Saturday night I set out to celebrate some friends' birthdays, Andrea and Ivy, at a local restaurant that I had not yet visited. Still being new to the area this is not an uncommon event, I looked up the address online for my GPS, and headed out. I have learned over here the problem with relying 100% on my GPS: it doesn't always take you the quickest route, but it does generally gets me there eventually. Upon arriving at my destination, as designated by my GPS, I am in the middle of some farmland with a few sheds/barns around. Clearly this is not correct. No problem, I'll keep driving for a bit in the right general direction and I'll keep an eye out for the restaurant. Five minutes later, still no restaurant. So I pull over into a vineyard (so Italian, I know) and decide to call Ivy. I pull out my phone and it is totally dead, won't even turn on, dead. Grrreeeat. So I continue driving for an extra 10 minutes before I punch "Go Home" into my GPS and turn around. I drive all the way back home, plug in my phone, get Ivy's number and call her to see what the plan is. Mind you, at this point I'm an hour and a half late. (Yes, that's bad, even by MY standards!!) Turns out other people were going to be late too and I still had time to head over there. I then got directions from them over the phone. Turns out the restaurant was about 5 minutes from my house...AND I remember passing it when using my GPS. Go figure!
So I made it finally and had an awesome time at a Brazilian Steakhouse in Italy with a band playing American rock music! It was a culture filled evening :) Turns out to be one of my favorite restaurants I've been to over here. Not only because of the endless delicious meat, but the fried cinnamon sugar bananas (to cleanse your palate between meats) and the delicious Caipirinha drinks (lime, sugar, and sugar cane spirits!)
These are the cards that sit in your spot. Green is for Si, per favore, you would like some more meat. They bring around meat on large skewers and slice off pieces for your plate. All different kinds, it was delicious.
When you're done, you turn your card over.
Ivy, Kahea, and Natasha.
Misty, Natasha, Meredith, Me, Kahea, and Ivy...taking a lemon something shot. It tasted like Pledge dusting spray. Yep, that good :)
Anyway, it was a very fun night with good friends! Drew and Meg, don't worry, we'll be going there when you're here, which JUST so happens to be in 16 days! We already have our trip booked to go to Cinque Terre and Tuscany. Not many people in the States have heard of Cinque Terre (Five Villages) but it is a very popular place over here. It is apparently a gorgeous place on the coast with hiking between the islands with villages along the cliffs over the sea. Here is a little pic I found online. Look it up, it's a gorgeous place!
(Pic from http://www.backroads.com/)
I just found this map online. I'm including it because I think it is a very good reference point for most of the major Italian cities. This gives you an idea where everything is located. Notice Venice in Northern Italy which is located on the Adriatic Sea. We live just North of Venice. And we are at the base of the Alps which are located along the Northern border of Italy with Austria and Slovenia. Milan is about 4 hours west of us and Rome is 6-7 hours south of us. This map also includes Cinque Terre it is just east of Genoa on the Ligurian Sea.
The next trip I'm booking for Meg, Drew, and I is to Bologna, Florence, and Rome. You can see they are straight down the Autostrada, I'm debating between the train and driving depending on cost. I've found that in the States we have this idea that the train is a cheap way to travel through Europe, well it's not! It is a convenient way to travel Europe, but not cheap. A round ticket trip from Venice to Rome will cost you at least $130 and that's when you choose to leave at crazy hours like 3am and take the regional train that stops every 20 minutes. But it may be more affordable then gas, tolls, and parking fees, I need to crunch some numbers!
You also may be curious as to why Taylor is not going with us. As of right now he is leaving on Sunday (May 23rd) for training in Germany for two weeks. As of last week, he was tasked for a deployment to Kyrgyzstan at Manas Air Base. Does this sound familiar? Why yes, deja vu...lets see if this deployment actually happens since the last two have been cancelled! Kyrgyzstan is a country north of Afghanistan. It is a transportation hub for troops coming in and out of the desert. Most troops will process through Manas and receive supplies before they touch down in Afghanistan. He is slotted to leave the beginning of July for 6 months. Yes, that includes missing Tennessee football season for Taylor and Thanksgiving and Christmas for me.
I get to write about all kinds of trips and travel opportunities that living the military life in Italy provides. It is such an awesome opportunity and Taylor and I are greatful for all the things we have been able to do and see. Sometimes it is easy to see all the trips and experiences and overlook where we pay our dues...but here it is, in deployments. Being at my first base and experiencing full on military life is such an eye opener from living in Franklin without any military affiliation nearby (Clarksville being an hour away). It is so strange to think that there are so many people who live with a husband/wife and/or parent deployed for months at a time. Growing up with parents that worked regular hour Monday through Friday jobs and with friends whose parents did the same it is easy to overlook the sacrifices of so many who are continuously heading overseas to defend the country. Many are heading over for the third and fourth time (and more). And when they leave, they leave a life back home. Yes, it's their job, yes, they are getting paid for the work they do, but they are leaving a family back home that continues on without them for extended periods.
I feel fortunate to be in the Air Force who generally has shorter deployments then the Army (there are always exceptions, i.e. Thomas who is deploying for a year). But the Air Force generally deploys 4-8 months at a time while the Army is usually 15 months at a time. FIFTEEN months, that is a LONG time. I also feel fortunate that I have no children. When Taylor leaves, it is just me I have to take care of and no one else. So many must leave not only spouses, but children as well.
Four girls at work (three of my good friends) all have their husbands deploying this week. It is just a way of life. And while the girls are sad to see them go, at least they are all leaving at the same time so we have time for lots of girls trips this summer (along with working 40+ hour weeks) To people back home it is so foreign to think of living that way and I often hear, "there is no way I could do that". But truth is, you can. Sure you don't WANT to, but you CAN do it.
Phew, just expressing my new found appreciation for so many military families that I took for granted for so long. Anyway, assuming this deployment doesn't get cancelled...BRING ON THE GIRL'S TRIPS!!! And the visitors!!
Ciao, bella!!
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