On celebrating 23 in Italy

Well, I guess I am 23 now.  One year older means one year wiser, right? I sure hope so! I also don't feel like an adult yet, but maybe thats ok.  I also will always love cake for my birthday so I am glad that tradition will never change :)

This birthday was of course, very unique.  I have never spent a birthday away from my people and it was sad in that sense, but also it was refreshing to be celebrated by people that don't really know me that well.  I was reminded of the kindness of others and how we are all connected as humans wanting to feel like we belong and we are loved.  I definitely felt that from people here in Merano, and back in the States.  I was surprised with yummy treats from my family in Merano and au pair friends as well, so thanks to you guys if you are reading this :) Thanks also to my friends and family back home who sent me birthday wishes.

So, what has year 22 brought me? Hm.  Lots of different things.  I graduated from college (HOLLA), its the first year I have been single for a long time,  I deepened my friendships at St. Ben's, discovered my love for the Northwoods of Wisconsin, have met some really cool people from around the world, have had some amazing opportunities for traveling and am always learning more about myself and the kind of person I hope to be and the kind of life I hope to live.  It's been a good year, full of adventures, joys, challenges, disappointments and love.  Which I expect will be what most years will bring in life!

In my 23rd year, it will be the first time I am not a student which will be an adjustment.  I will have various odd jobs this year that I expect to bring me more of what 22 brought me.  Developing relationships that are fulfilling at HoneyRock, being able to spend time with my family and friends from St. Ben's, and as always seeking new adventures.  Thankful for these 22 years and looking forward to 23!

Recently in Merano, things are as always at a steady pace.  Not too fast, and not too slow.  Drinking coffee, going for walks, doing my daily "work" things. I have enjoyed spending time with other au pairs and going out in the evenings as well as baking some of my favorite American classics for the family :) We are gearing up to spend the Halloween weekend in a city on the east coast of Italy called San Benedetto del Tronto.  Mom and dad have work meetings so I will be babysitting Beatrice and her friend while they are at meetings.

After the weekend I will get ready for traveling around to a few cities for just one week instead of longer like I had originally planned.  I changed my mind for a variety of reasons but we can attribute it to the fact that I am horrible at making decisions and am a little bit crazy sometimes :)...  After that there will only be two weeks in Merano until I head to Verona and Sicily with a friend for a few days and then back to Minnie for Thanksgiving.

Happy early Halloween everyone!

Friday Street Market

Italian Pizza with my French friend ;)

Devoured this...

Sunny fall day

Piazza Duomo

Buongiorno Meran!

This morning is gorgeous.  It is a mixture of what you might think Switzerland, Austria, and Italy combined might look like, cause thats exactly what it is!  It snowed in the mountains and the skies are completely clear blue.  E una bella giornata.

Today I have many thoughts swirling through my head.  First, as I walked through town this morning I am realizing how awesome it is to know a foreign city so well and feel like you know the man on the corner selling bratwursts, the beggar who sits every morning in the same place on my walk to school, or the barista that makes your cafe macchiato every other day, or the other barista that makes your cappuccino on the other days [I drink coffee sometimes...] Even though we never really speak, there is kind of an unspoken recognition of each other that makes me feel like I have truly lived here and am not just a visitor.

Although two months is hardly a long amount of time in one's life, these two months in my life will offer so many things to my future self.  When I first arrived, I would celebrate the small victories like: ordering un cafe o un gelato in italiano, riding the bus by myself, understanding a few words in Italian, and picking up Beatrice from school and having a calm and uneventful afternoon with her.  Now I am noticing that my victories have become a bit bigger: when I understand whole conversations in Italian, meeting new friends and immediately feeling a connection, still feeling victorious to have a great day with Beatrice, speaking broken Italian to someone who actually understands it [!], and feeling more and more like I have figured out what it could be like to build a life in a foreign country.

I have learned about feeling lonely, scared and isolated in a completely new place, but I have also learned to cherish the moments when I feel alive, joyful and connected with other people.  Those are the moments we live for my friends.  Nobody will be without challenges but those challenges just come with the moments where the joy is just bursting from you or you can't wipe the smile off your face because in that moment, you are truly happy.  

Yet through all this feeling challenged and isolated, I have realized I am so fortunate. I have lived a relatively uneventful, normal life which is incredible to me when I hear stories of what other people have experienced.  What I see as challenges are probably laughable to some.  I have a healthy family that I get along with really well, I have supportive and loving friends, I have had incredible growing experiences, I have seen some of what the world has to offer and I have never been in need.  How can I ever give back to what I feel like I do not deserve?  So for my idea of "giving back" I think its important not to take these things for granted and be reminded to be thankful for everything that I have been given.  Because sometimes I forget, as many of us do, how much we really have to be thankful for.

I came upon a quote recently that stuck with me.  "Time is like a river, you cannot touch the same water twice because the flow that has passed will never pass again." After experiencing up close the harshness and the flow of the river [at camp], I think I have a decent understanding of this.  I want to be someone who lives in the moment and doesn't look back and say, why didn't I do that? Or wow I wish I would have done that when I had the chance.  Which brings me to my next topic... Because of a few select reasons, {one of which being my wanderlust won't shut up} I have decided to leave Merano a little early to do some more traveling.

I have mixed feelings about this.  I feel irresponsible for spending more money than I had planned, guilty for breaking an agreement for staying here longer, wishing I had time for all of the things, and sad to leave my brand new friends and [host] family here in Merano.  BUT I also feel excited to see friends around Europe, courageous for doing something out of the ordinary, and I feel at peace with my future self who would regret missing the chance to do this.  My wanderlust self and my reasonable self are conflicting so hard, but wanderlust wins the ticket so here I go.  I have time to be reasonable the rest of my life, right?

Anywho, more about that later.  This weekend was the grape festival in Merano which we took advantage of.  I will share some pictures but it is basically like it sounds.  Lots of traditional food stands, beer and wine, people dressed in traditional clothes, bands playing in various spots around town and a parade to finish.  Also this week I {finally} got in touch with other au pairs in town.  I have immediately felt accepted and connected with the group and will look forward to going out and getting to know them a little before I leave.  Bummer this didn't happen sooner, but I guess I had some lessons to learn on my own?

Arrividerci for now friends.  Thanks, as always for reading :)

Chestnuts!

Traditional Dress

What I've learned about solo travel

Four of the most important things to have when you are traveling alone are:
~Comfortable walking shoes
~A good book
~An open mind
~A positive attitude

I took this weekend to travel to Innsbruck, Austria.  It is incredible to think of how much I have learned just from traveling alone for one weekend.  So many thoughts, I don't even know where to start! First of all if you have never traveled alone, I highly suggest it if you get the chance.  It is a unique experience to see new places and do whatever the heck you want all by yourself.

Comfortable walking shoes are self explanatory.  I guess it depends on the kind of travel you like to do, but for me I just love exploring a new place/city on foot.  A good book is for the times you are waiting for your food at a cafe or just want a break from walking and sightseeing.  I shamelessly read my book at a slightly fancy restaurant, in a park, on an outdoor terrace with a drink... I also love to read and I carry an unnecessarily large purse that could hold five books so there's that.

An open mind I found to be important when it comes to talking to locals and people in general, or experiencing something that was different than my expectations.  Whatever I experience is what I experience so I better make the most of it! One thing I tried to not do was plan every moment of my day.  A quote I read somewhere says this, "Focus on the journey, not the destination." Which is something I have tried to be mindful of as I am experiencing new places and things.  I think as a tourist, it is easy to fall into the trap of planning each destination and landmark and miss everything that happens in between.  What would happen if you got lost? Nothing really.  You might even have to ask a local for directions.  GASP.  Of course there are some landmarks that must not be missed like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel tower would be a little silly.  My point is, I think it is important to slow down and enjoy the surroundings on the way to the Eiffel tower [or whatever said landmark] to truly enjoy and experience a new place.

Speaking with other tourists and locals were some of my favorite parts of the weekend.  I think that its easy to forget when we travel how other people live is different than us and how each persons story is unique.  What brought them to that place at that time? What are their passions and interests? Do they have a favorite food? How many languages can they speak? Where did they grow up? These are the random questions that crossed my mind when I spoke with different people this weekend.  You will probably never see the people you speak with again so even if they think you are weird, who cares?!  I met people from Italy, Guatemala, Poland, Germany, [Austria], and one guy had even spent some time on a farm in none other than little Albany, Minnesota.  The world is so small yet so big my friends.

Last but not least, a positive attitude.  This comes in handy when we are speaking about the weather or a service that is being provided to you like at a restaurant or cafe.  First of all, we can't do anything to change the weather so if its raining - boo hoo. Yes it sucks if your plans must change because of the weather, but then your plans must change and there is nothing you can do about it! Roll with the punches, or should I say forecast (?).  I also find that it does not do to get too upset with slow service at a restaurant or cafe.  Yes you are paying for a service but the people working are human too, giving them grace is good for both of you.  I found especially from being alone, these were things that I had to smile about if it took 15 minutes for the waitress to come talk to me, or if it was too cloudy to actually see the mountains I had hoped to see.  These are things I can't change, so I won't let them put me in a sour mood or ruin my day.

Of course, I am only human and I am guilty of doing some of these things sometimes.  But I am working on it and we are always a work in progress aren't we?

Ok ok, what did I actually do this weekend you might be wondering? I'll try to keep this short.  We all know that sightseeing is just a way to pass the time between the most important part of traveling: food. Yes? Ok glad we agree on that.  Yes I did do some sightseeing and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I saw.  Big churches, pretty colored buildings by the river, small side streets with cobblestone streets, cafes and shops, something famous called the golden roof, and really really beautiful fall colors in the park.  But of course, to me the food is always interesting in a new place.  From my experience, Austria knows sweets, meats, and apples.  My three favorite food things/places from the weekend were:  A steamy apple strudel at a romantic candlelit table for one [lol] in a restaurant off the beaten path;  breakfast at a trendy place with fresh bread, cheese and egg with REAL coffee and carrot juice (also got to watch the cute barista make cappuccinos and lattes for the win), and an afternoon on an outdoor patio with cake and hot chocolate [where you stir your own ball of chocolate into hot milk!]   For my Cork friends, this one is a close second with O'connails.

Also, yesterday I had thought of seeing a museum because it was cold out when I stumbled upon an exhibition about Medicine Sans Frontiers or Doctors Without Borders.  So instead of spending money on the museum, I had a free tour [in English] to learn more about what they do which was much more interesting to me than Austrian history, sorry to say.  In true Steph fashion I spent the money on cake instead :) It was a win win for all.

This weekend was 100% treatyoself weekend for me and I will treasure these days.  WAH, these are always longer than I mean for them to be but I hope I've given you some food for thought and some insight into what I am learning in these three months.

[PICTURES]

Main shopping street.

Joined the rest of the tourists by asking a stranger to take a pic of me in front of this famous gold roof. lol.

Birds eye view of Innsbruck.

Yummiest hot chocolate

Picnic in the park. I had a fairly long convo with a 90 year old man who couldn't speak any English, he tried to warn me that all the Italian boys were going to come after me. 

Thank you Lord, for simple pleasures like fall colors, good coffee and kindness from strangers.

For the love of oatmeal!

All my fellow oatmeal lovers raise yo hands!

Ok, for the people who understand the obsession love for oatmeal -  people in Italy have no clue what is it.  Yes you read that correctly.  It is something that is hard for me to wrap my head around as I am sure it is hard for Italians to wrap their head around this strange hot pudding like cerealmilkwater combination that we eat for breakfast.  I made it one morning to show it to the family and they were very confused and almost alarmed that at home, I eat this many days a week [if not all of them].  Anywho, this post will be mostly about the differences in food culture and coffee culture that I have observed so far.

If you want to skip this whole thing and read a shorter post, this huffington post gives a pretty accurate picture to some of the things I have observed about Italy in general.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/american-in-italy_n_4235479.html

Also, here's a sunny morning in Merano:

I will continue on the topic of breakfast because breakfast is hands down the best meal of the day.  There is something about all of the different yummy options that you can have for breakfast that have made me fall in love with mornings.  Coffee, [oatmeal], yogurt, fruit, toast, bagels, eggs, donuts, pastries, cereal, smoothies... the possibilities are endless! The main things about an Italian breakfast are that they are small, and they are sweet.  At home, many times they will have espresso, tea or hot chocolate with a few breakfast ish cookies, or bread with nutella.  The coffee is still espresso but they usually make it longer- so it is brewed longer for a less concentrated espresso- and they sometimes add more hot water or milk- which makes an americano or a latte macchiato.

The most common breakfast to order at a bar [which is what they call a cafe] is a cappuccino with a something filled croissant.  Of course my favorite filling is nutella, but you can get different kinds of fruit spreads as well.  Things I have noticed while drinking coffee out: most people add an entire packet of sugar to their drinks- whether its a cappuccino, an espresso, a caffe macchiato-  they don't seem to be concerned about too much sugar.  Of course I follow suit because do what the locals do, right? Another thing I have noticed is that some people prefer to have only a cappuccino for breakfast and thats it.  For me, that would never be enough and my stomach would be growling in like 30 minutes.  But for some Italians, milk as enough of a breakfast- at least until midmorning when they might have a snack or something.

Also, I know in this region of Italy, coffee culture is very different than it is in southern Italy.  Here, people sit to drink their coffee and it doesn't cost any extra to sit down in the bar.  When I was in Rome and Florence two years ago, I noticed that most people ordered their espresso at the bar, paid, drank it at the bar and peaced out.  In those regions, they will charge extra if you want to sit because then you are getting table service.  Whereas if you just drink it at the bar, they hand it right to you and you hand the empty cup right back.  I am thankful that people sit here and drink their coffee slower, because it is one of the small pleasures in life that I most enjoy.

I suppose that is enough about coffee... So since this part of Italy is so close to Austria and Germany there are many more regional dishes that are closer to German than I expected.  Of course there is the typical pasta, pizza, wine thing here but there are also pork sausages, dumplings, and beer.  I have had good examples of both, but probably more typical Italian cuisine.  The most interesting thing about pizza is that its so thin, you can eat a whole pizza and not feel uncomfortably full, which is what most people do.  I always forget about this so when a whole pizza is placed in front of me, I get nervous that I won't be able to finish it and look rude.  But then I have no trouble polishing the whole thing off :)

Other regional specialties include, apple strudel, spinach and ricotta ravioli, lamb dishes, speck dumplings and apricot dumplings and many more that I haven't tried or don't know what they are.  Italians also have something called aperitif, which is something like a happy hour.  People go to bars to have drinks and small snack like chips, nuts or olives as a sort of appetizer for their dinner.  Italians are very concerned with digestion and having an alcoholic drink before a meal is supposed to open up the stomach for more food- and then having one after the meal is supposed to help with digestion of the meal.  This is also why cappuccinos are only mostly drunk in the morning- because the dairy is heavier and harder to digest- this gives your body time to digest it throughout the day.

I think I have also figured out why Europeans are thinner.  Among other things, they just walk so much more! The other day I went and checked on my phone how much I had walked, and it was 7 miles! I had just been running errands, and took a walk for fun.  I love walking so I don't even notice that I am actually walking a decent amount everyday.  Some days are more like 2 or 3, but still... Going to the gym to walk on a treadmill sounds so strange now- and way more boring.

Well this was longer than I had intended.  I hope it was as interesting to you as it is to me!
Ciao!

Cafe Macchiato [Espresso with a bit of steamed milk]

Latte Macchiato [Steamed milk with a bit of espresso] 

~closest thing to an American latte but too much milk for my taste

Cappuccino and apple strudel

Giant apple packaging warehouse I toured. 

{Apples trees are just as prevalent as grapes in this region!}

Italian aperitif