NZ to Rome - March 17

 On the hottest day so far in Summer in Ōtautahi, Felix and I embark on our trip to Italy. It was quite an undertaking getting ready for this trip as I had clients to take care of in the final week and to make plans with for while I'm away. I had our dog Pasqua to part ways with, leaving him with a lovely couple and their Goldie. I had a house to prepare, clean and make up for a delightful family who are staying there for three weeks while me and a Felix are away. On top of all this, sleep has not been on my side leading up to this trip as past memories and a life that has led me to today kept my conscious and unconscious mind busy and scrambling around to complete cycles of integration.

Needless to also say, that after over another year of sobriety, I had decided to allow myself some glasses of limoncello and chianti while away in Italy. So I started early, having had several drinks in the fortnight leading up to going away. The day prior to departure, at my son's birthday dinner with family, I'd slurped on Shiraz , like my life depended on it.

I love not drinking alcohol but this is an interesting time and some vices from my past are tickling my appetite and I'm choosing to turn more toward the tickle, with curiosity and compassion. Of course, on my other shoulder sit confusion and guilt-induced self judgement, a sore head and a dry mouth. And Thank God for that shoulder too because my path will always lead me, if not to Rome, to self improvement.

But I've dedicated two, going on three, paragraphs to my relationship to alcohol, because it feels like this holiday in Italy is alchemy in action. Part of this journey feels like it's a reflection on all the parts of me, young and old, that desire integration and a journey home to who I am, and where I stand today. I'm here for it all, self love and self sabotage, wisdom and ignorance, life and death. The new and the old.

Mostly, I'm here to celebrate, all the blessings and how they have held my hand along the way, and to introduce Felix to my beloved Italy, my home away from home. And to create memories and a renewed connection with my much adored son, Felicino.

Boy, we have a turbulent relationship though. There's no doubt that he is my greatest teacher and even less doubt, for me, that between us Karma has more than two full time jobs!

So, where was I?

This holiday is also about Felix turning 12, which he did in Sydney, then in Dubai and then in Italy and about giving him an opportunity to see the world, well Italy and a small part of France anyway, open his mind and heart to more than lil young NZ and have a fabulous time in Italy with his mamma. I want us to make some special memories. And hopefully he can learn some Italiano!

We checked in online, the night prior to departure, and we were granted two seats in the middle of one of the central rows of four.  We were near the front of the plane by the kitchen and surrounded by several crying babies. And after finally getting on the plane, after a hot and fairly stressful day we were jammed in like sardines. I'm aware while writing this that it's not exactly what you'd frame as positive or grateful thinking. But yet, it is honest and the feistiness in my words are another part of me, that will not be spiritually bypassed, in favour of all the bells and whistles. I've never been a good sleeper and the Universe provided me with another opportunity to remember this. I practiced acceptance and patience and appreciated our neighbours. But I did not practice getting even a minimal amount of zzzs. In short, the flight to Dubai kinda sucked but I enjoyed some exciting looking kai, served on plane trays - always a treat, and as many movies as I could pack in and by the time I was on the flight to Rome, and had a window seat, I was happy being awake and almost at our destination.

Oh yeah, Felix has a pretty good time. A long birthday, starting in a Sydney and ending in Rome, episode after episode of Harry Potter, snacks galore that he ordered without hesitation, and a few zzzs. He did complain about the seats, trying to get me to upgrade so we could have more leg room. Mamma mia!

Arriving in Rome was both surreal and exciting. Looking down from the plane it almost could be been NZ but inside the airport we were buzzing, albeit knacked. A lovely man picked us up and took us to our Airbnb we'd booked for the night.

Then we chilled a little before walking the streets in a suburb between the airport and the city centre to start our adventures. We went to three bars ordering margarita pizza and prosciutto and stracciatella on repeat, and caffe macchiato before admitting we had no more fuel in our tanks and crawling out way back to the Airbnb and into bed. Sleep happened at 6.30am and by 2.30am the next day we're awake. 

Here I am at 8.30am on Wednesday march 19 Italian time in bed, in Rome.

The day after Felix's 12th birthday

Time to rise - ci alziamo 🥰