Dear Torino...

Dear Torino,

My.  Oh.  My.  You certainly have a lot in store for us!!  This adventure will be just that...definitely an adventure.  You probably won't make it easy...but adventures rarely are easy, I suppose.  You will keep us on our toes.  You will challenge us.  You will stretch us beyond our comfort zone and you will teach us to be flexible and adapt.  You will make us more humble and appreciative of what we have.  You will help us learn new things by opening our eyes to new places, new people, and a new language.

Torino, you are a whole new world for us!

Ciao Ciao,
Me

Its day #4 of our "house hunting experience" and its been somewhat of a whirlwind.  Here is what I've learned so far:

1) Language is a big deal.  And we have a long way to go with our Italian!  We'll need to speak Italian to really "live" here...so we'll keep learning and practicing!

2) Driving is close to insane!!  We also have much to learn in this area, too!  Kevin has improved by leaps and bounds in just a few days - it will be a struggle for me.  Driving "laws" seem to be just suggestions...there aren't really lanes, red lights don't mean much, and parking your car in the middle of the street is no big deal.  Although it is insane, Italians pay attention when they're driving!  Kevin says you have to stay alert because if you don't, you'll be driving the wrong way on a one-way street, or you'll hit a motorcycle who is speeding around you through a red light, or you'll be circling a traffic circle for hours!  Oh, and I'll have to drive a manual transmission...

3) You can eat salad for breakfast.  You can drink wine by 11:00 am.  Gelato breaks are common mid-afternoon for everyone.  And water comes in a bottle.  You pay for it.  Always.

4)  A gut instinct is usually right.  Doesn't matter the circumstance, but go with your gut.

• The first day of house hunting was a disaster...all downhill on a rollercoaster of emotions.  The places were all in the city of Torino and it was apartment after apartment of disappointment.  That's not to say that every apartment was horrible - its just to say they weren't for me.  "Big city living" isn't for me.  My gut told me that very quickly and I panicked that nothing else would come around or ever feel like "home".  I worried I would be forced to settle on something that went against my gut instinct. That changed today.
• My gut was very concerned about Zoey and school.  It also didn't feel quite right...before visiting.  I know my daughter and the program just didn't seem to fit...before visiting.  We visited the International School of Turin and all that changed.  The Dean of Early Childhood is a real life Mary Poppins and is willing to do whatever necessary to make her little darlings comfortable.  She wants the little ones to have fun, enjoy the day, and form a love for school.  So whatever we need to do for Zoey, we can do.  My gut was very happy.

5)  This time will be about give and take...compromise...prioritizing what's important and not worrying about the rest.

• The house we will probably settle on isn't perfect.  But the location is great for us, so we'll take the location over some of the specifics of the house.  We'll fill it with our own charm!  And there is some room for visitors...

6)  The food is fresh.  The pasta is homemade.  And the wine is plentiful!

We have a few more days,so I hope to post a few pictures of "our house" and "our area" as soon as its confirmed that it will be "ours".  Stay tuned!