Ciao!

After ten years, I have made it back to Italy. And I can't tell you how happy I am to be here. Even as I rambled down the coastline, I was getting giddy-excited, just knowing I was here again. And to make it even better, the sunset was gorgeous, as I pulled into Pisa.
Now, I haven't been the biggest fan of Pisa. When we were here before it was some what of a disappointment, and possibly the only bad meal I remember having in Italy. But since I couldn't book Riomaggiore until tomorrow, Pisa was the best place (cheapest) to stay overnight in the area. I am determined to give it another chance.
Already though I am just, again, not enamored with the city. Though I was excited when I remembered the layout of the city and the train station. I couldn't believe how dark the streets were when I went looking for food, and didn't really go very far at all. I will probably stay here another two nights after Cinque Terre though, just because I want to see it in the daylight again (it's final chance for redemption), and because I can easily do a day trip or two out of the city. After that it will be on to Florence.
I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It will be weird not to spend it with family. We used to have big to dos in the Tri-cities, and in recent years, my parents and I have always traveled somewhere together. I will miss the family and the food for sure. But I will be in a beautiful place, so I guess I can justify it in my mind. My parents are going to go to the tri-cities, which will be fun, and hopefully I will get to say hi to everyone. If I have working internet in Cinque Terre that is. I feel bad missing Starbucks, but it is such a consistent source of backup internet, even if Europe doesn't carry my green tea matcha.
I just can't believe I'm on my final stretch of traveling before Iceland. It seems so surreal to think I have been gone as long as I have. Occasionally I miss home, but most days just feel like they are flying by. I have a feeling Italy will go by especially fast. I had forgotten just how friendly and nice everyone is here. I ended up sitting next to two guys on the train to Genova, who didn't speak English, though one spoke French and Spanish. Between our spattering of languages, we cobbled together the most interesting conversation about languages and what people spoke and studied. He knows people who speak eight languages, which just seems so incredible to me. He found it amusing, though not surprising, that most Americans speak, solomente English.
And the people in the train stations were very helpful, making sure I got on earlier trains where I could. It shows how many English speakers come here though, when this is the first time in awhile I've seen all signs written in two languages. Italian, and then English below. Basically the summary is I really am just happy to be here. I can't wait to make it to Orvieto at some point. I hope it is just as wonderful as I remember it being.