10 Misses and Loves

As you can guess, this is a post about the 10 things I miss most about America and the 10 things I love most about Italy.

10 Misses:
1. Carpet (yes, carpet is at the top of the list).
2. Colin (naturally).

3. Mia famiglia (see photo at right).
4. Dogs that understand and obey commands in English, commands such as "stop licking my feet."
5. An excess of public restrooms.
6. "Normal time,"as Steph would say (as compared to military time).
7. Being able to say a sentence to someone without first looking up all but three of the words in a dictionary.
8. FRESH water. As in not salt water, which will give you high cholesterol if you accidentally swallow too much because you jump in with your mouth open because you forgot it was not fresh water.
9. Grapes without seeds (I hope grape vines don't start growing out of my stomach).
10. Taco Bell (I can't help it...I'm addicted).

10 Loves:
1. Fresh bread from the market at break time.
2. Wine with lunch.
3. Hearing "bellisima!" every time I walk by an Italian man (who doesn't love that?).
4. Seeing impossibly beautiful, incredibly old buildings every way you look (churches, houses, palaces, everything is beautiful).
5. The shoes. I've yet to see any Italian, young or old, male or female, with ugly shoes on their feet. I kid you not.
6. The mountains in the distance.
7. The food. Let's be honest, what is better than legitimate Italian food? Nothing is the answer you are searching (not very far) for.
8. Anna, mia momma.
9. New friends!!
10. The language. It's hard and I am frustrated and impatient, but it is the most beautiful language I've ever heard.