Out in the Backyard

We headed out back to see if we could find any wild strawberries or 'frutti di bosco'. Apparently last year at this time, there were lots to be found. This year however, the pickings were slim, probably because of all the rain we've had. At first glance it doesn't seem like there's anything to be found; but if you look carefully under the foliage, you just may get lucky and find a little red berry peeking out at you.


These little strawberries are very tasty, but in my opinion, not all that sweet.

We also threw some pumpkin seeds into the ground to grow some... what else, pumpkins. Stef literally dug a shallow hole and dropped handful of seeds in. I was really skeptical that anything will come of it, but I guess we'll find out in the next weeks.

I also came across some wildflowers while hunting for the berries.

Goofy pics...

with my homies! hehehe

These awesome shutter shades even glow in the dark!

Here in Milano

I've been delinquent in posts for a while. The last couple weeks have been whirlwind. The days passed too quickly, between getting my things in order both at home and at work, and trying to spend as much time as possible with my friends.

Saying my goodbyes was really really difficult. It's too easy to take things for granted, until you realize you won't be able to enjoy them as much any more.

It's been a week and a half since I got here. I didn't waste any time in getting back to work (the next day!). I think this helped me get over the jetlag very quickly. I only almost fell asleep into my dinner the evening I arrived. ;-)

That weekend, I stopped procrastinating and unpacked all my things. People are amazed when I tell them I moved all my life possessions over here in 4 large suitcases, 2 carry-ons - in 2 plane trips (more or less). As I was unpacking, I started questioning why I had so many 'things'. The last 6 months back in the Bay Area, I had pretty much lived out of 2 suitcases and I was perfectly content. And trust me, I had collected quite a large quantity of possessions over the last 10 years. Moving forces you to downsize and reevaluate: what do you really need?

The first couple days, I felt really homesick. This time was different from the others. This time was for real. It was no longer a trial. I was here to stay for an indefinite amount of time. I missed my friends, I missed the familiarity, the conveniences, the food and the weather that I had to leave behind.

But in a way, alot of things felt familiar here too. There were familiar faces at work. I knew the lunch + passegiata routine. We stopped by Ikea to pick up some essentials and that was familiar...

Well, as a friend described, it's a 'storm of feelings' that I've been experiencing.