Buon Viaggio!

I made it!  I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a day and a half in Washington DC visiting Sam and Marcy before beginning my journey, and after flying all night, I am finally here! I have completely fallen back in love with this city from the moment we touched down. It's so different being here by myself, but in the words of my dear friend Kacy Clark, I'm leaving comfort for courage and enjoying each moment.  

Some of my favorite things that have happened so far:

1. Starting of my DC trip with an amazing conversation with my Ethiopian cab driver, Emmanuel.  

2. Having some great solo 6am reading time on the bank of the Potomac River and watching an east coast sunrise!

3. Getting a full day walking tour of the city with Mr. Sam Pearcy!
4. Eating a street market tomato like an apple as my first meal in Italy (sorry, Mom!)

5. My Italian friend, Miko, whom I thought was living in New York, yelled out my name on the street today.  He didn't know I was coming back, and I didn't know he was still in the city.  We're having dinner tonight!  What an unbelievable blessing to have some company in the form of an old friend!  

6. Sitting in my little hostel room with the shutters wide open, watching it rain outside with my view of Palazzo Vecchio in the background, and realizing this is the first time I've stayed in a hotel completely alone. And I love it.

I had an amazing flight here, slept 6 of the 8 hours straight through, and met several interesting people on the plane - one on his way to Oktoberfest in Germany, and another on business back to Italy from 2 weeks in Nigeria.  Everytime I travel, I realize how many amazing stories are in the world.

I received an email yesterday morning from the family I'll be staying with on the vineyard, and they've invited me to come down early for the first harvest, which will be Merlot grapes.  Not wanting to miss a thing, I'm heading down to Cinigiano Saturday morning so that I can take part in the first harvest of the year!

I am pretty exhausted from the trip, but would do it again in a heartbeat, and sit here grateful to see and hear and smell and feel the things I do! I am one very blessed gal.