I'm back in Rome! Had my first espresso down at the corner bar, settled back into my temporary room on campus, and went to the grocery store for some prosciutto, salame piccante, and fior di sardo formaggio. I would say settling back into Italian life came quicker than trying to acclimate back to American life.
For the first time, being away from the States and coming home felt really weird. From the second I stepped off the plane and was spoken to in English to the drinks in the bar in the airport at the end, American culture wasn't something I was used to. It was an odd feeling. It wasn't bad; it was just weird. I thoroughly enjoyed all the people I got to see. I enjoyed every moment with my family. It just had a weird air. I went into a gas station on the way home from Chicago, and there were 15 types of barbecue chips. How am I supposed to decide between 15 different types?
I got over that, and like I said, it was a lovely trip home. I had a lot of time to think and relax, and the word "home" was something that was on my mind a lot. At one point, I referred to Rome as home to my mother, and she wasn't too happy about it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that St. Louis isn't my one home anymore. I grew up in St. Louis, and it is home in a lot of ways, but it's not the only one.
Rome is in fact home. Right now, it's where I live, and it's where I feel most comfortable. I'm in my element. I'm loving life. I'm incredibly happy. However, Chicago is still home. I felt a lot of happiness in going back there. St. Louis also felt like home. When I think about Korea, there feels like home, too. In fact, when I think about home, I don't really think about the place. The people who make those places places that I enjoy and keep going back to are the reason they feel like home.
Being in the States and seeing my family, Luke Landolt, Mikey Dienstbach, Katie Bell and Mitch Catalano, Laura Welp and her family (and special surprise Julie Strand!), Kelly Cahalin, Liz Sinclair (soon to be Pompliano! Congratulations!), high school friends, and the Beazleys, among many others, that all made it feel like home. I missed it. I found however, that after a week or so, I started to miss those I love here in Rome. I started to miss my job (which has actually never happened before). Coming back and seeing Michael Cronin, Fran Homan, and soon my other SLA pals will be pretty great. Hell, seeing the guy at the corner bar for a coffee felt good.
And thus, even after having heard it in the past, I finally felt it. Home isn't places; it's the love you find in those places. I'm a happy, fortunate man to have so many wonderful people in my life. I think often about my friends from Korea. I think often about the States. At this moment in time though, I'm so happy to be in this home here in Rome. It's with that realization that I find myself excited to take on a new year. I think it's fitting that my New Year's Eve celebration will be spent here with friends.
So much has happened in the last year. I've been on four continents (Asia, Europe, North America, Australia), two for extended living. I've made countless friends. I got my dream job and am loving it. I got into a motorcycle accident and broke my foot. I learned from it. I find myself as content as I've ever been.
And thus, I look forward to the new year. I'll be applying for another year here in Rome (fingers crossed for me!). I'll be starting to think about graduate school for after Rome. My sister will be getting married in July, and I'll be going home for it. My Italian language skills will undoubtedly improve. I'll make new friends. I'll see new places. I'll constantly be reminded of how lucky I am.
I come into the new year with new goals. I find that I'm more likely to hold onto new years resolutions if I write them down and publicize them to the world, so here they are:
1. Visit all 7 continents before I'm 27. Begin saving up.
2. Commit to a diet (because I haven't been able to stick to one), and lose 40 pounds.
3. Take 3 months off from alcohol entirely.
4. Find little ways to make changes.
5. Continue to choose to be happy.
6. Make new friends and learn about new places.
7. Keep up with learning Italian.
8. Keep in touch with those I love worldwide.
9. Get accepted into a grad school with a grad assistantship.
10. Improve. Improve in every way that I can. Be a better friend, son, coworker, and human.
I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store. I can't wait to make new homes.
Buon Natale, e Buon Capo D'Anno. Ciao, friends.
