.

I returned to Venice for Chiara's funeral.

I got caught in the Iceland volcano mess and ended up having to stay an additional week due to all of Europe closing their airspace. Was lucky enough to be joined for a few days by my buddy Luke, who was holed up in Barcelona. I was able to spend more days with Mamma so being a volcano refugee wasn't entirely a bad thing. Until I got home and faced the music with my employer.

The bad news - I ended up losing my job. It's complicated, but it's actually for the best.

I am returning now to Italy with a job prospect. I have a contract for one month as a tour leader. If all goes well, I will be offered a full-time position starting after the New Year. My airfare is paid for and I keep the SkyMiles. My hotels are paid for and I keep the Starwood points. My meals are paid for and I eat well. I have the opportunity to impart my knowledge and love of the art, architecture and humanity of this beautiful land and her people. And I get paid to do it.

I'm packing my bags and crossing my fingers.