1/3 of a Year

As I listened to AC scream about being in her car seat ALL the way home from Rome, I longed for the comfort of my own home. I realized that our villa and small community really feel like home. Feeling at home with your surroundings truly is a priceless piece in the puzzle of life, and is something that not all military families have the luxury of experiencing. It hit me on that drive home from Rome that Christmas Day marked our 4th month her in Italy. Four months of living in Italy...WOW!

Despite all the wonderful experiences and goods we have access to here in Italy, there are just certain aspects of American life that I miss. Nothing big, just small luxuries that make life a tiny bit better. I realize that the tradeoff of these luxuries is well worth it (from my standpoint), for the life we are living in Italy.

American luxuries I truly miss:

• Starbucks - Sure, Italy has some of the best coffee in the world, but I would do just about anything for a good cup of Starbucks. Comparing a cafe or cappucino that is available in an Italian bar to a skinny vanilla (better yet, a chia tea) latte is like comparing an apple to a kumquat; very different. We may have taken the number of Starbucks within a mile into consideration when choosing our housing in Georgia a year ago (3 thank you). I can tell you that I have to cross international borders (571 miles to be exact) in order to get some 'bucks now. 

• Target - Similar to Starbucks I miss Target (pronounced Tar-jay to me) in a bad way. I now consider wandering through Target to be not only a life luxury, but a personal hobby of mine. Although, not going to Target 2-4 times a week has done wonders on my wallet. 

• Bookstores - Amazon frequently gets business from our family, and I must say they are great. They are by far the best company to ship to FPO/APO addresses. As wonderful as internet shopping is, I miss the sensory experience involved in bookstore shopping and browsing. 

• The Library - We are fortunate to have access to a library on the Naval Support Site, but every time I walk through the doors I can't help but pine for a decent library. AC has about 1/2 the books in the poorly organized children's section, and the adult section is filled with antiquated rejects. Libraries in America are often more than just a place to get books; they're often the best resource for community events and programs. We were certainly spoiled by the Columbia County Libraries, and Handley Regional Libraries.