May 27, 2014

It's Tuesday morning and I'm lying in bed still, savoring my American-sized espresso (decaf – I can't handle the real deal) and and few small biscotti. This will be my first full day off since arriving for the work exchange program at La Preghiera.

My room is large and comfortable and looks, well, actually, is Italian. The ceiling is timber and wood beams, the floor is terra cotta stone tile. The doors are thick and heavy and work with keys that are as long as your hand.  They stick into lock holes that are three inches big and deep. The walls have some of the stonework exposed so that you're sure of what they're made of. Rather than look unfinished or in disrepair, the exposure gives it the look of a house that's mighty and secure.

It's eight in the morning. My windows are open- it's sunny and warm. The sounds coming in are soft and very unlike the daybreak screaming monkeys in Costa Rica or the screeching, bat-sounding morning birds of Madrid. These Italian birds and toads are going about their becoming awake much more easily and civilly. They sound lazy and happy. Or maybe I'm projecting.

I arrived here Wednesday via a flight from Barcelona. Or maybe I should mention there were two flights from Barcelona. About halfway into the first flight the pilot came on the speaker and said, “You've probably noticed we've turned the plane around. We are aware of a mechanical problem and are headed back to Barcelona to have it looked at. We should be landing in about thirty minutes. Please take your seat immediately.”

Uh, okay, I hadn't noticed we turned the plane around. I could have done just as well not to know that we were back in Barcelona when we landed at least until the time we landed. But I felt very calm anyway and used some nice breathing and mindful mediation techniques when my mind began to wander off to places that were not helpful. My life did not flash rapid-fire before my eyes; I did not think of all the things I should have done in life. I thought of my kids, and briefly thought damn it! I really need to write up a will!, and of other family and lots of friends and sometimes practiced more breathing. Mostly, I talked to the young woman across the aisle who had become someone I chatted with for awhile in the line on the way into the airplane, and then turned out to sitting right across the aisle from me. (That was a nice surprise! The universe giggled about that!)

Actually, everyone in the plane was pretty low key and calm until we descended for the landing. It wasn't horribly bouncy or anything but one woman starting wailing and crying out for God. I don't know what she saw or was thinking about but it came over her strongly and apparently all at once and she needed to let it out! Loudly! In Spanish. And then a baby started to wail too. In babe-ish. Then we landed without a problem. 

An hour later, like sheeple, we all got back into what the pilot had promised was a “brand new plane” and took off again. In between, no one discussed that huh, maybe we've changed our minds and will take a train or rent a car or something. And I thought, what are the odds of that happening again on this flight? Pretty slim, right? So I got back on too.

The mood was different on this flight: now with people all chatting and happy and meeting their seat mates. The guy in the window seat bought champagne and insisted on sharing it with the row. When I asked him if he had been frightened earlier he said “No. Not at all. I just felt it wasn't my time.” And I knew that's what I had felt too. Nice!

Sooo, anyway, I've been here for almost a week if you count the Wednesday of the flight(s) and getting here to the country home, which is a three-hour drive from the airport in Rome. The owners, John and Lilliana, had arrived at the airport an hour earlier (on an uneventful flight!) and waited for me and Katherine, the other Helpx volunteer, to give us a lift to the “house”.  We'd be working for them for the next two or three weeks- doing, umm, whatever, in exchange for our rooms and meals.

They call it “the house” but it's more like a mini-resort with a nine-bedroom main house, a smaller four-bedroom house (I'm occupying one in the little house now but sometimes must share it if we're booked up), a chapel (that seats about sixty) , and an in-ground swimming pool (I swam yesterday. Whoa. A little out-of-shape there, Damico!). They have overnight guests here, like a hotel, but specialize in weddings (you can imagine that the chapel helps out with this.)

It's an interesting business, and the history of the place goes back far, and I won't try to rewrite it. You can find out more about LaPreghiera here.

My main job here is to help with the weddings. We had one this past weekend. Sixty-five people attended, thirty-five of them stayed here, the rest at some other resort nearby. The guests came from the U.K., the groom is Irish, the bride, British, or vice-versa, I'm not sure, but the guests were all English speakers. Kathrine and I did all kinds of things to help and worked long days instead of the customary four hours a day for Helpxers, but we'll make up for it with many days off. We did everything from weeding the long gravel driveway and sweeping the walks (both very meditative), getting the chapel clean and chairs set up, setting out and breaking down the breakfast buffet everyday, taxiing people to/ from the train station (again, good to know how to drive the stick!) to actually working the event as bartenders. (I did get 50 Euros for that part and it was my favorite- although – it was a long night and man! Those Brits could drink!!)

And with a shoutout to my friend Mary, who was convinced the hosts would say, “Bell-a! You too beau-ti-ful for-a the laundry, you no iron! Come-a up-a-stairs!” I must say I will be ironing some day soon. After all the rooms are cleaned and stripped (by the staff- thank goodness), and the bedding is washed and line-dried but slightly damp, I will take an ironing board outside and iron away.

But not today. Like I said, it's my first full day off. It's time to explore Umbria a bit. There's a nearby lake to do some hiking, then stop off through a small town to wander around in and get some pizza. The bigger cities can wait for now. I'm in no hurry. 

 Until later-- Ciao!


So, the English Immersion program ended and everyone packed up to go home or to continue their travels.

I'm not sure how to wrap that adventure up for you: it was a lot of fun and sometimes exhausting (probably more tiring for the students than the teachers!) and we all gelled to the point of some tears during the 'graduation' ceremony.  As my daughter Lindsy would say- it was like summer camp for adults!

But what sticks with me most is the drive the students had to work that hard and what they were willing to pay ($$, time away from family, giving up a week of their vacation time)  to go through it. Some had their course paid for by employers but it was difficult to tell which ones. I think all were there for careers gains, either to keep or be promoted in their current jobs or to be more employable elsewhere. The economy is so bad in Spain now that quite a few were there to be better readied to apply elsewhere in Europe or beyond. One man was there because he feared for the futures of his children and had applied to a job in Switzerland. The kids were still young (4 and 7) but this dad could see 55% (!) unemployment for young men now and wasn't going to take chances.

Of course, this made all the Anglos take what we were doing very seriously even though the activities were fun. We stuck to the rules: English only, mix a lot, have fun, be punctual. Later we corrected and encouraged. We gave extra time when someone was ready to make a presentation.

I did the best I could although unfortunately I caught a little cold just before arriving and my voice changes on the plane over. I never got it totally back and I think at least that group of Spaniards may think all women from the US sound like Brenda Vaccaro or thought we are always just finishing a whiskey & cigarette.

I'd volunteer again, even possibly later during this trip, most likely in a different location. This program has eight locations: five in Spain and three in Germany. They are also hiring buuuut I'm not ready to settle down and do paid work just yet. You can find out more at diverbo.com.


Colin almost blocking me with his ultimate photobomb:













May 14, 2014



So, like I said, my main job here is to have conversations with Spaniards so they can practice their English speaking/ listening skills and you might be wondering how that goes.

Eventually, and gratefully, most of the conversations become more personal or in depth. I mean, how many times can a student describe his job or hometown?  On my walks and in the small groups ( the two on twos, for example) we've covered some pretty broad topics including raising children, politics (especially American), the economy (especially in Spain- and yeah, it's not doing well), casual sex and not so casual sex, religion, gender differences, same-sex marriage, immigration, current events (we don't have time to hear much news though), climate change, and piracy (both copyright type and like in Somalia).  You know, a little beyond your typical elevator or water cooler chitchat.

Within these subjects we check to see which opinions might be personal or unusual and whether there are real cultural differences.  The Anglo volunteers are from Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, New Zealand, Wales, and the U.S. so along with the Spaniards we've got a mini League of Nations thing going on. Makes for great conversation, especially whenever anyone mentions soccer or the European National Song Contest, which was recently won by a drag queen with a beard. (I never heard of this competition before! Have you?  Check it out  here.)

I hope I'm not making this sound too heavy. Most of the time, my face hurts from smiling and laughing!


"Perfect" is the hinderance to done" -advice I remember from a book about blogging.


To get started on this 90 Day European Adventure I signed on to be an "Anglo" in an English Immersion school in Salamanca, Spain. I'll be here a little more than a week. My main job is to have conversations with adult learners in English. (No one is allowed to speak Spanish, including the students when they speak to each other.) And if you know me, you know I'm doing the conversation thing while walking side-by-side with them.


Here's a typical morning schedule for everyone:



My sleep is still a little screwy, first because of the flight and secondly because of the schedule that has us starting dinner at 9:00 (with apologies to the Anglos for it being held so late, and apologies to the Spaniards for it starting so early!) and afterwards we have some group thing that's optional. Last night we had a "quieimada" that lasted til midnight. 

This place is made for me: walking and talking three times a day (and the weather has been gorgeous), delicious meals (2 Anglos/ 2 Spaniards is required at each table), game nights, and someone who cleans my room and makes my bed everyday!  Tonight is our first dance- I think there will be a little hip hop involved. If they had a foosball table here it would be Diane heaven, right??

It's time for the daily siesta- two hours of free time- and I'll publish this without looking for perfection. I could use a nap! 

PS- Let me know if you have any questions via the comments. 

Sooooooooo-  I'm resurrecting this travel blog specifically to share my current adventures with you. Let's call it:   90 Days of Wandering Europe while Carrying Way Too Much.

First a travel recap:
Since I blogged about the Portsmouth trip (see below), I've continued to travel in a wandering, last minute, indecisive- time-to-just-press-send sort of way. In other words, I travel the way I write! 
I still have my home base in Indiana and stop in there in between trips.   Someday I'll backtrack a bit and write about those travels and the incredible life-changing events that happened to me during the . But for now, suffice to say- travel (aka relocation therapy) has been very good for me and would have made for a great book or maybe still will.

Thank you to my family and friends who put me up or should I say put up with me while I talked about these travels: 

Buffalo, NY. Well, yeah, of course!! Hometown, baby!
New Jersey. No, I don't know what exit.
Charleston, SC

Then back up the east coast to Massachusetts, Maine and  The Canadian Maritimes: New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia. (Finally made it out of the States!)

Celebrated the midwest in:
Chicago
Detroit.  Yes, I said Detroit!
New Buffalo, MI.  Not to be confused with my hometown
More Chicago
Champaign / Urbana
O'Fallon, Il and places nearby in Missouri  

Thanksgiving in THE City  (that's New York City, for those of us who live outside the boroughs.)

Costa Rica (Finally made it off North America!) 

Folly Beach, South Carolina

Thanks to friends, family and new friends for making these trips great!!  
So what was the best part of traveling and dancing solo in New England?
I feel more 'at ease' now.

At the end of some sessions my local yoga instructor, the fabulous harmonious warrior Jackie Allen, will close with this:
"May you be peaceful. May you be happy. May you be free."
Yes,  I felt all that.  And I plan to keep this ease with me wherever I am.