I will soon be entering the last week of my 3-month "experiment" in Naples. When I began to consider moving here several months ago, I opted to, rather than commit to the unknown, do a 3-month "look/see" trip to give myself a chance to decide if moving here were really do-able (and desirable). Well, after almost three months, my results are a bit mixed (unfortunately). I am now very attached to the man I came to "get to know better" and less-attached to the city I came to.
I have tried to be optimistic about living here in Naples, but I must admit that the past 3 months have been quite challenging. Not only is it still very difficult for me to communicate, I have had a little bout of culture shock, getting used to the Italian (and Neapolitan) culture and trying to feel comfortable in such a "foreign" environment.
So, it is not with complete sadness (and, in fact, far more eagerness) that I depart from Naples on May 1st to return to the grand ol' U.S.A. Now those of you who may be hoping that means I've completed my "rebellious stage" and will come home and settle down, I am afraid you may be disappointed. Despite not being crazy about Naples and still being quite uncertain about what I actually do want to do, I will most likely give Naples (and Italy) another try this summer. I felt very strongly that I was making the right decision in January to do this, and I believe I need to give it a fair shot. Plus, I cannot help remember my first few months in Germany also being rocky years ago as an exchange student, and then I fell in love with it! I've been fortunate lately to come into contact with many Americans living in the Naples area, and they assure me that I will love it once the initial shock phase has passed (and that leaving forever now would prevent me from experiencing la bella vita I keep hearing about).
Please don't get me wrong, I have had some good times here and seen some wonderful and interesting things (view my pictures at http://www.AndreasOdyssey.shutterfly.com). It has been a stretching experience for me, which I will be positive in the end. But I do look forward to reuniting with my friends and family and enjoying a hamburger and American-style pizza!
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"Life's a journey, not a destination." -"Amazing" (Aerosmith)
What is Andrea's Odyssey?
I am currently a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Azerbaijan. As such, I am required to only post to a password-protected blog. Please go to my photo gallery and blog on Shutterfly (password: my first name) to hear about my experiences with the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan.
Disclaimer: This is a personal blog, the content of such does not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Disclaimer: This is a personal blog, the content of such does not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
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3 comments:
Andrea,
I'm so glad you shared this. While it isn't exactly what everyone would want to hear, (that your experience has been mixed,) it helps me understand your experience a whole lot better.
Hope you have a great time back in the States... but I have to warn you: those Americahns can seem big, loud and kinda annoying... for the first few days. (o:
Andrea...I think it's a good sign. Now the honeymoon phase has worn off and you can truely experience Naples, the good and the bad. As much as I would LOVE to have you back here in DC a few months really is a very short time to make a decision especially if most of your experiences have been through rose colored glasses. You could still fall in love with the city, but then it would be loving it as it is, not as you would like it to be.
I hope we do get to see you when you come back to visit! : )
I am so excited to have you back in Tulsa for a little while, but I completely understand about giving Naples a fair shot. I think you are doing the right thing even if we wish you could be closer to us. I love you so much and am counting down the days until you are back!
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