Yesterday was Christmas day and only my second time celebrating this holiday outside of the United States. The first time was in 2010 when I was visiting some friends in Australia. It was a fun but weird Christmas because of the weather. It was about 90+ degrees Fahrenheit and the department store Santa was wearing shorts. We had a fantastic celebration at my friend’s home; it’s a holiday experience I’ve always cherished. This year was equally fun and filled with new friends and experiences.
I’ve felt a little untethered since the dissolution of my family. No more family get-togethers – that I’m invited to attend anyway. No more texts and phone calls from family members (except from my dad and if the moment moves her, my sister) to commemorate the holiday celebration. No grounding of sorts. And although I’ve spent much of my adult life traveling and living in different areas of the country and the world – my childhood town has always been home to me. So I’m learning to accept that this is the new way of life and there are new experiences and traditions to be made. Change, as they say, is the one constant in life. Good thing “adaptability” is my number one characteristic as analyzed in StrengthsFinder 2.0.
The weather was unseasonably warm this past week in Florence from what I’ve heard. Yesterday was 60 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. Perfect weather to be outside in a walking city. Cool enough to need a jacket but warm enough to walk around and enjoy ourselves without needing to duck into a café or shop to warm up.
Luca and I took a little stroll around the city center before lunch. Florence is magical this time of year. It’s very festive with the holiday lights and the beautiful decorations in the store windows. It really set the mood for a wonderful day.
Since Luca’s family is not nearby, we celebrated with some of his friends who are more like family. Gisella, who he introduced me to last year as his “Florence Mother” is wonderful and the backbone of the family. She set up a lovely lunch for us at a traditional Tuscan restaurant, La Falterona here in the city. The guest list included Gisella, her two brothers and one of their wives, her two sons (who both speak English fluently), me, and Luca. As the only non-Italian, it was fun to watch them celebrate Italian-style – i.e. lots of laughing and hand gestures. It was mesmerizing. Plus, now that I’ve taken a few Italian lessons, I was able to practice what I’ve learned.
Everyone was extremely kind and welcoming, and the food was fantastic. We shared wine and appetizers of bruschetta with tomatoes, chicken liver paté, and mushrooms. I opted for the seafood pasta which did not disappoint. Most everyone ordered two dishes – Primi Piatti (pasta dishes) and a Secondi Piatti (meat or fish dishes). I knew I wanted some gelato later so Luca agreed to split the second dish of grilled octopus with me – and let’s be real, he ate 1/3 of my pasta. I call him the “human garbage disposal.” Everyone’s meals looked amazing and by the immediate silence, once the food arrived, it apparently tasted wonderful for everyone as well. We finished off the meal with a variety of desserts, some limoncello, espressos (normale – no milk), and macchiatos (with latte – milk).
When it came time to pay, I placed some Euros on the table but was told by Gisella and her older brother Ricardo that the meal was already paid for…they had bought both mine and Luca’s lunches. Tiny tears actually filled my eyes. I think I was a little over-emotional because it was the holiday and because the traditions I have always known are no longer but their kindness to include me, a stranger from a foreign land to participate in their celebration on a special occasion, made my eyes watery. I really appreciated the moment and I was grateful for their kindness.
After lunch, Luca went to take a nap and I met up with Xiaoyin from my language class. She is also away from her friends and family. On our last day of class together, when she told me she would be alone, I said, “no you won’t.” So we met up and walked around the city. We popped into a free art exhibit and then went back to my apartment to hang out. It was nice to see her and get to know her a little better. We didn’t have much time to chat before or after class so it was interesting to hear about her family, life in China, and her dreams for her future. She couldn’t stay too late in the evening since she is an Au Pair and staying at a home about an hour outside of the city but I think she was happy to see some friendly faces.
Before the night came to an end, Luca and I went out for some gelato. I mean, Christmas in Italy with 60-degree weather isn’t complete without it. This might have to be a new tradition no matter where I am celebrating.
P.S. Luca hates selfies…but he is a good sport about it for the blog.
So all in all it was a magical and merry Christmas. I was able to connect with my dad and a few friends – including a fun facetime session with my best friend Squint and her kiddo. This is one Christmas that I will look back on fondly and remind myself that home and holiday memories can be made no matter where you are or who you are with.
In gratitude for each and everyone one of you. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Goodnight and much love from Florence. 🇮🇹
Also, nobody told me that the little poof of hair on my head looked like a croissant…Bah-humbug.