First Day of 2009

Today is the first day of the new year. It’s pouring rain outside and I am sitting comfortably in my sweats, tired from our late new year’s eve. I would give anything for pancakes and watching movies in bed, but both activities would require me to go outside first and that is just not where I want to go right now. Spending the turn of the new year in Rome really made me realize what an amazing thing it is to be here. We didn’t do much during the day yesterday - just our normal walking around Trastevere, grocery shopping and cleaning up. It was a beautiful day, the kind of day where when you stand in the shade you freeze, but you defrost the second you stand in the warm, radiating sun. We walked along the sunny side of the street as much as possible and just enjoyed the normalcy of the day. Then in the evening we headed out to the Colosseum to watch a free concert - where a variety of unknown to me euro artists performed. There were millions of people in the streets from Piazza Venezia all the way to the Colosseum. We walked with the flow of the crowds and finally found an open space big enough for 2 to stop and sit and toast to the new year. All around us was chaos - people were screaming in cheer, drinking and setting off fireworks all over the place. Lucky for us, the place we decided to stop was where a group endlessly set off fireworks all night, making me jump at each incredibly loud noise. Sean of course was fascinated, and wished we had bought some fireworks of our own. I am glad we didn’t. Once midnight hit, the chaos grew - champagne bottles burst open around us drenching us from head to toe, people cheered, embraced loved ones and threw bottles into the air only for them to shatter as they hit the ground. The real fireworks show started and I was mesmerized by the beautiful light display over the Colosseum - one of the oldest standing structures in the world! The crowds around me disappeared for an instant and I was amazed that I was actually standing in that specific place at that time. Last year, I would have never imagined, never dreamed that this would be my life now....and I am thankful that it is.

I have one very important resolution this year and the fact that I am writing it down for anyone to see makes me feel like I really need to achieve this goal for myself. I need to learn Italian - and put an honest effort into it. I am slowly on my way, but I need to really commit myself to it and have the confidence to use it in any situation.

Sean’s resolution is to stop eating candy, but I know that is already out the window since his first words this morning were, “I feel like candy.” And in this moment he is talking about how we should celebrate Befanda - a holiday to celebrate the day the 3 kings brought gifts to baby Jesus. Italians celebrate by putting candy into stockings.