Famiglia (fam-eel-ya) – Family

            …ok today was literally so awesome…and the best part was that it was totally filled with family….didnt start out that way…started with a school, and a test at that, bleh….but I think it went well so that is good…and then it was off to meet up with mom and dad….i took them around to show them my school and meet the USAC site staff which was pretty cool….now they have faces to put to the names in my stories J…then it was off to lunch and adventures at Eataly…

        …this was one of the best places to get to take my dad to J….i feel like its heaven, and for my dad I think it is….we had lunch and spent a good long while, not skipping a single aisle…it was great fun..then we decided that we should go up to the Basillica di Superga…so we were off to Porta Nuova to go find a train to take us to the base of the mountain…

   

           …that was quite the production but after a visit to the tourist office and one simply answer we were off to our tram and on our way….when we finally got to the “sassi” which is the cable car/train that runs from the base, all the way up and down…aannnddd it was closed….so we found a little bus that would take us up a ways, to about a 10 minute walk left on foot….which is was and that was not bad at all….but the clincher was that was at 3:30 and the bus didn’t come back until 5:30….and all that is up on the mountain is literally just the church….so we looked around and saw all that we needed to….went to wait for the sassi on the off chance it actually was running…it still wassnt…. So we walked down to wait an hour for the bus….and it was freezing with the wind…so when ANY bus came, we decided it was worth getting on…so we did, unfortunately that meant going down to the valley small town, on the other side of the mountain first….so well we didn’t get down until about 6pm…then ran to a bus, sat there for a good 30 or more minutes, then metro to Nizza, stop at mom and dads to grab some things, then metro to my house and FINALLY got there at 7pm….needless to say I apparently shouldn’t be in charge of plan making….that turned into a bigger adventure than probably needed….

            …but one we got home it was a dream, ALL of the family was here; my host family, both sets of grandparents and eli’s sister and boyfriend…..it was so great!...and collectively they had made a FEAST!....i don’t think that I have eaten that much in such a long time….we ate hours ago and I am still super full haha….a classic Piemonte salad for antipasti, homemade lasagna, pesto alla fornate, and tiramisu….plus so much bread, glasses of wine and a few digestives afterwards…I think my parents were so happy….it was an amazing night…it was really so cool to combine my families…..get to show this new Italian family my parents and vice versa….and I had to be a translator tonight which was a weird cool new thing….i loved every part about tonight….mom and Eliana ended up becoming such good friends which I loved..mom wishes she was moving to st. maries instead of Chicago in the fall J…..and little Giacomo just took to dad, loved playing with him J..gosh I cant believe that this family is actually mine…that was all I could think tonight….

 J….im so lucky…this is truly a dream that I am living here…this life cannot be replicated…and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be doing all that I am…tomorrow we are off to Alba for the day….a small town about an hour and a half by train…known primarily for its wine, and the Nutella factory in town….we have a wine tour and tasting scheduled and then just a day of exploring in store…I truly cannot wait, it is going to be soooo amazing….sorry the post is shorter today even though we did a lot, its 1am right now and this girl is worn out!....so until tomorrow, goodnight world…and by the way Happy Valentine’s Day from Italy….love to all J

           ….tonight was such a blessing because it showed me my blessings…I cant believe that I am so lucky to have the parents that I do, but now also to have been given this Italian family that I also love so so much