No speak Italiano!

I am going to Italy - Venice to be exact. I leave Saturday. I am not prepared. The only Italian word I know at the moment is spaghetti. I wanted to bone up on the language, the sites, the street maps. I am usually more prepared. The last two weeks have demanded I be focused on Americano stuff- Tennesseeo stuff, Jacksono stuff, familyo stuff. So I have. But how will I ever order? How will I ask for the mall? And the gondolas???..... I've been told to make sure you ask for a singing gondolier - or something like that. I meant to have that down too! Ok - so I havent gotten to listen to my CD on learning Travel Italian. I havent even opened my 2007 Frommes guide to Italy but I have been reading a good book. It's not so much about Italy although its helpful. Its about a woman that went through a painful divorce and set out to find herself again. It's a true story. The woman and author is Elizabeth Gilbert. She's a real, live New York magazine writer and it's her story. By a divine turn of fate Elizabeth finds herself in Italy, India and Indonesia.

In Italy she learns how to enjoy life (food in particular) pleasure in general. The experience teaches her life lessons. In India she learns how to pray and in Indonesia she learns about love. It's not a religious book and its not sold in Books A Million in the christian section. Actually, its on the shelf at the front of the store under New York Times Best Sellers. But it could slide in I think because Elizabeth is in search of God - his realness. She wasn't prepared for what she would learn about herself and ultimately what she would learn about God. Unpreparedness can do that sometimes- you know- surprise you about God. So... maybe being unprepared isn't so bad after all. Maybe I don't have it all planned out. Maybe I will go with expectant eyes - hoping to see what God would want me to see and experience him amongst the olive oil, the canals and yes.... my own heart.

dolce vita (the sweet life)

"I want to have a lasting experience of God," I told him. "Sometimes, I feel like I understand the divinity of this world, but then I lose it because I get distracted by my petty desire and fears. I want to be with God all the time. But I don't want to be a monk, or totally give up worldly pleasures. I guess what I want to learn is how to live in this world and enjoy its delights but also devote myself to God" (eat- pray- live by Elizabeth Gilbert---- page 26)