Bella Napoli

I have somewhat mixed feelings about relaying this next piece of news (to those of you who do not already know), but seeing as how it would be impossible to describe my time here without mentioning a major reason why I am here to begin with, I will: the reason I decided on Naples is because my boyfriend lives here. I met him while I was traveling in the fall and we stayed in touch when I went back to the States. Now, we are enjoying this time to get to know each other! I won’t say much more now than he is a student at the university here in Naples and works at the hostel where I stayed in the fall.

Please don’t be alarmed, my friends! I did not decide to quit my job and move halfway across the world for a guy I knew for a few months! No, I assure you, most of you know that I have been wanting to move back to Europe ever since my study abroad year in Germany years ago. I just wasn’t sure where I wanted to go next. When I met my boyfriend, I decided Italy wouldn’t be a bad place to try!
Naples, in particular, is an interesting city. Hoards of tourists do not flock here like they do Venice or Florence. I believe it is a beautiful city in its own right if you can look past some dilapidated buildings and trash piling up on the streets. Southern Italy is considerably poorer than the northern part. Few people speak English here, which has made it even more of a challenge for a person who started with zero Italian, and unemployment is extremely high (around 20%). Although considerable renovations were made to the city in the 1990s, it is basically a big, crowded, dirty city!

But if you can look past some of those less-aesthetically pleasing aspects, you see a city rich in culture and a beaming example of the non-glitsy, non-tourist-riden Italy. One of my favorite pastimes here is to simply take walks around town – browsing the storefronts of the bustling vias Toledo and Chiaia, ducking into the narrow, alley-like streets of old Spaccanapoli, strolling along the seaside with a gorgeous view of Mt. Vesuvius across the bay, or roaming the residential areas of Vomero or Materdei, where fresh laundry is hung outside to dry and venders set up fruit stands along the sidewalks.

Naples is a lively bustling city, where you can experience a number of interesting and distinct neighborhoods if you are willing to brave the moped-filled streets, where following traffic signs is more of a recommendation than a rule! It is also home to a large port, where ferries and boats head off to a number of appealing southern destinations, such as the islands of Capri, Ischia or Sicily. In short, I don’t believe I will be at a loss for things to do and see while I am here – in between teaching English lessons and taking an Italian class, that is!

First 12 Days

I have officially completed my first 12 days in Naples, Italy! After an excruciating 2 days of travel, I arrived in my destination exhausted but ready to begin my adventure! I have spent much of the last two weeks recuperating, taking care of some necessary first purchases (cell phone and internet), and just trying to learn more about the city.

With the weather relatively mild during the day, I have made it a point to take walks around town each day. This helps me to learn my way around the large city and take notice of the particulars of living here -- where to buy my groceries, how to recharge the SIM card for my cell phone, and what products I can find here (and how are they different than what I am used to at home). Becoming truly comfortable in a new place will take time, but each day I take one step towards understanding this new place a little better.

I am now on a full-time search for employment and will begin with Italian classes soon. Until then, I am trying to enjoy myself, relax and teach myself as much Italian as possible!

If you are interested in learning more about my new place of residence, check out one of the following websites: http://www.napoli.com/english, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples, or http://www.italyguides.it/us/napoli/naples.htm

Happy

The following is taken from Andrea's personal journal (2/2/2007):

I feel in general that the strides I have made towards becoming the person I want to be have been great in the past 6 months! I was looking through an old notebook today and came across some things I had written at a church retreat last June, when I started to really examine my life and realize I needed a change. Some of the "goals" I had haphazardly written in that journal -- thinking at the time how silly or unrealistic they were -- have helped shape the trajectory of my life. And amazingly, I am on my way to accomplishing several of those short-terms goals already (things like "live in another country," "do more traveling," "learn another language," "learn to focus more on myself," "do more journaling.") It is amazing to me how I have followed my inner-most desires without even fully realizing what they were!

When I look at myself now compared to the me of one year ago, I feel like I have come so far! It was at that church retreat last June that I realized how truly unhappy I was with my life. I had everything I needed or would have hoped for (good job, beautiful home, wonderful friends, many accomplishments), but those things did not fill me. I was too caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, trying to use money or friendships or job security or frivolous successes to fulfill me. I didn't even realize how far I was from pursuing my dreams. In fact, I can remember being astounded as I examined my life throughout the course of last summer and realizing that I didn't even know what my passions were!

I still may not know for certain all that I want to do with my life or where it will take me (do any of us really?), but I am discovering more each day!I have been able to reexamine my life and unearth some of those desires that I had almost forgotten existed. While I was traveling this past fall, I felt as if I was awakened from along slumber. Suddenly, I looked at life with a fervor and passion I had not felt in years. I realized that life could be so much more that what I had taught myself it should be!

I've been asked several times in the past weeks how it felt to quit a good job and say good-bye to the life I had created for myself in D.C. My answer is (no offense to all my friends in D.C.) : I feel great! I am unemployed, don't even have a next job lined up, am uprooting my life and moving to a country where I cannot even communicate, and I could not be more ecstatic about what opportunities life holds for me! Yes, I am slowly growing into the person I would like to be, and I feel truly happy, which is something I could not claim one year ago.