On Time

It's hard to believe that I've already been in Europe for five weeks. Despite the slower pace of life in Italy, time still flies. Tonight we have our final concert in Urbania and tomorrow I'll begin my official week of vacation. The itinerary looks promising: 2 nights in Rome, 2 nights in Naples, 2 nights in Florence, and a final night in Bologna. Then I catch a flight for London, spend an evening there and then fly to Tel Aviv.

It's the oddest feeling, but I often get the sensation that I live in multiple worlds. Per esempio, I have this life in Italy at the moment. I go to school, I have rehearsals, I go grocery shopping, I eat gelato--basically I've settled into an Italian routine. I have fantastic friends, a great roommate, etc. but tomorrow this world will vanish. The people I've met will all go their separate ways and I'll then have to start a new life in Israel, where I'll stay just long enough to create a world and then leave.

All the above makes for an interesting lifestyle and it just happens to be one that I love. There are negative aspects, especially the good-byes and the transiency, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I get to meet fantastic people from random places around the world, study cultures and languages---all the time doing what I love and making music. And best of all, at the end I get to go home. To a semi-divided world in Utah/Michigan. Pretty sweet setup.

But the end of an existence is always a bit sad, hence my reflections of the day. Urbania has been wonderful and I love the Italian people and culture more than ever. (I've decided to retire in Italy). And I'm really looking forward to Tel Aviv and my rough sojourn in a hotel with free wireless. So...here's to the end of an existence and the beginning of another!