Its time to start a blog

Hello folks!
In response to all of your interest and frequent questions, I have decided to start a blog. It is for you but also for me to look back on and remember all of the thoughts and feelings that have gone into this next step in life that seems so out of the blue and opposite to what other, more careful people are considering at this time.
As you know, Pete and I have decided to purchase property in Calabria Italy. We want an apartment in a historical center that we can fix up. There are several reasons for this. The first of which is the fact that I am a transnational, being Italian stuck in a northern European body. This is a well known and documented fact as I recently "came out" and proclaimed what I am. It feels good to acknowledge this and not to try to hide it all the time. My friends and family have been surprisingly supportive and have decided that they love me regardless. I believe in my heart of hearts that Pete too is a transnational but he has yet to embrace the real him and will do so when the time is right. By then I will have forged the path for him so that his transition will be painless.

I have recently started studying Italian. I listen to the CDs in my bright yellow, convertible '91 Miata (restored) and can be heard screaming around the streets of Morgan Hill shreiking Italian phrases in response to the American lady on the CD urging me to "repeat". I have no idea what I am saying sometimes but my pronounciation is FANTASTICO!.

The question I get from people is "What made you come to this decision?" And I can honestly say that I have no idea at all other than I have always felt a kinship with the Italians. I love people who are so free with their emotions and their hands. I have always talked with my entire body and people here seem to get freaked about it. I really think that some think I am going to hit them. I have also lost my taste for fast food and to some extent for fast life.

Also, from what I see, the Italians have snagged one of the best parts of the globe for themselves. To top that off, they have a way of living that seems like fluid art. There is art everywhere in Italy, in the food, the presentation, the culture and traditions. They recognize that there is so much in life that merits celebration and they celebrate uninhibitedly. I remember when I first met my husband and we started "courting". or some reason everything we touched at that time turned to success. We got so much done in such a short time and good luck was at every turn. Our Modus Oparendi at that time was to celebrate anything we could think of. There was no weekend that we did not have champagne and cake and, suprise! the reasons to celebrate just kept coming in and kept getting bigger and better.

For awhile we have gotten out of that mode and into the Silicon Valley grind. We work our asses to the bone on a daily basis and have forgotten to celebrate. Life has become a little harder, a little stranger and a little less friendly, or at least it seems that way. We have forgotten that it is worthwhile to hike several miles just to see a view. I have forgotten all the ways I know to cook lamb and meals are now quick plugs to keep the tum happy and keep us going. And finally, and probably the clincher is that, after years of scrimping and saving and sacrificing, our retirement funds are practically useless and things don't look to be getting any better in the near future what with our political situation being what it is.

All the more reason to save you say? I say Pish Tosh! Nothing is guarenteed in life and our 401Ks could end up as scratchy and inefficient toilet paper before long. After all is it paper, not a house, not a way of life and not a lot to look forward to. Pete and I have another possible 50 years left on this planet and will probably be working for a long time to come. I will agree to do this for 11 months out of the year but that one month, in my little place, in a land where life is meant to be savored and people are not afraid of being assaulted when I try to explain something, well that makes it all worthwhile. It will be a month long celebration. Pete and I will look for things to celebrate and once a year will devote our entire selves to doing just that. We will count our blessings and really see what future blessings we have in the hopper and what it will take to get them to fruition. I really don't care if what we buy is a shit hovel ruin. We will make it nice and ove it for what it is. It will be a wonderous place. As long as I have running water, a place to plug in my blow dryer, and a wonderful view, I will be happy.

By the way, none of this is meant to lessen in any way the people in the good old US of A. It is my country and I love it here. I still think we have a lot of the best and brightest. We just need to wrestle our government back from the corrupt politicians who have taken over and we will be great once again.

So, there you have it. To some I am sure that this is proof positive that I have gone completely around the bend but I have found that going around the bend gives you the best view. I have also changed my viewpoint with regard to sucess and failure. I will very likely make a bunch of possibly costly mistakes. However that does not mean that I will have failed. One can come back from mistakes and turn them into success, even the most costly ones. And then one has gained wisdom that is priceless. One also gains the knowledge that there is no failure, just things that are not finished yet. Some things are much harder and/or more costly than others but that does not mean we shouldn't have done them or that they are not worth doing. Careful people are fine but they sometimes allow their thinking to rob themselves and others of opportunities to really experience living.

Here we go folks! I will be chronicling our day to day adventures and so, hopefully encourage others to take the plunge so that I can have all my friends as neighbors. Today is the 14th of August, 2010. on 14 July 2011 there will be a party on my roof terrace. I will play my violin and we will watch the sun set over the sea and think how far away we are from the every day grind and hustle and bustle. We will clink our glasses and observe how wonderful it is to be alive in this amazing time and place. We will invite the little old ladies and hear their stories and I may even teach violin to the kids in exchange for some of mama's lasagne.

It is time to celebrate!
Ciao for now!
XO
Chris