My Very Own Place

For the first time ever, I live alone. This is my place. I adore it. A studio with everything I could ever need. Especially now that I have electricity! (It took awhile... and there were some mistakes made... but hey, it's here now!)

I had always wanted to live alone but never found myself in the situation in which I could or would. When I returned back to Mantova I had decided that the time was now or never. Domi and I are getting married in less than a year (!) which means that if I don't live by myself now, I won't have the opportunity again, especially since I definitely want to stay with him forever after we're married...




In any case, my apartment is right in my favorite Piazza here in Mantova. Across the Piazza is a gorgeous church, whose bells ring the hour every hour and, especially on Sundays, often go off on musical jaunts.

I'm in love. I really am liking living alone. I take care of myself and if things are messy it's of my own making, but since I'm not messy things rarely are. Domi comes to visit when he can and since it's just for the weekend, the messes he makes are live-able. The weekends we spend together are pretty much idyllic, since we're so happy to be with one another.


* * *


I have all these lofty ideas for artistic projects that I want to do. I think, hey, I'll keep this train ticket and this cardboard box that held my tea and I'll make some amazing multi-media art piece.

Or, I'll start knitting something and think, hey I'm going to make an amazing knitted article of clothing. I don't know what yet, but it's going to be fantastic.

Hmmm...

I love to draw. I love to knit. Perhaps, however, I am not the best artist I know. I now know, after many years, that as much as I love to knit, I am not the best knitter I know.
That's not a problem – it's not a competition. I am, however, quite good at sewing, especially embroidering and crafting and such. I very much enjoy these activities.

So. I have some new projects planned. Spiffing up some old clothing I have, making some Christmas presents... all things I can do that I will be happy to do, and that I think people will enjoy.

There you go.

The Kindness of Strangers...

So. Where to begin.

The train to Milano from Torino I needed to take was packed. So packed, in fact, that every stop took longer and longer, just to allow people to get off, and the people trying to shove their way on the time to maybe, perhaps, find some room. A mini place to stand.

I myself, was lodged between two men, the bar used for stepping on and off, and the door. My stuff was stacked in front of me and I was basically hugging it to my body. This was okay for most of the ride, but, maybe two-thirds of the way through I started to get dizzy, feel nauseous, and my arms started feeling tingly. A man saw me and asked me if I was okay and I said I wasn't feeling well and just started to sit down. The people around me all told me to sit down on the steps and made room for me to go there.

After awhile I started feeling better and a young lady in front of me was asking me when the next train to Mantova was. I knew the one I needed to catch was the last one and was saying I was going to have to make a run for it. She wondered if they would stop the train for me and asked the conductor (at that point it was clear we weren't going to make it for my transfer) who said it wouldn't be possible.

When we got off the train she helped me get my ticket signed by the conductor and said if I needed a place to stay, not to worry, I could stay at her place. We went to the ticket office to see if anything could be done and they started saying there would be a solution for Mantova. I got prematurely excited, thinking I might actually get home that night. The solution was to take a train to Cremona, which is a town an hour away from Mantova. So Elisa (the girl I met in the train) told me again that I was welcome to stay at her place, even though it wasn't in Milano. At that point I had thought of going back to Biella to be with Domi, but the problem with the train from Torino was related to construction work on that route, and if I had returned I would be facing the same sort of train problems I'd had when I left. I took Elisa up on her offer, after asking repeatedly if she was sure it was alright and that it was extremely generous and kind of her.

In the train to her place I discovered that it was the night before her first day at university. We chatted in English, and had a nice time. We ate with her brother and then went to bed. I had the spare room to myself.

I woke up approximately 4 hours later and she made me cappuccino. We had to run to catch the first train to Milano. I had no time to buy a ticket, but lucked out on the train because apparently the machines hadn't been working, so I didn't have to pay a fine, and it just so happened that I had enough change to pay for the ticket.
I made my train to Mantova with a minute to spare. I got into Mantova and lugged my bags to the bus stop where I took the bus to school. I arrived only an hour later than I normally do.

Twas an adventure. I hope I never have to do it again. :P