Confession: My ominous post “Domani”, written in 2007, foreshadowed the end of life as we knew it in California. Within weeks of writing that post, a life time’s work was erased. Vanished. So were we.

Though my plan was 5 years in Italy, I was counting on returning to my family in California for the Holidays.

After a year’s effort proved in vain, we started a new life in our ancestral country. Thanks to family and a little good luck, we were able to do something better, bigger, brighter, nicer.

That “collapse” was the best thing that’s ever happened to us because it served as a catalyst to what we have now. This would NOT have happened out of personal initiative due to day-by-day life being impulsed by the momentum of daily routine. Humans are, after all, creatures of habit. We do things because we’ve always done them that way …until something big comes along.

Look at me. I’ve reclaimed my roots, and I’ve regained contact with over 60 relatives in another country who live a walking distance from my parents and I’ve gotten to know again.

No matter how bad things get; no matter how things may seem like they’re hopeless; Life goes on. You do, however, need to take initiative.

But with time and effort, things bloom …like the rebirth of a burned-down forest.

Yesterday I found around a hundred pictures taken in 1944 of World War II, followed by a second set of how the streets look like today.

I remembered a similar set of New York, then and now. So I began to seam these together as well, and was taken back by the dramatic result.

A final note that sums things up rather nicely.

I type here as I’m making phone calls between import/export offices. Things like this happen quite frequently, so I’m not surprised, which is why if you’d see me, you’d think I was picking up the phone to order pizza.

Heck. When I first moved to Italy 9 years ago, instead of a residency permit, they issued me adoption papers. Though no one had filed to adopt me, obviously. Despite the correction, every time I enter Italy, they still joke, “I see Italy has adopted you. Welcome home!” I just laugh.

Fast forward 7 years. Another big move. As you can imagine, packing an entire residence, 2 trucks, and 4 tractors was a huge task that required back and forth trips between the two countries, two international shipments, registering all items, cars, and equipment through international customs, and an import/export agency.

I can only take two suitcases with me to Italy, so everything I’ve accumulated since childhood was also shipped along with my parent’s items to another country I was NOT planing on living in at the time, because this is where I’d go for the holidays from now on.

Everything went failry smoothly. Everything arrived safely. Every item was accounted for. All items went through customs. All taxes were paid. All our documents seemed to be in order.

One little detail. One little serial number was different. That means, despite having processed everything through customs, you might as well have smuggled the thing illegally because without an exact serial number, you don’t have proper documentation and you cannot do anything with it.

My advice is to be proactive and write the truck’s VIN numbers and equipment numbers yourself, and double check that the documents match exactly upon arrival, and that any issues are resolved before unloading and paying the movers.

Because now I’m scratching my head wondering how to go about this…

After seeing on StumbleUpon a few Japanese Antique Stereoviews like this one:

…I decided to stereoview my surroundings. Here’s Mr. Polar Bear on the dining room table, overlooking our home’s chilly courtyard, still lit by Christmas lights.

Mr. Polar Bear on the cozy desk from where I write to you.

It’s not as effective is it? So I took a look at each frame.
Notice that the Japanese images contain shadows and highlights?

In Stereoview, they add a shadow that alternates sides per frame, which might be an important touch in order to create the 3-D effect.

Every day there’s a big cultural event going on here since this small town in Mexico draws 7 million tourists per year.

We’re one of the 100,000 to 300,000 Californians who LEAVE California per year.

So my family returned to my Great Grandfather’s home last year, which has been passed down the family. We’re lucky, because you cannot find a home like this here unless it’s been in the family for centuries.

They’re staying here indefinitely, but I’m only here for a few months (it was supposed to be 2 weeks) before I return to Europe.

Everything has an upside and a downside, but for every downside, there’s a solution! What’s my solution? When ever it gets a bit too loud, I take apart one of the beds and put it up against a window. Really. I do.

Like in the rest of the world, Christmas is BIG here. Whether it’s a Posada with children dressed as angles praying through the streets IN LATIN with candles in hand, the breaking of piñatas, the scent of ponche, fireworks, bells of Cathedral, Aztec dancers, or one of the daily Christmas parades organized by different businesses, pilgrims, or neighbors. Not a day went by without several events going on per day.

I have yet to upload all my videos, but here’s a small taste of December to give you an idea of my world here.  The new mixed with the old.

Click to expand video. (Those reading via RSS might need to visit the blog.)

Coca Cola Santa parade by my door

Dinner with my cousins in Mexico

Aztec dancers outside my door

Traditional Christmas in a Traditional Setting

There’s something that I really, really want to do, but it turns out that I can’t unless I know French.   Fluent French.  Pronto!

I’m beating myself up quite a bit over this because French is actually my 3rd language, and Italian is my 4th language.  But while I’m fluent in Italian, when I speak French I feel    and now I need to be    Fun.

So I’m making a pit-stop in France before returning to Rome.  Not until I finish what I started here in Mexico, but the ball has been set in motion…

Have you noticed how it’s not a good idea to speak of departure in real life?  It gets awkward.   So I’ll

Yes, I love being in Italy, in Mexico, in California.  A lot.  Buuuuuut….

Here’s an old post.  It Reminded me why I should keep expanding my horizons, because despite how challenging international life can be, the joys far outweigh the effort it demands from you.

—————–♥——————- DOMANI——————-♥—————–

{Written by Roam2Rome in the San Francisco Bay, on November, 2007}

As I walked down the heart of San Francisco, and saw star-struck tourists snapping pictures left and right, I smiled and remembered one thing: they have probably seen more of the bay than I have because they know they wont be here to see it tomorrow, so they go see it today.

When I lived in Siena, Italy, I lived only a block from the Piazza del Campo. Tourists flocked the main square and would scale the tower. Yet, since I lived just a block away, and I could enjoy the breathtaking sight any time, I took the privilege for granted, and I never did get around to it.

Likewise, in life, we sometimes live life in tourist mode and soak up what ever we can because we know we might not have a chance tomorrow.

Other people are so sure they’ll have tomorrow, and the next, that they never get around to following their dreams. For them, tomorrow never comes.

We all have a yearning within our hearts. A dream, maybe. A goal. It can be something small. Domani! Tomorrow!… it waits.

Tomorrow. Like the horizon. You keep walking towards it, but it never comes.

I prefer to live life like a visitor. Soak up what ever I can. Experience as much as I can. No more waiting because all I have is today, and I’m done with waiting for that elusive tomorrow…

Day before Kennedy’s Assasination:

Day before the atomic bombing of Hiroshima:

Day before 9-11: