I'M MOVING HOME!!!

Hello Everyone,

It's been much too long since I've posted on here. Working on my blog has been on my to-do lists every weekend since returning to Milan after the winter holiday a month ago. I just finished an extra-busy week at school, hosting Garth Stein (best-selling author of the novels The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Sudden Light)... but I also just hadn't figured out how I wanted to write/say this... so I'm just going to put it out there now:

I'M MOVING HOME!!!! 

--to Rochester, New York, that is.

My contract here ends this June and I've decided that it's time to get back to the States and be near friends and family. I'm excited about that : )

There are definitely many different emotions all mixed together in this decision but it just feels right. So I'm going with that.

I currently have a job that I love and where I am supported. Part of me thinks I might be crazy to leave this.

I also love living in ITALY!

For the past five years, I have been lucky enough to travel the world and, really, only have to worry about myself.

With that, though, I've been very far from my family and friends. I've met incredible people while living abroad and want to continue traveling to see them, visit, and catch up...

But I'm very ready to not feel so alone anymore. I'm trying to not have many expectations for my return to the States but I do hope that this piece changes. I've been on my own for the past five years and am ready to be HOME.

Five more months to enjoy here... and then new adventures!  : )

Dad Decked the Deck

Every time we pulled into the driveway of the house, Dad would say one of two things... either, "Wow! Look at that house! They have a SANTA on the roof!!" ...OR... "I decked the deck." Hahaha...

Dad decked the deck:

Dad and Dominic going into New Yorker's... daily routine...

Breakfast cuteness at New Yorker's, East Rochester

At Savoia's on Christmas Eve to pick up the cannolis...

We walked in on #19 and pulled #71. Yikes!

Group shot while hanging out at Grandma's in Buffalo:

A rare photo of all of us together!

Home for the holidays

More from my time home in Upstate New York : )

Making Christmas cookies with Mom!

You DON'T make a Christmas pretzel cookie?    : P

I got to spend two weeks with this lady  : )

Grandma made some of her family-famous Tollhouse cookies!

Looking at this photo on my camera after taking it, Grandma couldn't find herself between all of our hair! Haha. She didn't think it was the photo that we could have just taken and she had been in... 

Home  : )

family holiday get-togethers

It was really nice to go home to Upstate New York for the winter holidays! Usually I see some of my relatives when I visit each summer, but since this visit was around the winter holidays and get-togethers were already planned, I got to see pretty much everyone!

Christmas Day at the Smith's!

Hanging out at Grandma's in Buffalo for the evening

Being able to meet my college friend Erin's baby girl was great!!

So glad a visit worked out... Erin, baby Marley, and Jess stopped by my Grandma's:

Jess, me, Marley, Erin   : )

The next night, I was able to see Jess again - and another good friend from college - Heather. It was really nice to be able to have some time with them! (Heather visited me while I lived in Vietnam! We traveled with my cousins to Thailand during the Tet holiday.)

New Year's Eve at the Delforte's!

At the Pizzingrilli's for New Year's Day...

...waiting in line for the second round of Aunt Ann's gnocchi  : )

Big grins for home-cooked Italian food!

Cousin Aubrielle's first birthday party!