as i mentioned last week, i’ve been experiencing
an incredible high following my retreat.
lately it’s been a literal whirlwind
of spectacular events taking place.
because today i have even more exciting news to share . . .
my nationality was already half-italian,
but now i am officially an ITALIAN CITIZEN!! ?? ❤️
it was actually a two-and-a-half-year process.
much quicker than the typical ten-year route, of course,
since my grandmother was born in italy.
but still a lot of waiting in immigration lines.
no more permesso requirements.
dual citizenship granted.
my husband, eric, gets credit for all
of the painstaking research and paperwork
he did to get the ball rolling.
my case was considered a bit complicated,
more difficult because it was not linked to a male relative.
we were greatly helped, however, by attorneys in milan
who used as a precedent a recent case
in which heritage was accepted on this basis.
there was a court hearing last october,
the final decision (with no appeals) several months later.
“grazie mille” to my sweet grandma,
who paved the way for this milestone on my italian journey.
today, in her honor, i’d like to share
these words i wrote in december 2015.
right around the time my citizenship application began.
October 1929.
My brave Italian grandma, just 20 years old, marries a man she hardly knows and moves to the United States. She speaks no English. Yet. But she is home.
April 1968.
My first real memory. A bright spring day, celebrating 5 years of being alive, bursting into my grandma’s warm kitchen. Slurping noodles drenched in warm butter, while the red sauce (that she’s spent hours preparing) sighs and stands idly by for the adults who will appreciate it later.
September 2015.
I fly to Italy to meet my forever home for the first time in person. Even though it’s hard to make out many details in the dark, I cry tears of true joy the moment I lay eyes on it. The next day we celebrate at a popular restaurant in our new village. With vibrant red wine I don’t usually drink and unpronounceable-but-delectable pasta and pork dishes I overindulge in, amid a warm lively atmosphere reminiscent of my childhood. Boisterous laughter and the sing-song lilt of the familiar romance language leaving a heartwarming tingle along my spine.
October 2016.
My own journey will begin in just 10 months, as I channel my grandma’s bravery and move to Italy. I speak no Italian. Yet. But I will be home.
Full circle.
full circle indeed.
