Transcript: “So, my mom was born there, um, I’m a hundred percent Italian. So, my dad’s par-, my grandparents on both sides, all born there, whatever. So, when I was, um, eight, so what was that, 1978, we went there with my, my brother and I went with my mom and dad for the first time. You know. And we grew up with Italian in the house but I was just so stubborn, like I never caught on to it. I don’t speak it. It’s like my biggest regret in life for sure. Um, ‘it’s never too late’. Yeah, I know, but really?
I was gonna say that.
I know. I know. But it’s almost like…You know how our brains are as kids. You’re just a sponge. And it’s so much easier to learn another language as a kid. Anyway, blah blah blah. So that was it, and it was a great trip. We were there for like six weeks. As a kid I just remember, you know, we went to see everybody. So, both sides of the family are there, so we did a lot of traveling around. Plus, seeing the sights, you know, this and that. So then, um, 2017, so three summers ago, my dad wanted to take me and my kids and my brother and his wife to Italy. Now, so I hadn’t been back at that point for, what is that, forty years.
Wow. That’s a long time.
Forty years. So anyway, my brother and my sister-in-law couldn’t go for work-related stuff. So it was me and my kids, my mom, my dad. And we were there for three weeks. And we just had…Like, I almost get misty thinking about it. Like, it was just, um, it was so incredible. Like, my, that’s my dad’s happy place. It’s funny because my mom was born there, but my dad would go there six months out of the year if he could, like he loves it. Loves it. Loves it. My mom, she, she loves visiting her cousins, who are really more like brothers to her, but she likes it back home. Do you know what I mean? So it’s ha-and she hates flying, so that’s also another thing. But anyway, so that was three years ago, and then the year after that, I think 2018, it was just kind of a fluke, and my boyfriend had a business meeting in Milan. So he’s like, ‘Come meet me.’ So I was like ‘OK’. I mean right, who’s gonna turn that down. Although I probably had a little bit of me inviting myself. A little bit in there, I’m sure. I’m sure there was a little bit of that. Like, ‘Oh, wait. Can I come?’ Um, so, anyway, so that was that time. So it was twice, yeah, I guess it was twice in like, in two years. Which was a lot since I hadn’t been there for, you know, for so long. I ha- I did go back, uh, it was like 1999 maybe and the plan was to be there for five weeks. I was backpacking it. And um we, the weather was super nice, so we decided to kind of change our itinerary a little bit. Instead of going to meet my, or visit with my family, we wanted to go to Cinque Terre, which are these little beach towns, you know, along the coast, and just hang out at the beach for a couple of days. And there’s no cars allowed. So we took the train. I get off the train. I’ve got this massive backpack with like full-sized toiletries. You know. I’ve got this shampoo. And the- I mean not experienced backpacker obviously whatsoever. And we’re getting off the train. I’m walking down the stairs. I’m just looking around. And I’m clumsy by nature. And I wipe out. Break my ankle. So it’s like oh my god I could not move, like I could not walk. So the ambulance had to take me, like whip through these vineyards to get me to the closest town to get me to this hospital. And it was during the time of Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. And so I’m in the hospital, and I’m like in so much pain, and the doctor lights up a cigarette, and just sta- he’s talking in Italian. But he’s go- obviously he knows we’re American. And he just starts going on and on about Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. And I’m like struggling in pain with this ankle, right? So, anyway, long story short, we did not make it to five weeks. I lasted about another seven days. And I walked on the cast everywhere I went. And it was not a walking cast. So I just had holes in it all over the place. And we’re like, ‘We’ve gotta get out of here’. So, that was a trip that I needed to make up for. Which, when I went with my parents, was like, it more than made up for it. We just had such a great time. And like memories. I’m huge into memories, obviously, and pictures. So the pictures I have, Darrow, they’re like thousands. Thousands of pictures. So it was quite incredible. So mom-so now my dad said you know it’s hard. I, I’ve heard stories growing up from my mom, and like how hard they had it, kind of, growing up. Um, and then my grandpa you know deciding to move here whatever for ‘the better life’. You know that whole thing. But, by doing so, they left family there, which like I said these- my mom’s three male cousins who were like brothers to her. So, you know, when you start thinking about stuff like that, I mean, when it’s your own family, you’re like, ‘God, how hard that had to be’. You know? Or if we had to do that now, or could I do it, or how would I get through that, you know, all these things. And, so when we were there, every time they say goodbye, they say goodbye, so it could be the last time they see ‘em. They don’t know if they’re gonna go back. Do you know what I mean? So, that’s hard…
Well, You’re talking to somebody who left America and left his family and friends…
Right. Exactly. You know what I mean. So when you go back to wherever it is, you, you, when you say goodbye, you, you don’t know. And they’re obviously getting older, and it’s like you have no idea what can happen. So now my dad who um, he just turned seventy-eight, he said on his eightieth birthday we’re going back. So I’m holding him to that. Yeah. So, we’ll see. But… Yeah, it’s been it’s obviously one of my favorite places to go for a million different reasons, but um it’s it’s great to visit family. Like I said, my only regret is not speaking the language. Although this time I found myself like I could understand everything. But to search for the words…I like I I feel like I should have like some sort of hypnosis ‘cause like I know they’re in there. Do you know what I mean? Like I know they’re in there somewhere. But I can’t find them. So the the trying to communicate was really rough. But we managed, we managed, so it was good. Then I went back you know with my boyfriend, so…but anyway that’s a whole other story.”
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