Climbing out of my box...

 I don't think I've ever been the adventurous type. I don't race cars or ride motorcycles, I have no desire to go bungee jumping or white water rafting, I'm not into mountain climbing or sky diving (although I did do indoor skydiving once), I'm just not much into trying new things.  In other words, I like my comfort zone. I like things like shopping, painting, reading, watching t.v., visiting with friends and talking on the phone to my mom. Things that are familiar, some might even say boring but honestly, that's okay with me. I'm good with boring. So why am I living in Italy? Good question... 

 Part of me is still trying to figure it out. If you read my first blog you'll remember that this was something I had to be talked into. Several years ago when Mark first brought up the idea I wasn't at all keen on it. Most of it had to do with the kids still being in school. I had moved around so much when I was growing up and I really wanted them to have a place to call home. But I have to admit part of my hesitation was that I liked my life. I liked my house and my car and my neighbors and my church. I liked that I could hop into my car and go shopping or any other place I wanted to go and it was all familiar. I think deep down I knew that if I agreed to this I would lose my version of comfortable. And indeed I have.

 I am truly a stranger in a strange land. Comfort has gone out the window. Honestly, if I were to dwell only on the negative I could truly hate this place. For example, the majority of people smoke. It's just part of the culture but I really hate walking out of a building and being hit in the face with smoke. (Funny thing is that this is a culture that is obsessed with youth and beauty yet they not only smoke they're avid sunbathers. Talk about things that will zap both youth and beauty!) Also, thievery is rampant here. We know several people who have had their houses or cars broken into and several who have been pick-pocketed. The rule of thumb here is: every evening around sunset, close and lock your shutters (every house has them) and leave nothing of value in your car. The thieves here have devices that can read electronic signals telling them if there is something in the car worth stealing such as GPS devices, ipods or other electronics. We ourselves have been victims, someone having stolen our camera battery out of our camera bag in our hotel room. Fortunately we had the camera and our other valuables locked in the safe. And don't even get me started on the driving! It is totally crazy, with narrow (sometimes one lane) winding roads. Motorcycles pass between cars, usually in very dangerous situations, there are bicyclists everywhere, occasionally slowing traffic to a halt, and the drivers themselves are insane! I thought it was bad in Dallas but it can't compare. There's no going the speed limit. You'll get run over if you try and even going over the limit you have cars right on your tail most of the time. I have seen cars pass and just barely make it back into their lane before being hit by oncoming traffic.  We have come upon 2 separate major accidents and I wonder why we haven't seen more. The prices in most stores are sky-high, there's no way to get to those stores quickly, most places are at least a 30 minute drive, many of them an hour or more...I could go on but here's the thing. I don't want to focus on the negative. There are many things here that are wonderful.

 The setting couldn't be better. Beautiful views of the Alps, moderate temperatures, gorgeous flowers and trees that have wonderful scents that (depending on where you are) permeate the air with a sweet smell that just makes you want to inhale constantly! The history in this area is fascinating. I can't tell you how awesome it is to realize you're standing in a building that was occupied by Leonardo da Vinci or gazing at a piece of artwork created my Michelangelo. In addition, for the most part the people are very nice. We have had more than one person help, or attempt to help in situations where we didn't know what to do or didn't understand the language. One Saturday as we were struggling to understand a parking meter a man who spoke English very well stopped and showed us the sign that informed us we didn't need to pay because it was after noon. One of the bellman at the hotel has helped us with our Italian and many store clerks have tried to work a little English into their vocabulary when it was clear to them we didn't understand. We even had a train conductor overlook the fact that we forgot to validate our tickets before boarding the train (normally a 50 Euro fine). I think it was obvious to him we were foreigners and not too bright!  These acts of kindness have come full circle for us because we have also been able to help some people who needed it this past weekend. While walking to board a train to Milan on Sunday we helped a woman who spoke German but very little English board the correct train and then we helped guide a family to Milan's town square since we had been there before. It felt kinda nice to be the helpers instead of the helpees! 

 I guess what I'm trying to convey is that it would be very easy to stay holed up in my hotel room (or my house if I ever get moved in) and not speak to or interact with anyone. That's my natural tendency because it's comfortable. But I didn't come here to stay in my box. My box needed to be broken out of and now I'm doing things and going places I never thought I would. I'm ready to plan new experiences not know what will happen but knowing that God is always watching over us. I think one day I'll look back on this whole thing and think, "Wow, I'm really glad I did that!" 

And ultimately, that's why I'm here. Yes, it's frightening and uncomfortable but it's going to be a lot more interesting than staying in my box!

Until next time: Arrivederci!

 A tree that I thought was really interesting.

 The view from our hotel room.

Part of the colosseum in Aosta left standing from the Roman occupation.




  

 While reading one of my daily devotionals I came across this sentence:

 God won't allow anything that makes man look self-sufficient in his own eyes.

 That got me to thinking about my current circumstances. Right now I am feeling anything but self-sufficient. I have spent a great deal of my life moving from place to place and each move has had it's own set of difficulties. There is always the search for a place to live, a place to worship, a place to shop, etc. but this is unlike anything I've ever experienced. There is nothing in this place that is comfortable or familiar...at least right now. 

 Don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining. I am aware that not very many people get this kind of opportunity and Mark and I both feel that God led us here. If you read my previous blogs you'll know that everything that happened from the time we "put our names into the hat" was smooth and effortless. Trust me, we are not arrogant enough to believe we had anything to do with the ease of that part of this transition.  

 This part of the transition is the difficult part. As I write this, I'm sitting alone in my hotel room. We are staying in a nice place but it's located by the airport and there's not a lot to do out here. Mark is working and has our one and only car and to be honest, the roads are so confusing that I don't feel comfortable driving yet anyway. I have my kindle, my computer, magazines and a sketch pad and pencils but I feel somewhat like a prisoner in a nice cell. If I get really bored I can go walk around the airport. Also, there's the problem of the language barrier. My Italian is pathetic to poor at this stage despite using Rosetta Stone for the better part of a year. I think it's because most Italians speak so quickly and I tend to get that "deer in headlights" look when someone speaks to me. If I'm thinking quickly (which is almost never) I can say "Non capisco, puo parlare pui lentamente per favore (I don't understand, can you speak more slowly please). I guess one of the good things about being near the airport is that some people do speak at least a little English. I can't tell you what a relief that is!

 Also there's the cultural barrier. When you live in one culture all your life it's easy to get the hang of stuff, to know how to do everything. Just simple things seem so different here. I was getting so exhausted just doing everyday things last week and then it dawned on me that I was tensing up every time we went out. It's because not knowing the culture and language makes everything more difficult. Going to the post office is a good example. They have machines when you walk in that dispense tickets based on what you want to do there. You have to walk up to the machine and push the correct button. The buttons are of course labeled in Italian. And no one tells you this is the procedure. Walking up to a line and standing there will get you nowhere. Partly because the lines are different based on what you want to do and partly because the tickets are numbered and they call your number based on which ticket you get. Did I mention that nobody goes to the post office to mail anything? The post office here is a business that does everything from handling immigration papers to selling the latest novels. There's no way we would have known any of this save for the fact that the lawyer handling our immigration explained it to us. And on that note...

 Thank God for the people He's putting in our path. Our lawyer is an American who's been living here for the past 14 years and not only knows the language and culture but knows how to get things done. We also know a couple named Mike and Veronica (Mike works with Mark) who are getting us connected with a church and Bible study groups. I will be so glad to have those kind of relationships again. You can feel so isolated without them. We are going to their house tomorrow night to meet some couples from church and a Bible study. Also on Friday morning I'm going with Veronica to a ladies Bible study group and then we're going to Switzerland (about a half an hour away) to do some shopping! I'm very excited about that! 

 As I stated above, I'm really not complaining. There is a lot about this place that is so interesting and I'm sure when we finally get into a house things will be much brighter. We have already found a place but the process here is slow so we're just waiting. It could be a month or more so I guess I better just cool my heels! In the mean time I appreciate your prayers on our behalf. God is good and I know he'll take us through this difficult part and lead us to something beautiful. He always does!  For now:

Arrivederci!

After an exhausting trip...

  We finally made it to Milan. We've been here for 5 days and it seems like we've been going non-stop. I think I'm still a little jet lagged because I am getting very tired very early in the day. Hopefully I'll adjust soon.

  As a matter of fact there are a LOT of things I'm going to have to adjust to. To be honest I knew that signing on to this excursion but there are a lot of things here I didn't expect. First of all I don't know how I'm ever going to get my bearings. While we have a beautiful view of the Alps from our hotel window, the roads and so winding and narrow with so many trees on either side I can't tell what direction is what. Plus there are round-a-bouts everywhere, which really do make more sense than your average intersection because they keep traffic moving, but talk about getting turned around! Adding to the chaos is that most of these crazy roads aren't labeled anywhere. Forget about street signs, they're almost impossible to find. Even with our GPS we've gotten temporarily misplaced. I'm learning to look for landmarks so we'll see how it goes.

  The next thing I'm going to have to get used to seeing on those narrow, twisting roads is...(are you ready for this?)...prostitutes. Basically they just stand or sit on upside down 5 gallon buckets, yes you read that correctly, waiting to be picked up. If you drive on those roads you will see them every day. Some of them are dressed like you'd expect to see prostitutes dress, some are just in everyday clothes but there's no mistaking why they're there.  It's just one of those things that all the locals know about and shrug off. Strange and a little sad if you ask me.

  Also, we took our first trip to an Italian supermarket the day after we got here. It's a fairly modern place with a lot of the items you'd expect to see but there are a few things I wasn't prepared for. For example in the meat department you have your basics: chicken, ground beef, pork. Then there's the section labeled "Eqino". If your Italian isn't good, that's horse meat. They also sell whole skinned rabbit. Um, no thanks. Kinda makes me wonder what other surprises await me.

  As for the language barrier it's just going to take some time. My Italian vocabulary is very limited and while we come across some people who know English, many do not. We're learning to listen and watch the gesturing. It's amazing what you can pick up by doing that. The good news is that the Italian people seem to be very warm, friendly people and they seem to appreciate our efforts at speaking and understanding them. It's still a little intimidating to walk into a store or restaurant because you never know if you're going to be able to communicate but we're doing our best. 

  So far things are going pretty well. We had our first house hunting trip today and I think we may have found something. The process takes longer here so we just have to put our bid in and wait. We've got the hotel room for 2 months but I'd much rather have my house and be able to cook and do everyday things. Also, we're starting the immigration process tomorrow. That's something else that will take time. I think God is putting me in a position to work on my patience because everything here works much more slowly that I'm used to. In any case, it'll all work out. I do appreciate your continued prayers. 

  I'm sure I'll be posting more in the coming days with new discoveries and pictures. We ventured into downtown Milan and toured the Duomo and visited the Galleria so enjoy the photos! (I'll add more when I'm out of our hotel and the internet isn't so slow!)

 Arrivederci!

  
  

  

It's getting down to the wire...

  One week from today. Our stuff is getting packed up tomorrow and there's a tiny bit of stress in our house. Okay, there's a lot of stress in our house.  We're not doing too badly considering. There's a lot of heavy sighing but to our credit very little yelling. I guess after you've been married for 25 years you learn how to deal with each other's way of doing things even if it's not the way you'd do it.

  I will be happy to get this portion of things over with. As you can see from the photos below we have quite an extensive pile that has been growing for months. We have everything from pots and pans to pillows, clothing to toiletries and everything in between. There are things that we were advised would be hard to find and things that will help us to remember the comforts of home. The hardest part was getting everything cataloged and trying to come up with a replacement value in case something happens to the shipment. In any case, I will be happy to have the corner of my bedroom empty again if only for a week.

  As far as everything else is concerned I guess we're as prepared as we can be. Yesterday we spent the day in a cultural training class designed to help us adjust to life in a foreign country. It was all very useful information but it was also a lot to take in. By the end my head was pretty much spinning from everything we learned and at this point I'm just hoping I can remember half of it.  

  Now the focus will be on packing for the trip.  We bought 2 new suitcases and are gathering things to go in them.  This part is hard as well because we could be in a hotel for up to 2 months.  It's one thing to pack for a regular trip and think, "I need shampoo" but quite another to think, "Oh wait, I need enough shampoo to last 2 months."  In case you're wondering, yes, Italy has shampoo but it's something else that's very expensive there. 

  One note about my last post: as of last week the friend who wanted to buy Mark's car decided against it but almost as quickly as that happened, the same neighbors who are buying our van decided they wanted the car as well!  I love how God works things out!  We're making the official deals and turning the cars over to them on Saturday.  Fortunately Jake is home for another few weeks and we can borrow his car as needed this coming week.

  I can't believe I'm about to be posting from Italy. I'm excited and nervous and more than a little sad about saying goodbye to everyone here.  This coming Sunday will be our last to attend our church home for a while and it's going to be bitter-sweet I'm sure.  Thanks again to everyone who takes the time to read my scattered thoughts.  My friends and family mean the world to me!

For the last time from the U.S....Arrivederci!

  One month from today...
  
  We will be on a plane headed for Italy. I can't believe how quickly the past 5 months have gone.  We have been very busy preparing as best we can. The work visa has been processed, the doctor's visits and physicals are done, we have our international driver's licenses, and the moving company has evaluated our stuff and will be packing us up on May 24th. Right now one corner of our bedroom looks like an episode of "Hoarders". Since we have a furniture allowance we're not taking any big ticket items but we are stocking up on items that will be hard to find or will be too expensive to purchase in Italy.

  As I've stated before what is completely amazing to me is to see God opening all the doors for us and pushing us through. While we've had to check and double check everything, it seems like the waters are all parting ahead of us and everything is just falling into place. This was most evident to me when we decided it was time to sell our two cars.  If you've ever been through the process of selling a car it can be rather daunting, especially if you're selling to a stranger because you never know if they're going to follow through on everything. A few months ago I jokingly said to my neighbor of 13 years, "Hey, you guys want to buy our van?" She very seriously said, "YES"!  They have twin daughters going off to college in the fall and need an extra car. Then a few days ago my husband called them and not only did they agree to our asking price they told us we could continue to drive it until we're ready to leave. The next day at church we were approached by a friend asking if he could buy Mark's car.  He also agreed to the asking price and said we could drive it until we're ready to leave. An amazing coincidence? I think not! God is definitely working things out for us!

  At this point it's probably a good thing for us to be so busy. That way I don't have time to think about how much I'm going to miss our family and friends here. Our oldest son just graduated from college and has a job lined up which is great but I really wanted to be here to help him get settled in a new apartment. Our youngest son will be going back to college in the fall and I hate the thought of not being here to get him into his new dorms. I know they're technically grown-ups but it's still hard for a mom to let go of some things. I'm thankful that my parents are close by and are willing to help with such things. They have blessed my life in so many ways and this is just one more reason I love them so much!

  We also have a group of very supportive and loving friends that will be so missed. They are taking us out for a farewell party in a few days and while I always enjoy our time with them this one will be bitter sweet.  Saying good-bye is never easy but I know we'll be making new friends soon. 

  As we continue to anticipate the things to come I ask for your prayers. I am confident that God is leading us on this path and I know he'll bring us through any obstacles we come across along the way. Hopefully the next time I post it will be coming from Italia. Get ready for lots of pictures!

  Arrivederci!

  

  Only 2 and a half months to go. For the last few months we've been in "hurry up and wait" mode. A lot of this has been waiting on people and organizations to get back to us with documentation and schedules. Since patience is not my best character trait this has not been easy. I'm torn between wanting as much time as possible here and wanting to go already. Suddenly it looks like all our ducks are lining up and things are starting to happen.

  Over the last couple of days we've received e-mails with at least 4 downloads telling us about packing procedures, insurance, relocation specialists, rental properties, cultural training, language classes, reimbursement procedures, etc...A lot of reading to say the least. All this could be easily overwhelming if it weren't for one thing: I'm seeing God's hand in every new thing happening. 

  Just this week Mark looked up from his desk at work and who happened to be standing there? The guy who went to Italy 7 months ago. He's back for a few weeks and is taking Mark out to lunch this week to answer any questions we have. He's already given us some very good advice on how to avoid some of the problems he and his wife have had since they moved. He also said that since there are several Lockheed people there now,
 the wives are getting together once or twice a week to go to the marketplace and other areas together. He's sending me his wife's e-mail info so we can be in communication before we leave. Yay! I can't tell you how excited I am to know that God is working to smooth our path and prepare friendships for us ahead of time! I'm starting to see this waiting period in a new light. As with everything else that happens in our lives it's God's timing that counts.

  I think we have also found a church to worship with while we're away. The Milan Bible Church is a group of about 100 who cater to English speaking people. They have a doctrinal statement that rings very true to everything we believe: One God, one salvation through his son Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit to guide our lives, living an upright and holy life through faith...Obviously this is not their entire doctrinal statement but the major themes are there. I know they may worship in a manner that's different from what we're used to but I'm so excited that we'll have a group of believers to help us in our faith journey.  My church family here is so important to me that I can't imagine trying to live without that kind of support, even if it's only for a few years.

  One more thing we found out. There is a company that works with Lockheed to help employees adjust to life overseas. They will be a go-between for us and the realtor and give us a tour of the area. They're even supposed to take us to the local markets and help us with currency. How great is that?

  All of what's happening has put my mind at ease so much. I was to the point of waking up at 3 a.m. thinking about how things were going to work out. Once again I'm reminded of how short-sighted I can be. I'm thankful I worship a God who forgives my lack of faith (along with everything else!). I'm still going to miss my friends and family so much but I know now that I can look forward to the future that only God can see!  Arrivederci!

  

  "Are you ready to go?"

  This is a question I am frequently asked these days. It's kind of a difficult question to answer partly because we are about 4 months away from actually leaving and there is only so much that can be done and partly because there are several answers depending on what the meaning of 'ready' is. If I'm being asked if I'm prepared to go, the answer is yes and no. I am preparing as best I can. I'm learning Italian and although I feel like my progress is slow I do understand more than I speak at this point. I think once I'm in the country and being saturated with the language it will come more easily. I am also gradually buying things that we know or think we will need. Ice trays come to mind. From what we understand the refrigerators there don't come with ice makers and you can't find ice trays anywhere. It's just not that important to Italians to have ice. We're also stocking up on things like toiletries, medications and winter clothing. It's not that we can't buy those things there but there are certain brands I know I can buy here and things are definitely cheaper here. I'm getting in the habit of buying things in two's. One for us, one for the shipping box. We will be able to ship 3000 pounds and we're not taking a lot of furniture so hopefully we'll have everything we think we need. 

  Also in the 'prepared' category is all the paperwork involved. My wonderful husband is handling all of the documentation. Most of it is on him because he's the one who will be working over there and he's interacting with the people in charge of everything. I just sign things he tells me to sign. I'm very thankful for him because between the two of us he's the detail-oriented one who will see to it that everything is taken care of. So far all of the immigration paperwork is done and we're just waiting on confirmation of what needs to be done next. We will still need to have physicals and possibly some immunizations but that's still a few months away.

  The other meaning of "are you ready?" is "are you excited?" Once again the answer is yes and no. Granted, there is plenty to get excited about. I am going to be living in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I'm going to meet new friends, travel, learn new customs and visit incredible museums and landmarks. All these things are wonderful and yes, I am excited. On the other side of the coin is home. My family. My friends. I am going to miss them more than I can say. I already miss my kids terribly and they're only 3 hours away. I cannot fathom not seeing them for months at a time. In that respect it is so hard to leave. A tiny part of me wants to say, "I've changed my mind." But I also know that 2 years will pass quickly. We've got a small window of opportunity here, before our kids marry and have kids of their own and before our parents get old enough to need our help. We'd be really foolish not to take it.  I would much rather look back on my life and know I took a giant leap into a unique opportunity rather than taking the "safe" and "comfortable" road.

  So I'm ready and I'm not ready. I've noticed that change is an interesting thing. For the most part, people say they hate change. What I've noticed is they only hate change they can't control. When you're the one who has decided to change it can be a good and exciting thing. I'm slightly apprehensive about this change but mostly it's on the good and exciting side. I've said before and here again, we are relying on God to guide us through this change. Yes, we are the ones who decided to do this but there is no way it would be happening if God had said no. I know He is with us and is going before us and if I can focus on that, then yes...I'm ready!