My sister and I are planning a trip back to Italy, back to the homeland of our father, so that I can see my Italian family one last time and say goodbye to them. Our father is from a small Italian fishing seaport village along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Why he ever left there and came to America is a puzzlement to me still to this day. My Italian Aunt and Uncle have since passed but I still remain friends and in touch with all my Italian cousins. The last time I saw everyone was in 2007. They are very excited that my sister and I will once again be returning. It will be a happy time. But it will also be a sad time. They all know that I have cancer and my days on this earth are numbered.
We're planning to go sometime in September. The weather will still be good. We will be staying at the home of my father. He left his half share of the Italian property to his sister, who in turn my cousins inherited upon my uncle's death. They turned the home into a classic AirBNB and let my sister and I know it is available to us whenever we decide to go.
I'm seeing my oncologist this month who in turn will be running tests to see if I am still in remission. I am also seeing my breast surgeon in August who will also run her own tests to make sure I am cancer free. The only hesitation I have in booking this return trip to Italy would be if my cancer comes back. I will have to start chemo infusions again and I don't think I could survive a two-three week international trip once I start undergoing cancer treatments again. I'll probably book the trip anyway BUT take out insurance if for some reason I may have to either postpone, reschedule or cancel the trip altogether.
It is written in my will that upon my death I am to be cremated and my ashes are to be spread in the Adriatic Sea of the village of my father. I first came to this town when I was 16 years old. My parents sent me there for the summer and I spent the most enchanting adventure there in Italy, with my aunt (Zia Elsa) and my amazing Italian cousins (Stephano, Rafaella and Laura). Again, I ask myself, why did my father ever leave this gorgeous place?
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| Once the summer is officially over in August, the village quiets down and the beaches are endless. |
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I love this post. I do hope you get to make the trip!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Fingers crossed. Up to God.
DeleteHi Cindy, your trip sure sounds like something fun and good to look forward to. Things here have been out of our normal quiet life. We are still grieving the loss of Hubby’s youngest brother in April. Hubby’s mom has a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. It is not easy, as you can imagine. Hubby’s dad has been in the hospital with a lot of tests and so far a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Not sure about if there will be more. Our daughter’s family is in the middle of buying a new house/selling their current one. So far retirement is not what I thought it would be and I don’t like it. We planned some fun things for the summer and I hope we get to do them.
ReplyDeleteI have been following your blog and prayed faithfully for your Hubby’s operation and recovery. Thanks to God for the good news so far and I hope his recovery is still going well. Your post about the meds the doctors want you to take after BC treatment hit home with me. I had the option to stop the meds I was on after 5 years and did so. I will pray about the tests you have to do later in the summer that things will continue to be all clear.
Hi Chris. I am so sorry to hear about your husband's brothers death. It's not easy to lose a brother. (or anyone, really) It's so hard on a family when someone is sick. I will keep you in my evening prayers and hope things improve this summer. My husband's operation went well, but he is so tired. He's in bed sleeping by 7pm each night. he also commented he can't do some of the things he used to do so easily. Thank you for your prayers. They're working!!! As you know, I'm to be on Letrizole for 5 years (possibly 10) and the side effects are also extreme tiredness. Sometimes I get so dizzy in the house I have to hold onto the walls. But what's the alternative, right? I have to take these meds. Another side effect is weight gain and so far, through no fault of my own, I gained 5 pounds and can not lose them for anything. Ugh. But at least the weight gain stopped. Thanks be for that! Being overweight is like giving cancer an invitation to invade. LOL!! Thank you so much for your continued support and for those prayers!!! Here's hoping we have a good summer. I hope you get to enjoy some fun things to do. Thank you again for your comments. I appreciate you.
DeleteI thought at one point you were talking about actually moving to Italy? What happened there?
ReplyDeleteWe are spending the month of Sept in Portugal, to see if we think we'd like living there. Porto, Lisbon & Faro. Hopefully we can learn enough basic Portuguese before we go!
Do you speak fluent Italian?
Don't get me started! I have a funny suspicion that once I get back to Italy I may not want to come home to America. As a daughter of an Italian citizen, my father, I can reside in Italy and collect his pension (whatever he would be entitled to). I'd have to hire a lawyer and it would be a lot of work (and expensive), which when I think about it, I get tired immediately. Another thought I am having, since my cousin told me she turned their family home into an AirBNB, is rent the home each August or September (cheaper) and stay in Italy for the month. I dunno what I am going to do but I keep thinking of different things and ways. I don't speak fluent Italian but understand it perfectly. I speak enough to get me by. Have fun in Portugal. I hear it is beautiful.
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