Making a Home: One Month in Padova

Dave posted a while back that we had a routine down and that he was comfortable in Padova. While I agree that everything was going well, it has really taken me longer to feel like we have a home here.

This first month has been spent just getting oriented. Where do we get food? How do we get around? What do we need to purchase to live here comfortably? Can we run the dishwasher and the washing machine at the same time? (No, as it turns out.)

We aren't totally there yet. I still have to get the grocery loyalty card, which will be one step towards minimizing our expenditures. We will see which of the community of people (there are quite a few) who have reached out to help us will become authentic friends. We have to do some sightseeing, including having the boys visit Dave's building, which has parts of it that are original to around the year 1200.

We had no interest in any day or weekend trips up to this point, but now that we have a home base, we are venturing to Venice tomorrow for the night. You'll see more about that sooner rather than later, I hope. I have a bunch of posts that are drafted in some form, but tonight I'll add some expectations I had coming into this, and what reality looks like after a month.

The Boys
   Expectation: They would struggle during the first two weeks of school, and we would see some
   unhappiness.
   Reality: The boys have been out-of-whack, but not unhappy, this entire month.

From teaching experience, I know that the first two weeks as a language newcomer can be especially rough. Some of my younger students have been in tears for that whole period of time. I was not confident that we would avoid tears. Ben has been anxious about going to school in Italy from the get-go. He always has a tough exterior, but there is a lot going on inside. I imagined that he might break down at pickup or before school. Ethan is really dramatic, so he was a wild card.
I've really appreciated that we haven't had unhappiness. Neither of them was thrilled that we were leaving them the first morning, but after reminding them that school only lasted 5.5 hours, they were ok. There were a few mornings that they didn't want to get up or leave the apartment, but that happens in Michigan.
What has TOTALLY thrown me is their behavior at home after school. They are wild animals. Their behavior is almost feral at times, and it has made me crazy. Spending time in a new environment, pretty much silent the whole time, they have so much to release at the end of the day, and they do it at home. This looks like physically playing with and fighting with each other, climbing the furniture, completely ignoring me... it demands all of my attention. Even to the point that I can't step away to make dinner. I'm glad that Italy is known for their wine.




My Time
   Expectation: I'd be homesick and struggling with what to do by about January 15th.
   Reality: I'm just getting started on the list of things I want to do.

This is not the same as a to-do checklist. It involves things like studying in my Italian books, re-learning how to use my good camera, seeing the art and tourist sites in Padova, and writing in this blog. The days pass really quickly here, especially as the turnaround time for dropping off and picking up the boys at school is rather short. I'm just getting to the point that cleaning, buying food, and running other errands aren't taking up the majority of my free time. I definitely miss friends, family, and students back home, but I'm not homesick (knock on wood).

Climate
   Expectation: We would enjoy a milder winter here than we would have in Michigan.
   Reality: It's lovely here.

The Midwest and its polar vortex has made the news here over the past few days. I know what you are going through. Sunshine and mid-40s has been great. The only downside is that there isn't a whole lot of snow in the Alps, and we are still hoping to get some snowboarding in.

Soccer
   Expectation: We would be immersed in the soccer culture, and it would be inescapable.
   Reality: We haven't watched a single soccer game yet.

The local team's games aren't even on TV or the internet! We will definitely go to see a match or two, but most people we talk to are not fans of them. People here have talked to us more about the Super Bowl than soccer. It's a pity. There are some bigger games going on, but most of them are pay-per-view. The boys did find a local coach to practice with and are enjoying that.