The 2011 Round Up... A Few Days Late

I don’t believe in New Years Resolutions, but I do believe in clean slates. That being said- I have been a bad, bad blogger and for that I am very sorry.

In a past life, I lived the internet. My work and my life were online. It was an interesting time and I learned so much, but I eventually found myself following a different path to the Bel Paese.

My RSS Feed is full of expat experiences and Italian stories that I look forward to catching up on each and every day. Sometimes my taste swings pseudo-intellectual and for that I have added a few academics to my list of must-read blogs. Today, one of those bloggers posted a list of tips and one struck a chord with me. Particularly #4. Post more.

I must post more in 2012. Prepare yourself. I’ve got about 3000 Italy pictures waiting.

I think 2011 was a year of discovery. Here are the most important things I learned:

Italian: It ain’t perfect, and it ain’t particularly pretty, but I’ve learned enough Italian to make myself understood. I’ve even learned enough to argue with vendors and proprietors of all sorts when that charge, usually simply marked as ‘EXTRA’, appears on the bill. In fact, the other day my waiter told me I was ‘arrabbiata,’ which I thought meant ‘delicious spicy Roman tomato sauce’ but really just means angry. I mean, c’mon dude- 10 Euro service charge when it says ‘service not included’ on the bill? No.

How to coexist: Relationships are complicated. Take two people from two different countries and drop them in a third? Expect a few headaches. My Irishman and I had quite the 2011 and if it’s off to this great of a beginning, I can’t wait to see where 2012 takes us.

Enough for a Masters degree: Lots of books and papers later, November 11th marked the end of my most recent stint as a student. Apparently I learned enough in 2011 for a degree!

How to pack: And below are some of my favorite destinations: