Now, for the last time...
Ciao, Everybody!
This will be the last email I'll send from Reggio for a little while; as you all know, I'll be back in the 'States on Monday, and my adventures there will surely be less exciting than their Italian counterparts. So... You'll be spared these epic weeklies for at least 6 weeks. Celebrate accordingly. As for this week... A fairly uneventful weekend, followed by a slightly more active week.
Monday, Alle was asked by Guido to return to Russia to implement the new accounting programs there. Unfortunately, he asked Alle to go on the 20th. Alle told him that just wasn't possible, as he had to take me to Bologna airport on Monday morning. Guido relented and told Alle he could leave from the same on Monday morning, too. However, Alle's flight leaves an hour before mine... sigh... Rob will drive us, and she'll wait with me until it's time for me to go.
When Alle got home that evening, we called the Italian Consulate in Detroit to be absolutely sure there wasn't any other way to go about my arranging my visa. There wasn't. However, if I have everything I need with me at the time I apply, the chances are my visa will be approved and sent to me within two weeks! Alle told the lady on the phone that one of the needed links on the Consulate's website isn't working, and could she fax him a copy of the form so we could have it filled out and ready? Of course, she said, we'll send it out tonight.
And thus closed our Monday evening. :)
Tuesday was fairly uneventful. When I asked Alle if the form had arrived at the office fax, he said it hadn't. So, I called the Consulate myself and was told that they had had problems with faxing it out. Could they send it to my email address as an attachment? Sure! And so they did. That evening, Alle and I had dinner with Emanuele and Serena (Alle's friend and wedding witness, and his wife). It was a reasonably relaxed evening, as usual, and we didn't leave until after eleven. During dinner, Emanuele told us that when he told his and Alle's mutual friend, Alberto, that we were both supposed to leave on the 22nd, but for different countries, Alberto asked "Are they diplomats?" LOL!
Wednesday, Mariachiara came by with a videotape of the wedding. She visited for a little while and Rob (who was upstairs visiting Dad with Andrew) joined us for a bit. When Mariachiara left and Rob went back to the kitchen, Alle and I watched some of the video while we waited for his friend Claudia to arrive for our gelato appointment. She got here around 10.00, but unfortunately, all the closest gelaterie were closed. So, we had a nice walk in the cool air instead. Alle and I turned in around 11.30 after he filled out the declaration that the Consulate had emailed me.
Thursday, we woke from a restless sleep and determined that it was indeed getting much, much warmer outside. The day passed in the usual way, and Alle got home a little late and told me that he might not have to go to Russia after all. Apparently there is some dissention in the ranks, and the Russians are a little rebellious... Hmmm... Anyway, hopefully, it would be resolved reasonably quickly and his travel plans ironed out. Or not. Around 8.30pm we were picked up by Alle's friends Alessandra and Federico, both of whom are utterly charming and sweet. We went out to dinner at a nearby pizzeria; afterward, we went out for gelato (at last!) and they gave us a belated wedding present - a beautiful silver frame, with embossed lillies on it. Lovely! I can't wait to choose a photo for it... Alle and I got home around 11.00 again, and stayed up late in spite of ourselves, talking, wondering about the Russia situation, and so on. At last we drifted off, which brings us to...
Friday.
We're supposed to have dinner with Rob and Andrew tonight. Alle is really hoping to find out if he has to go to Russia or not, and I can't say which answer is better. I know he'd like to go, as he has friends there and seems to enjoy the stay, but at the same time, it might be a little less stressful for him at his job here if he doesn't have to go... Hmm... Ah, well, we'll see, I suppose.
For Saturday we have loose plans to take a walk in the city center, if it doesn't rain, and then we'll finish getting ready for our respective trips. What we don't get done then, we do Sunday, keeping time aside for gelato with Claudia in the afternoon (if she can make it). Then we'll try to have some alone time together, somehow.
I'm finding it difficult to keep a happy face on, and Alle knows it. Naturally, he's been as supportive as is humanly possible, and that helps a lot. I'm feeling confused at times - I'm excited to be going home to see my family and friends, of course, but I'm going to miss him like mad while we're apart. He still wants to make an August visit, if possible, but I don't reckon it will happen. I'd like a Christmas visit myself, but that means expense, crowded airports and delays, etc... So it's all a big 'Wait and see', now.
But, that doesn't mean I won't enjoy myself while I can, eh? Don't worry, I'm not depressed, I just reckon I'm gonna miss my boy a lot. Wouldn't you? Of course you would... ;) So...until Monday, ya'll!
Ciao!
Kim