ci risiamo

Well here we ago again...We are now on to applying for our third house..And sadly to say this is the house that we have loved the least..but what can one do when time has come to a crunch..you sort of have to take what you can get..Now we just just pray that we get this house that we dont really like very much ..and then we pray that maybe we will fall lin love with it when we arrive.

When things have become such you sit and think about the actions that you are taking and wonder if it is all worth it..traveling so far..learning a new language and leaving all of your friends behind..and then having a little one changes things too..I am also taking her away from all of her little friends that she love so very much...all to move into a drabby house with a 1940's kitchen..yes with orange cupboards and all..but when I weigh up all of my options and look at the pros and cons I sitll believe this is the best choice for our current lives.
And a rental house is as temporary as you want it to be. We have decided that if we actually are offered this house then we will take it with thanksgiving and work with what we have...all the while take our time to find the perfect house that we can move into after the winter cold is over..but for now ..we just would like a house to live in with heat and electricity.

It could be alot worse I continue to tell myself and so with that I feel completely blessed.

Last night I was reminded of the people I will miss and those who have supported our decision to move even if they didn't like it or if they didn't understand...each and everyone of them I will dearly miss for sure...especially after t he send off they gave me last night full of food and cocktails..who could wnat more!!
Roll on packing with only 6 days before the big move!! I even got homemade cupcakes..how lovely

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Scambio Bella

Its been an odd 2 weeks since my last post and so much has happened since then I couldn't even put into words how much has changed ...even if I desired to do so.
Lately my feelings have been a bit trampled on and with a sprinkle of crushed dreams to to top it off but somehow I'm still here standing on top of the world. As much that has gone wrong my desire to live in Italy hasn't changed.

The title of my post today is Scambio Bella...or beautiful Exchange....

Ive been thinking about this for awhile and yesterday at church we sung of of my favourite songs..of course leaving me thankful for what I do have instead of the things I do not have..for everything that was given to me when I definantly didn't deserve it.

As it seems that nothing in this world is given for nothing...nothing for free or given on faith and nothing for just the love of mankind.. at least not from anyone of of us on this earth now. Of course we are taught this as children and we are slapped in the face with remembrance when we are young adults as we take a naive and blind step towards something we desire.

At 33 years of age I'm still amazed how I can be slapped around like a young girl. But you know in life you cant give up on humanity or else we have nothing to stand for.

All for the sake of money...Ive had a veterinarian tell tales all to gain more pounds flowing out of my pockets into her pet surgery...and as a result we have been place in the position of either taking a risk of traveling with cat across the EU boarder and hoping no one realises the mishap on his passport or either give him to a willing family who will love him...you might say well its only a cat..but this was the cat of my daughter's first birthday whom which she loves dearly..even at the tender age of 2.

And today just as things seem to fall deeper into a pit..we were told that the house we have been waiting on contracts to rent was no longer offered to us..WHY?
Because the owner did not feel she could trust us...I could understand this, really I could... that's if I actually believed the estate agent..Lets think of this for a moment... foreigners ringing up wanting to rent my house whom I have nothing on, no assurances that they would pay the rent..on time or at all.
But there were never any questions ask, never any reference requested, yet the decision was based on passports and an email conversation. They could have asked for rent for a year in advance and we probably would have provided it, they could have asked for references and we would have given them in Italy, UK, and Australia, ring around our employment references or previous agents and they will testify that each house we have lived in was actually in better condition when we moved out than before we actually moved in as we have a tendency to fix things up on our own.

Not to toot my own horn or blow my own recorder but I do believe that we are far more honest than the average Matteo, Giuseppe, and Maria. Yet somehow we appeared to be dishonest somehow. So as the anger seeped in like a creepy scorpion I had to relish on the Beautiful Exchange..

Relishing that not everyone or everything in this life is disappointing as it may seem over the last few days or weeks.

Relishing that so much has been given for my freedom, for my salvation, for my happiness, even so that I may be educated and so that my dreams may have a chance to blossom.

Now generally I try not to be too in depth, personal or super spiritual in this particular blog..but sometimes there is an overflow of the heart that is a reckon to be forced with...

In the past two weeks I've wept with friends who were deeply suffering, prayed for calmed souls of the bereaved.
These are people who just in the last two weeks have lost a parent at such a young age, unexpectedly lost an unborn child, lost their homes due to a storm and has had a husband walk away from their marriage.

How can one complain or sit in sombre in the face of such disasters and turmoil?
So even though my heart is truly broken for those who are lonely, hurting and grieving, I am honest when saying the my heart still yearns to know the outcome of our Italian future...but I know that there is a bigger picture within all of this.

So what happens now..for now who knows ..but for sure I will continue to be thankful for the beautiful exchange. Knowing that some things are free in life..and some things are given just for the sake of humanity.

In case you are interested in the song that lead this post...here is a video of my church singing it..with lyrics and all!

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BUON HALLOWEEN...an update!

Where have I been..what have I been up to?? More importantly why have I been so behind with updating this blog. Well who knew it would take so much to move house in just 6 weeks. If you know me you will see that I am an organisational freak. Weird as with most things I'm pretty much laid back..but I like to have all things organised. As with Italy..you really cant organise much ..its like trying to keep a toddler organised 24hours a day..just impossible. There are always unspoken rules and regulations in Italia..and then you have the things that people forget to tell you decide to change at the last minute.
Throughout this all we have remained positive and pretty much thought what will be will be.
At the moment we have found the perfect house for our family and even has a bus nearby that takes Gareth directly to Parma for work. How amazing. This entire situation couldn't have happened so perfectly..but when things are so perfect sometimes its like you are just waiting for things to fall apart...as perfection is impossible in the world. At the moment everything is perfect. However we aren't able to sign anything until we have received our Codice Fiscale. So Gareth cant even sign his employment contracto ...which means without a contract we really haven't secured our house. At the moment we are earnestly praying to receive this silly little tax code so that his contract can be written and we can finally have the ok for the house that we desire.
So for those who are reading this ..pray pray pray for us..send us your good juju as they say..we need it!!
Im confident that we will be taken care though..no matter what happens..I know it will happen it just depends on how frustrating it will be when it happens..hahahaha
In an ideal world things would be perfectly smooth and details laid out for us all in advanced..umm yeah...WE CHOSE ITALY TO LIVE... IMPOSSIBILE!!!

So where does that leave us now??
Incredibly excited. We currently have 4.5 weeks till move date...removalists secured...packing will commence this weekend and have started to sell of things we don't need or want. So thing are happening on our end. However still waiting for my British Passport..which we are hoping will arrive in the next two weeks.

I promise to update more often..well cant really promise much with all the packing I need to get done..hahaha..but will definitely try.
baci! off to carve more pumpkins!
BUON HALLOWEEN

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negatività

Now that things are starting to settle down I've come to the conclusion that in reality it really isnt...its one of those things when you finally have a realisation of what is going on. The fact that we are actually moving in 6 weeks is starting to sink in...so along with that everything that I've researched, studied and gained knowledge about moving has come to surface..

oh we need this
no wait what about this
oh how will we do this and that ...and how will this and that over there work out..

Oh dear Ive worked up a sweat..I need a glass of wine!!

(20 MINS LATER)

pheeww...okay Im back... overwhelmed by just thinking of it all again..now that Ive had my dose of red ...I can think and type a bit more clearly...

In an attempt not to overwhelm you all I shall only speak of one matter ...people..yes indeed....living breathing flesh peeling humans...

Why are so many people so negative when it comes to things they don't understand or things they may have failed with...or even things they have successed with in a different manner?

I have heard time and time again....
'jess you cant do this...
or jessa that is imposable...it will never happen this way'
'or we don't do it that way here...or it just doesn't happen like that'

I truly believe that those who believe in something much greater than what is on this earth can simply make anything is possible..but more than that..we as humans have been given enough complexity between our ears to figure out ways around impossoablities...so why are so many people so fearful of just giving things a go...

I heard negativity when I chose Gaz as my husband...yes its true... was told it would never last... They were wrong..

I heard it when we moved to Uk...no you cant do it that way it wont work....They were wrong

I heard when I studied Italian...you cant learn in that format..They were wrong.

Gareth was told it was imposable for him to get a job in Italy as we weren't currently living there..and no one hires foreigners outside of the country let alone someone who cant speak Italian... They were wrong

Just recently we have continuously receive negativity...even down to potty training my daughter..which I must say I am completely proud of her 3 day potty training success...yes love her!!

But most relevantly ..we are now being told that we will never ever find a house until we go to Italia temporarily first ..then we will find something later and can move into something a bit permanently. Now don't get me wrong, not everyone has given us negative responses to this..and we have gotten some great advice on how we can make it happen and some great alternatives..so Im very tankful for those people who have shared their stories and advice. And I know I am not an expert on all things Italy..so I do take what people say wholeheartedly as experience and advice..I aslo know it will be a challenge and very very slim that we will find a house before we move...but why is everyone so indisputable that it will never ever happen.....

Its great to give people advice and help out anyway you can but if a person wants to try then allow them to. I have been told .. don't even bother .. don't waste your time..no one will every give you a batted eye..which may be so..but isn't it worth a go?? And if it doesn't happen.. wouldn't you rather you took a chance..I mean nothings loss really is it?

meh...rant over.. I'm sure you get where I'm going with all of this..the point of this post is that I'm bloody hard-headed and determined about the things I want in life..and I go after them whether people agree or not..and I never count something unsuccessful as a failure....its all an experience. Things didnt unfold the way we thought they would or had hoped when we first started this journey but wow....where we are now and where we are going is completely unexpected and new..so we are ready for the ride...

I do take advice...and choose wisely the paths I took..Im no silly wonka or street novice...but life is meant to be enjoyed as I said on another blog...why not live it to the fullest!

Now back to my wine and cat rubbing..

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l'impossibile è possibile

Wow has it really been a month since my last post..oh so it has..well better late than never. And this post is so worth it. I stayed far away from posting for the main reason of well..if I didn't have anything constructive or positive to say then I thought best not say anything at all..blah blah blah..how many times have our parents or guardians told us that..well umm I never listened. This time however I decided to be a good girl.

I began to feel a bit resentful of my desires and hopes ...dreams of moving to Italy and not seeing this happened put me in a bad place. So that moment on I decided to just forget about it. To be thankful for what I had here in the UK. After all we had only just moved here four years ago from Australia. I have great friends, a nice house ..the weather sucks but I suppose you just work around it for the most part. But just as soon as I began to have peace about staying in the UK longer than we desired is when everything started to change.
Gaz received a call about 4 weeks ago from an Agent that he had never even met in Milano. The agent explained that he had been refereed by another colleague that we had previously been in touch with. They discussed a job opportunity that seemed far too good to be true. The location was perfect, the money was excellent and the company was wonderful. Not to mention the project in itself would further Gazza's career well beyond where he is at the current moment.

After 4 long weeks of waiting he finally made his way to Parma today and met with the company after many phone interviews this was the meeting that would either seal the deal or cause it all to fall apart. And just as perfectly as it could have been the meeting defiantly sealed the deal as he was offered a contract almost instantly and now I have never been so happy to say that we finally have a moving day to Italy. Although Im not sure if we will actually live in Reggio Emilia or Parma itself ..they are so close to each other it really doest matter to be honest.

So as it stands 6 weeks before we move..wow how did this actually all happen so fast..Im still in shock.

Look at my happy face when I received the news!

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book review: ASK ME IF I'M HAPPY!

I do believe I said that I will do a few book reviews from time to time..however the last two books prior to reading this one well....Im still thinking about how I feel about them..

However I finally finished a book titled: Ask me if Im happy by: Kimberly Menozzi.

When I started reading the book I knew that I needed to finish it but then as life takes hold you always tend to break at the most unwanted of times..and now that Im back onto my reading frenzy I have finally finished reading it.

So what did I think?

LOVED IT! A great romance novel which gives true perceptions of Italy.

Ill try to explain why without giving any of the storyline away....

Firstly I loved the suspense in the beginning of not knowing what was going on with the main character (Emily). The great thing is that it is so well written that you get a sense of her personality within the first chapter. You are able to actually understand how she would respond to a situation which was great.

The second lead character (Divide) is equally as great and well I must admit from first description I wanted to jump through the book myself just to grab hold and snog him...and um..cough cough..yeah .....but well ...just a book eh!! SHAME

Immediately I wanted these two to end up together and thought if they don't end up together I'm going to be angry. What I wasn't prepared for was the bumps in the road that came along with reading this book and well there were a few surprise and sexy bits that left me sweating.

I did find that at the later part of the book I got to a point of thinking..what now..there is nothing else that can happen..its all done for ..and then had a look and noticed I had only read about 75% of the book. I couldn't for the life of me think of what else could come within the storyline..but of course the author comes up with something unthinkable that ties everything get together.

I particularly loved the usage of Italian language in the book and the descriptions of food and scenery. If I had not spent so much time in Italy I wouldn't understand so much yet had Id never been I would be just as delighted to feel as though I was right there through reading this story. Its almost like you could imagine yourself sipping a cappuccino and having dinner right in the heart of Bologna. This is a great talent credited to the author because though other books I've read recently descriptiveness have become invaluable it seams. However in this book its just enough not to bore you but leave you wanting to know more. Although there is a fair bit of Italian written, you don't feel left out on what is going on..it is very well written for anyone to follow along however I did become confused a few times whether the person was actually speaking in Italian and it was being translated or either they were actually speaking in English. I didnt really care all that much to try and work it out as the storyline kept me occupied.

So what didn't I like??


Ive mentioned before that towards the later part of the book it did feel like it was going to drag on but it really wasnt so much that Id rate the book as a serious negative ..just a small niggle that I noticed. However It did pick up quickly.

Id also have to say that the character Emily frustrated me at times...I wanted her to just get over it and move on ...or see things from a different perspective...really I wanted her to just grab hold and take what she wanted..NO what she deserved.
Her personality really reflected her pain which she allowed to rule her life..but really in reality this happens all the time to the best of us ..so while I say that she frustrated me ..in a sense it was probably because she is so real and authentic. Not a perfect girl who has been hurt and has it all sorted out or simply wallowing in her sorrows..but someone who is just figuring out how to move on and be happy. Maybe her stubbourness was too much to bear as it resembled a bit of myself..hmmmm something to ponder!

All in all ..should you waste your time reading this book?

DEFINANLTY! ABSOLUTELY!!

Once you start ...and work your way through a few of the saucy bits ..you will have no choice but to finish.

get your copy of this fab book here!!!

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Two minds at once

I've been away..yes I know ..first in Italia but then decided that I didn't want to post more winging and wines SNOOOORRREE...Its completely known that Id much rather be in Italy right now and since it isn't happening at this present moment Id rather post about the good times rather than the wishful thinking crybaby posts that seem to over take my thoughts at present...

Firstly I'll say how amaazzzing my last trip to Italy was...it was a completely different experience than usual. Instead of staying with my friends and family there we decided to hire a car and find somewhere on our own to stay. This proved to be just what we needed as our perspective of us moving to Italy has changed tremendously. We now have a greater appreciation for the Emilian Apennines. For most who know me..know that I am a beach girl at heart..after all, my all time favourite place in the world is Santa Cruz, California. Which hosts about 10 beaches throughout the city.
As much as I love the beach I have fallen almost ....yes almost just as in love with this particular area of Emilia Rogmania.

From the beginning of our journey to move to Italy we presumed that we would be only and always moving to Reggio Emilia as we have a special love and bond to the city. But on this trip we stayed in Viano which is only a short 15 min drive through the huge hills and dare I say mountains from Reggio Emilia. We then drove to Casina which was a short 30 min drive from Reggio Emilia and then finally driving to Castelnuovo Ne' Monti...which was um about 50 mins..give or take.

As we spent 4 days driving to these small towns we passed through many other villages, up and down mountains and hills, peered at large beautiful house..and some very very strange looking houses I must say as well. I saw for the first time the true countryside of Italy.
I think I must have fell in love with it at first glance which is a very very rare thing for me as I'm the over zealous analyst who has to figure out every detail of something before I can commit to loving or hating it. But I can honestly say that my heart was left within those hills as we returned to England.

We finally come to the conclusion that living within one of the small towns we drove to or through would be much more what would work for us, and now that we have come to that conclusion it makes moving so much more difficult as now we would like to experience more of the countryside before deciding where to finalise our location.

However one realisation we came to was that we may very well not even have an answer to that question (which village or town shall we move to) before we move so we are open and prepared to make changes in our decision even after we make the move.

Now that we have returned to the Uk, we are thankfully blessed with lovely warm days and cool nights..you know the ones where you curl up under the duvet with a nice book.
Well that's what Ive been doing for the last few weeks ..since I cant be in Italy I've decided to just read about it.. whether its historical Roman legends, ex-pact journals to Italy, or even romance novels about finding love in Bologna.

I've decided to not waste time wishing and hoping I was there or why our dreams haven't happened but to be thankful the the dream is still alive and that we have the means and ability to make it happen as we choose.

Now that Gaz is working again we have a new scale, plan, hope, dream, path, expectation ??? ...whatever you want to call it and which ever path God has chosen for us we are ready for the ride...

Look out Italia 2013 here we come....!

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